Archive for August 2017

Western unveils new-look defense in season opener

Western unveils new-look defense in season opener
In its five losses last season, the Western Illinois football team allowed 35.6 points a game. A season-ending loss at Southern Illinois – a team that managed four wins – saw Western give up 44 points. So head coach Charlie Fisher acted this off-season, adjusting his defense from a  4-3 scheme to a 3-4. Thursday... Read more »
By Barry Bottino,
August 31, 2017 at 7:00 am
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Renewed rivalry has Panthers pumped for new season

Renewed rivalry has Panthers pumped for new season
Eastern Illinois will play Indiana State in football Thursday night for the 84th time in history. But the matchup has a tinge of nostalgia to it this season thanks to a renewed rivalry. The two schools, which are separated by only 47 miles, will face off on the football field for the first time since... Read more »
By Barry Bottino,
August 31, 2017 at 5:00 am
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Fresh Faces: Helt embraces position switch for Redbirds

Fresh Faces: Helt embraces position switch for Redbirds
In the third installment of our four-part series on fresh faces who will make an impact this season for FCS teams in Illinois, we introduce you to up-and-coming players at Illinois State who will play bigger roles this season. Learning new roles has been commonplace for Dean Helt. The Illinois State senior began his career... Read more »
By Barry Bottino,
August 30, 2017 at 5:00 am
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Fresh Faces: WR plans to gobble up catches at Eastern

Fresh Faces: WR plans to gobble up catches at Eastern
In the second of our four-part series on fresh faces who will make an impact this season for FCS teams in Illinois, we introduce you to up-and-coming players at Eastern Illinois.   Alexander Hollins is playing college football nearly 550 miles from his hometown of Yazoo City, Miss. When he arrived at Eastern Illinois for... Read more »
By Barry Bottino,
August 29, 2017 at 4:00 pm
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Moving the Chains with . . . ISU lineman Dalton Keene

Moving the Chains with . . . ISU lineman Dalton Keene
Dalton Keene has been a force in the Illinois State defensive line since his redshirt freshman season, the same year the Redbirds played in the national championship game. But, there’s much more to his story. Get to know Dalton Keene. Senior Hometown:  Jacksonville, Ill. Major: Business Can you believe it’s your senior season? No, I blinked and... Read more »
By Dan Verdun,
August 29, 2017 at 8:30 am
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Fresh Faces: Acklin ready to grab lead role in WIU offense

Fresh Faces: Acklin ready to grab lead role in WIU offense
In the first of our four-part series on fresh faces who will make an impact this season for FCS teams in Illinois, we introduce you to up-and-coming players at Western Illinois who are stepping into bigger roles this season. Two years into his college football career, Jaelon Acklin had a total of 13 receptions as... Read more »
By Barry Bottino,
August 28, 2017 at 5:00 am
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Ultimate Illinois FCS Road Trip

Ultimate Illinois FCS Road Trip
This year’s Sports Illustrated College Football Preview issue features a 13-week Road Trip spread. It begins Aug. 26 in San Jose, Calif. and completes a coast-to-coast circuit Nov. 26 in the Golden State’s Palo Alto. Here at Prairie State Pigskin, we’ve created our version showcasing the best from the schedules of Illinois’ four Football Championship Subdivision universities. Ultimate Illinois... Read more »
By Dan Verdun,
August 25, 2017 at 9:00 am
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A look at the 2017 WIU Leathernecks schedule

A look at the 2017 WIU Leathernecks schedule
Some key events from the first three weeks of September 1935 a hurricane slams the Florida Keys, killing 423 Louisiana Senator Huey Long is assassinated Howard Hughes sets an airspeed record of 352.39 miles per hour A pastoral letter was read in every Catholic church in Germany defying the Nazi regime That’s also the last... Read more »
By Dan Verdun,
August 24, 2017 at 7:00 am
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A look at the 2017 SIU Salukis football schedule

A look at the 2017 SIU Salukis football schedule
Though they don’t kick off the 2017 football season until well after most others have a game under their belts, the Southern Illinois Salukis are still more than ready to begin Nick Hill’s second season as head coach. “The first year we did a great job of implementing the culture that we wanted,” Hill said.... Read more »
By Dan Verdun,
August 23, 2017 at 7:00 am
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A look at the 2017 ISU Redbirds football schedule

A look at the 2017 ISU Redbirds football schedule
Head coach Brock Spack’s Illinois State Redbirds are bidding to return to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs for the fourth straight year. Yet, the ninth-year ISU coach knows each year’s schedule brings on new challenges. “You can’t sleep on anybody,” Spack said ISU’s recent media day. “Butler, I know every well from being in... Read more »
By Dan Verdun,
August 22, 2017 at 6:30 am
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