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If Western Illinois football is new to you, you’re not alone. As Wisconsin turns from a high-profile opener to a much lesser-known opponent, Badgers On SI compiled a short primer on what to expect from the Leathernecks.
A struggling FCS program
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The Leathernecks have had trouble finding consistent success. Western Illinois finished 4-8 in each of the past two seasons, following back-to-back 0-11 campaigns. Their last winning year was 2017, when they went 8-4 and reached the FCS playoffs before losing in the second round.
A steep early-season jump in competition
The first three weeks of Western Illinois’ schedule tell an uneven story. In Week 1 they routed Northwestern College, an NAIA program from Orange City, Iowa, 65-14. That result came against a private Christian liberal arts college that does not compete at the NCAA Division I level.
Week 2 presented a far sterner test. The Leathernecks fell 41-10 to Illinois State, a program that reached the FCS title game last season before losing to Montana State. Next up is a matchup against a Big Ten school — a rapid and striking rise in opponent quality from week to week.
Quarterback question looms
Western Illinois has rotated two signal-callers early in the season. In the opener, Kennedy McGill completed 15 of 17 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Against Illinois State, both McGill and Cason Carswell saw the field: McGill was 14-of-22 for 123 yards with an interception, while Carswell went 9-of-18 for 140 yards. Both players serve as captains for the 2026 Leathernecks.
Head coach Joe Davis acknowledged the uncertainty this week. “We’re still working through that. We’ve got two good players there,” he said. “They’re both well respected players…what that rep count looks like on Saturday, we’re still working through that, but we’re gonna need both of these guys.”
Two-capable-quarterback scenarios rarely resolve easily. Still, how Western Illinois deploys McGill and Carswell will be one of the more intriguing subplots when they take the field against a Big Ten opponent.
Why this matters now
For Wisconsin, the matchup is a notable pivot: from a nationally recognized opening opponent to a program with limited recent success. That contrast makes Western Illinois a curiosity on the schedule and raises concrete questions about how the Leathernecks will respond on a much bigger stage.
