2011 MVFC Preview: Western Illinois

My series of Missouri Valley Football Conference previews continues today with Western Illinois. Previous entries can be found on the right hand side of this page. 

A dream season would end with a National Championship. Since only one team can accomplish that, Western Illinois will be happy with what they did in 2010. They are the only team in FCS history to have someone finish second in the three major individual award categories. Quarterback Matt Barr was runner-up for the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), linebacker Kyle Glazier finished second for the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), and head coach Mark Hendrickson finished second for the Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year).

It was a great season mainly because of Western Illinois' seven win turnaround from one win in  '09 to eight in 2010. But Hendrickson is the only one who will return to the team this year and that leads one to wonder how WIU will fare this year.

Offense

WIU running back Caulton Ray

The Leathernecks had the third-best offense in FCS football last season, averaging 457.2 yards per game last year. Most of that success was led by Barr, who threw for 3,410 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2010 and found a way to carve up defensive backs around the conference. He also led the only team that beat both NDSU and UNI last season. His primary target, Lito Senatus has also moved on from Macomb due to graduation, leaving questions about the passing attack.

Junior Wil Lunt will probably have a shot at the quarterback spot first. Lunt is Illinois' high school all-time career passing leader (8,383 yards) and made seven starts in 2009 when Barr was out with an injury. Regardless, it will be shockingly different without the All-American behind center. Lunt should have solid hands to catch his passes however, with Terriun Crump returning after catching 56 balls for 888 yards last year. SDSU fans may remember Senatus as the tall streak who caught 10 balls for 125 yards and two scores last year in Brookings but Crump actually had 183 yards on 10 catches, including a 46-yard touchdown reception.

Running back Caulton Ray will lead the Leathernecks on the ground, regardless of how the passing game shapes up. The Michigan State transfer from January 2010, Ray will attempt to give WIU its ninth-straight season with a 1,000 yard rusher and he's proved he can do it after rushing for 1,075 last season.

Defense
Western Illinois led the MVFC in passing defense in 2010 and that should be the goal again for the defensive backs this season, with four returning with at least seven starts from last year. While the Leathernecks proved to be very advantageous in turnover margin category, finishing plus-11, WIU will have a hard time keeping that rate in 2011.

The Leathernecks lose their most experienced players to graduation and a lot is unclear as to how the new starters will play. Defensive lineman Dwight Harris had 30 tackles last year and will likely anchor the line from the defensive end slot in WIU's 3-4 scheme. Kevin Palermo is the unit's leading returning tackler with 52 from last season. Western recorded 19 sacks last season and the players who accounted for 15 of those sacks have graduated.

WIU wide receiver Terriun Crump

Outlook
WIU finished 8-5 last season and very well could finish there again. I don't see the Leathernecks offense being as powerful as in 2010, mainly because Barr was so important to the rest of that offense. On that note, the Leathernecks won't be terrible this season. Ray should solidify their ground game and Lunt will have plenty of passing targets to throw to. He was inconsistent at times when he had his fill-in run two years ago and that will have to be shored up when he is the full-time man. Like most of this conference, Western will find itself in the middle of a crowded group of teams at 6-5 or 5-6 and should be competitive amongst its league peers.



Up Next: Youngstown State
All photos property of Western Illinois Athletics