| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIU | 7 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 34 |
| SIU | 7 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
Crosa FG wins it, Western Illinois edges S. Illinois 34-31
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Sam Crosa kicked a field goal in the final seconds, the finale of Western Illinois' 20-point fourth-quarter rally, to edge Southern Illinois 34-31 on Saturday.
The Leathernecks (5-4, 4-2 Missouri Valley Conference) evened the score at 31-all late in the fourth quarter when Sean McGuire hit Adam Conrady for a touchdown with 4:04 remaining. Crosa capped the team's next drive with a 33-yard field goal with 13 seconds remaining. Linebacker Pete Swenson forced a Southern Illinois fumble in the final seconds -- recovered by Khalen Saunders -- to preserve the win.
McGuire finished with 283 yards and two touchdowns passing.
Western Illinois was down 31-14 early in the fourth when Crosa began the comeback with a 34-yard field goal. Shabar Wilson recovered a Southern Illinois fumble on the first play of the next drive and the Leathernecks capitalized quickly with a short scoring run by Steve McShane to close to 31-24 with 10:50 left.
Matt DeSomer threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns for the Salukis (2-7, 1-5).
Game Information
2023 Big South-OVC Association Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Gardner-Webb | 5-1 | 7-5 |
| UT Martin | 5-1 | 8-3 |
| Eastern Illinois | 4-2 | 8-3 |
| Bryant | 4-2 | 6-5 |
| Southeast Missouri State | 3-3 | 4-7 |
| Tennessee Tech | 2-4 | 4-7 |
| Robert Morris | 2-4 | 4-7 |
| Charleston Southern | 2-4 | 4-7 |
| Tennessee State | 2-4 | 6-5 |
| Lindenwood | 1-5 | 3-7 |
2023 Missouri Valley Football Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota State | 8-0 | 15-0 |
| South Dakota | 7-1 | 10-3 |
| Northern Iowa | 5-3 | 6-5 |
| North Dakota | 5-3 | 7-5 |
| North Dakota State | 5-3 | 11-4 |
| Youngstown State | 5-3 | 8-5 |
| Southern Illinois | 4-4 | 8-5 |
| Illinois State | 4-4 | 6-5 |
| Missouri State | 3-5 | 4-7 |
| Murray State | 1-7 | 2-9 |
| Indiana State | 1-7 | 1-10 |
| Western Illinois | 0-8 | 0-11 |
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