MACOMB, Ill. — Tennessee State took an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter, but Western Illinois scored 18 unanswered points and used a 16-yard touchdown run from Kennedy McGill with 52 seconds remaining to defeat the Tigers 28-21 on Saturday afternoon at Hanson Field.
The Leathernecks improved to 3-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while the Tigers fell to 1-4 and 0-1.
Daylin Lee completed 22 of 42 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. He also scored on a 4-yard run as Tennessee State built a 21-10 lead through three quarters.
Brenton Paul led the Tigers on the ground with 62 yards on 12 carries, averaging 5.2 yards per attempt. Trevor Pearson added 11 rushing yards.
Brock Montgomery led Tennessee State with six catches for 75 yards. He also returned a kickoff 31 yards and finished with a team-high 106 all-purpose yards. Jayden Guy caught four passes for 65 yards, while Cam Bulluck finished with five receptions for 54 yards and two touchdowns.
Joshua Reese led the Tennessee State defense with 10 tackles and two pass breakups. Sammy Taylor added eight tackles, and Rymen Mosley recorded six tackles, one interception and one pass breakup. Kaiki Baker forced a fumble near the goal line that Jakobe Freeman recovered.
Tennessee State forced two turnovers but committed three. Western Illinois converted those takeaways into eight points, including a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown that tied the game early in the fourth quarter.
Western Illinois finished with a 491-318 advantage in total offense, including 250 rushing yards. Tennessee State held a 245-241 edge in passing yards.
The Tigers return home to face UT Martin at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Nissan Stadium.
How It Happened
Western Illinois opened the scoring with a 24-yard field goal from Ronan Culkin, completing a 16-play, 73-yard drive with 6:47 remaining in the first quarter.
Tennessee State responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive. Lee connected with Bulluck for a 25-yard touchdown, and Davion Moore's extra point gave the Tigers a 7-3 lead with 3:54 left in the quarter.
Western Illinois threatened again early in the second quarter, but Baker forced a Christian Anaya fumble at the Tennessee State 2-yard line and Freeman recovered.
The Leathernecks took a 10-7 lead on McGill's 33-yard touchdown pass to Ihson Jackson-Anderson with 3:56 remaining in the half.
Tennessee State answered with a 12-play, 65-yard drive. Lee capped the possession with a 4-yard touchdown run, sending the Tigers into halftime with a 14-10 lead.
The Tigers opened the second half with an 11-play, 67-yard drive that consumed 5:58. Lee found Bulluck for a 2-yard touchdown, extending Tennessee State's advantage to 21-10 with 8:56 remaining in the third quarter.
Mosley intercepted McGill later in the quarter and returned the ball to the Tennessee State 29. The Tigers advanced to the Western Illinois 22 before turning the ball over on downs.
Culkin made a 30-yard field goal with 11:50 remaining in the fourth quarter to cut Tennessee State's lead to 21-13.
On the Tigers' next possession, Jake Kruger intercepted Lee and returned the pass 43 yards for a touchdown. McGill scored on the two-point conversion to tie the game at 21 with 11:08 remaining.
Tennessee State turned the ball over again on its following possession when Guy fumbled after making a 13-yard catch, but the Tigers' defense forced a Western Illinois punt.
The Leathernecks took possession at their 45-yard line with 4:16 remaining and drove 55 yards in seven plays. McGill converted third-and-12 with a 22-yard run before scoring on a 16-yard run with 52 seconds left.
Tennessee State reached the Western Illinois 41 on its final possession, but DonPaul Keith intercepted Lee with 22 seconds remaining to seal the game.
Game Notes
» Western Illinois outgained Tennessee State 491-318.
» Tennessee State held a 245-241 advantage in passing yards.
» The Tigers scored seven points in each of the first three quarters.
» Tennessee State converted 5 of 15 third downs, while Western Illinois finished 6 of 16.
» Tennessee State converted 1 of 2 fourth-down attempts.
» The Tigers forced two turnovers, including a fumble at the Tennessee State 2-yard line.
» Joshua Reese led Tennessee State with 10 tackles and two pass breakups.
» Sammy Taylor finished with eight tackles.
» Rymen Mosley recorded six tackles, one interception and one pass breakup.
» Brock Montgomery totaled 106 all-purpose yards.
» Cam Bulluck caught five passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns.
» Tennessee State committed four penalties for 32 yards, while Western Illinois was penalized 10 times for 111 yards.
» Kennedy McGill completed 23 of 43 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown with one interception.
» McGill rushed 16 times for 188 yards and one touchdown.
