Leathernecks, Bears triumph

ASSOCIATED PRESS
NORMAL, Ill. -- Steve LaFalce completed 15 of 23 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns Saturday to lead Western Illinois over Illinois State, 31-17.
LaFalce also ran 2 yards for a touchdown on the game's first drive. Western Illinois (3-6, 1-4 Gateway) padded its lead as LaFalce connected with Marco Thomas on a 98-yard touchdown pass.
Travis Glasford caught LaFalce's second touchdown pass with just 33 seconds remaining in the second quarter, giving the Leathernecks a 21-3 halftime lead.
Luke Drone led Illinois State (5-4, 2-3 Gateway), completing 24 of 41 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Pierre Jackson caught both scores and finished with five receptions for 71 yards. But the Redbirds had a one-sided attack; they only managed 40 yards rushing on 36 carries in the loss. Drone was sacked six times by the Western Illinois defense.
Missouri St. 31, Indiana St. 27
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Backup quarterback A.J. Porter threw a 7-yard pass to Kaya Farris with 28 seconds remaining for Missouri State.
Porter, playing for starting quarterback Scott Carroll, who left the game late in the first half with a concussion, drove Missouri State (4-4, 2-3 Gateway) 86 yards on 7-of-7 passing for the winning score. Porter finished 18-of-25 for 225 yards and two touchdowns. He ran 2 yards for another score.
Indiana State (0-9, 0-5) took its last lead on a 26-yard field goal by Kyle Hooper with 2:01 remaining before the Porter-led drive.
Missouri State had a 17-10 halftime lead thanks to three scores on three straight possessions that included a 3-yard run by Carroll and a 13-yard pass from Porter to Michael Sparks in addition to a 22-yard field goal by Jon Scifres.
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