Kennedy McGill Runs for 295 as Western Illinois Survives 42-35
Western Illinois had 567 yards, Charleston Southern had 225, and the Leathernecks needed a touchdown with 15 seconds left to win 42-35. Yardage is not points, and three Charleston Southern defensive touchdowns made sure everyone knew it.
Kennedy McGill did nearly everything for Western Illinois. He ran for 50 yards on the game's first scoring play, 5 and 4 more later, and an 84-yard score in the third quarter, plus a 44-yard touchdown pass to Israel Hiraldo, and it added up to a 35-21 lead after three quarters. He also threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles. Charleston Southern turned three of those giveaways into touchdowns: Tristan Lennon returned an interception 65 yards with 2:36 left in the third, and Jayden Hancock took one back 39 yards and then a fumble 19 yards in the fourth, 1:42 apart.
Those three scores are 21 of the Buccaneers' 35 points. The offense produced 14 (Harry Smalls from a yard out, Hakeem Watters on a 50-yard run), which says plenty about how this one went. The lead changed twice and the score was tied three times. After Hancock's second return it was 35-35 with 5:55 to go, after the Leathernecks had been up 14.
Ihson Jackson-Anderson broke the tie with a 14-yard run with 0:15 left, and it held. Western Illinois out-ran Charleston Southern 358 yards to 141 and threw for 209 against 84. Four turnovers and a 21-point defensive swing would have sunk a lot of teams.
Western Illinois goes to 4-3. Charleston Southern drops to 3-3. Take away the three defensive touchdowns and this is a 42-14 blowout.