HANSON FIELD - Western Illinois University Athletics
HANSON FIELD - Western Illinois University Athletics
HANSON FIELD - Western Illinois University Athletics
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20<br />
LEATHERNECKS<br />
CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS<br />
Led by head coach Lou Saban, the<br />
1958 Leathernecks suffered only<br />
one loss all season - that by a single<br />
point.<br />
1939 (5-1-1)<br />
1942 (5-0-2)<br />
1949 (9-1)<br />
1953 (8-2)<br />
Coach Ray Hanson<br />
Little 19 Champions (2-0-1)<br />
Penn W 9-6<br />
at Parsons L 6-12<br />
*<strong>Illinois</strong> State T 0-0<br />
*at Southern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 20-7<br />
*Eastern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 20-7<br />
Burlington J.C. W 25-21<br />
at Carthage W 14-7<br />
The 1939 season was capped with<br />
a thrilling victory over rival Carthage.<br />
<strong>Western</strong> fans tore down the goal posts<br />
and, the following Monday, the entire<br />
student body took the day to celebrate with<br />
WGN Radio and a victory banquet.<br />
1958 (6-1-1)<br />
Coach Lou Saban<br />
IIAC Champions (5-1)<br />
St. Ambrose W 32-25<br />
at Bradley T 6-6<br />
*at Southern <strong>Illinois</strong> L 31-32<br />
*Northern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 38-7<br />
*Eastern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 34-0<br />
*at <strong>Illinois</strong> State W 16-10<br />
*at Eastern Michigan W 27-6<br />
*Central Michigan W 38-23<br />
Lou Saban and the 1958 Leathernecks<br />
came within one point of an undefeated<br />
season.<br />
Coach Wix Garner<br />
Little 19 Champions (3-0-1)<br />
at <strong>Illinois</strong> College T 0-0<br />
Iowa Wesleyan W 13-0<br />
*at Northern <strong>Illinois</strong> T 14-14<br />
*Southern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 26-0<br />
*at Eastern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 45-0<br />
*<strong>Illinois</strong> State W 12-7<br />
at Carthage W 14-7<br />
Under the leadership of captain<br />
Vernon “Mouse” Holmes and Coach<br />
Wix Garner, the 1942 Leathernecks<br />
became the first undefeated team<br />
in school history. <strong>Western</strong> won the<br />
conference championship despite<br />
losing seven starters to graduation.<br />
The squad held four of its seven<br />
opponents scoreless, including a 26-<br />
0 Homecoming win over Southern<br />
<strong>Illinois</strong> and a 45-0 victory over Eastern<br />
<strong>Illinois</strong> the following week.<br />
1959 (9-0)<br />
Coach Lou Saban<br />
IIAC Champions (6-0)<br />
St. Ambrose W 40-7<br />
Bradley W 56-31<br />
*at Central Michigan W 26-20<br />
*Southern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 33-6<br />
*at Northern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 18-13<br />
at Arkansas State W 22-19<br />
*at Eastern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 28-8<br />
*<strong>Illinois</strong> State W 58-0<br />
*Eastern Michigan W 22-0<br />
The 1959 Leathernecks remain the<br />
only undefeated and untied team<br />
in school history. Just three games<br />
were decided by less than 20 points,<br />
as the Leathernecks out-scored<br />
their opponents by an average of<br />
22 points.<br />
Coach Vince DiFrancesca<br />
Corn Bowl Champs<br />
Little 19 Champs (4-0)<br />
at Michigan Tech W 33-0<br />
Wayne State L 14-33<br />
Millikin W 32-30<br />
*at Northern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 27-6<br />
*at <strong>Illinois</strong> State W 19-14<br />
at Shurtleff W 68-0<br />
*at Eastern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 14-0<br />
*Southern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 35-0<br />
Carthage W 30-0<br />
vs. Wheaton W 13-0<br />
(Corn Bowl)<br />
The first postseason game in the<br />
<strong>Western</strong> <strong>Illinois</strong> history books, the<br />
Corn Bowl was played in Bloomington,<br />
Ill., on Thanksgiving Day. The 1949<br />
Leathernecks finished one of the<br />
toughest schedules to date with five<br />
consecutive shutouts.<br />
1964 (6-3)<br />
Coach Art Dufelmeier<br />
IIAC Co-champions (3-1)<br />
NE Missouri State L 10-14<br />
at Bradley W 9-0<br />
at Drake W 14-12<br />
St. Norbert W 23-22<br />
*at Central Michigan W 41-7<br />
at Montana L 0-7<br />
*Northern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 20-7<br />
*at <strong>Illinois</strong> State L 21-27<br />
*Eastern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 30-14<br />
The 1964 season was highlighted<br />
by a Homecoming victory over<br />
Northern <strong>Illinois</strong>. The Huskies were<br />
the fourth <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Illinois</strong> opponent<br />
of the season to be held to seven or<br />
fewer points.<br />
Coach Vince DiFrancesca<br />
Corn Bowl Champions<br />
IIAC 2nd place (5-1)<br />
at St. Ambrose W 32-0<br />
NE Missouri State W 19-13<br />
at Wheaton L 13-14<br />
*<strong>Illinois</strong> State W 20-7<br />
*at Central Michigan L 6-13<br />
*Eastern Michigan W 20-0<br />
*at Eastern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 19-12<br />
*at Northern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 27-0<br />
*Southern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 47-19<br />
vs. Iowa Wesleyan W 32-0<br />
(Corn Bowl)<br />
Vince DiFrancesca’s second Corn<br />
Bowl victory in as many appearances<br />
capped an 8-2 season and marked<br />
his last game as head coach of the<br />
Leathernecks. His 1953 team led the<br />
entire nation in total offense among<br />
small colleges, averaging 473.6 yards<br />
per game.<br />
1969 (8-2)<br />
Coach Darrell Mudra<br />
IIAC Champions (3-0)<br />
at Gustavus Adolphus L 20-23<br />
Youngstown State W 35-28<br />
at Bradley W 38-7<br />
Wisconsin-Milwaukee W 41-0<br />
Central Missouri W 31-13<br />
*Central Michigan W 17-14<br />
at Drake L 7-44<br />
*at Eastern <strong>Illinois</strong> W 44-6<br />
*<strong>Illinois</strong> State W 55-13<br />
at Northern Iowa W 23-14<br />
The 1969 Leathernecks won the final<br />
IIAC championship and received a<br />
bid to the Mineral Water Bowl. The<br />
Leathernecks ranked ninth in the nation<br />
in both total offense (425.1 ypg) and<br />
rushing defense (68.0 ypg).<br />
52<br />
WESTERN ILLINOIS FIGHTING LEATHERNECKS
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