Back to the front: Leatherneck RB draws YSU’s attention

By Pete Mollica

Herb Donaldson is the leading scorer and rusher in Division I, averaging 12.6 points and 154.9 yards.

YOUNGSTOWN — It’s not difficult to figure out the strength of the Western Illinois football team, at least offensively.

It lies in the form of 5-foot-11, 225 pound senior tailback Herb Donaldson,

Donaldson and the Leathernecks (6-4, 4-3 Missouri Valley Football Conference) host Youngstown State at 2:05 p.m. Saturday in the season finale for both teams.

Saturday’s contest is the Missouri Valley Conference Game of the Week and will be televised live. Fans locally will be able to view the contest over WBCB-TV.

Donaldson has been having a career season with the Leathernecks. He currently is the leading scorer and rusher in all of Division I football, averaging 12.6 points and 154.9 yards per game.

Last week in Western Illinois’ 48-45 overtime victory over Illinois State, Donaldson rushed for 243 yards and three touchdowns and he is one of the leading candidates for the Walter Payton Award, which goes to the most outstanding FSD player at year’s end.

Donaldson is already the school’s all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns as well as most 100-yard and 200-yard games. He is just 205 yards away from becoming the Missouri Valley Conference’s all-time leading rusher.

Western Illinois coach Don Patterson is well aware of Donaldson’s accomplishments and what he needs to set the conference record.

“We are not going to worry about it at the expense of winning the game of course,” Patterson said. “But it’s safe to say that the best chance for us to beat Youngstown state is for Herb to run for 205 yards.”

“We will run our offense and it will probably involve some fairly significant yardage from Herb. If he doesn’t have significant yardage, it will make it tough for us to win the game,” he said.

Last week the Leathernecks suspended 11 players against Illinois State for being involved in an off-campus incident. Most are expected to be back Saturday.

It will be the final game for Patterson’s seniors, although several had a big game against the Redbirds last week.

Besides Donaldson’s 243 yards and three touchdowns, senior Taylor Rowan kicked the game-winning field goal in the first overtime, following senior Robert Hodges’ end zone interception.

Senior linebacker Jason Williams forced a game-changing fumble, the 14th of his career, and senior fullback Rico Thomas turned his first career reception into a 16-yard touchdown. The Leathernecks also used senior back-up quarterback Zack Wells at wide receiver and he led the team with two receptions for 56 yards.

“There were several outstanding efforts last week, but we still have another game to go and we’re going to need that same effort on Saturday against Youngstown State,” he said.

This season Donaldson has rushed for 1,549 yards on 284 carries and 20 touchdowns. He has two games with more than 200 yards rushing. Twice he’s been held under 100 yards rushing. The Leathernecks lost both those games.

Sophomore quarterback Matt Barr (6-2, 215) has passed for 1,247 yards on 92-of-184 attempts with eight touchdowns and just four interceptions. His leading receiver, Carl Sims, is no longer on the roster. He had 29 catches for 351 yards and two touchdowns.

Rowan is 10-of-13 in field goals with a long of 54 yards.

Defensive back Kyle Glazier leads the team with 82 tackles, while Williams has 64 including 17 for losses, six forced fumbles and six pass breakups.