Western Illinois turned a three-point halftime lead into a 24-7 win at Welcome Stadium to cut Dayton's first FCS playoff appearance short. The Leathernecks (7-5) were making their 11th trip but first since 2010.
“We missed opportunities in the first half and that came back to haunt us in the second half,” Dayton coach Rick Chamberlin said. “We fought all day, but we just couldn’t come up with the plays we needed in the second half.”
Dayton (10-2) rallied in seven of their wins before an eighth comeback effort fell short last week at Drake in the regular-season finale.
There was no such rally left in the Flyers, despite trailing just 10-7 at halftime. They managed 25 yards of offense in the second half, while Western Illinois applied heavy pressure on quarterback Alex Jeske and made some adjustments to stop a running game that had been fairly successful in the first half.
The Leathernecks’ defense recorded five of their six sacks in the second half, as Dayton was forced to throw while backed up and in several third-and-long situations.
Meanwhile, Western Illinois opened up its offense with some big pass plays early to get the running game going, and the Flyers had no solution for 250-pound tailback Nikko Watson, who rushed for 152 yards and one touchdown on 34 carries. The Leathernecks finsihed with 424 yards of offense.
“They just seemed to find the hole better in the second half,” Dayton linebacker Chris Beaschler said. “We were trying to fit our gaps, but they got a little bit of movement on us at the D-line and linebacker positions.”
Western Illinois extended its halftime lead after Jeske’s third interception, then scored again for a 17-point advantage early in the fourth quarter for the final, but Dayton could have been playing ahead at that point.
As usual, Dayton’s defense had given the Flyers good field position in the first half, including on their one scoring drive. Michael Gray and Jack Crain tackled Watson at the line of scrimmage on fourth and 1 from the Leathernecks 39-yard line to set up a four-play drive capped by Jeske’s five-yard run.
Cameron Stubbs then saved a potential touchdown on a pass breakup down field before Christian Searles intercepted Sean McGuire to give Dayton the ball at midfield, and Tucker Yinger took the Flyers into the red zone on a 35-yard carry.
The Flyers got all the way to the 1-yard line, but Jeske fumbled on fourth-and-goal, and Western Illinois’ Brett Taylor came up with the recovery. Jeske was intercepted again the next drive on a third-and-5 from the 13, and this time, the Leathernecks took advantage of the momentum swing to drive 65 yards on seven plays. Watson punched it in on a seven-yard run to tie the game at 7, and Nathan Knuffman added a 27-yard field goal with 11 seconds left in the half after a three-and-out for Dayton.
“We feel very fortunate to come out of here with a win,” Western Illinois coach Bob Nielson said. “I’m very proud of the way our guys played in the second half. I think we struggled in the first half, but we really took control with our defense in the second half and moved the ball effectively enough to put points on the board.”
The Leathernecks allowed Dayton to cross into their territory once in the second half, and even then the Flyers only got to 45. Jeske finished with 124 yards on 13 of 27 passing with three interceptions and a fumble for Dayton. Tucker Yinger led the ground attack with 79 yards, including 73 in the first half, on 15 carries.
“I think especially the way we started the game, the way we came out, we felt like we kind of let things slip away,” slot end Cory Stuart said. “Hats off to Western Illinois, they took advantage of some key mistakes we made and they made some great plays in the second half. I think the loss truly hasn’t sunk in yet, especially the older guys, but we still have a lot to celebrate this season.
• Chamberlin said he hopes Jeske doesn’t take the loss personally, despite the four turnovers. It was uncharacteristic of him and the Flyers to have such miscues. Dayton had lost the ball in the red zone just once all season before Saturday, and the Flyers had a plus-14 turnover margin for the regular-season but were minus-two against Western Illinois.
“Alex has been a winner for us all year,” Chamberlin said. “You can’t let just one game that was not his best overshadow what he has done for us. We would not be here if it was not for Alex Jeske.”
• Dayton was trying to give the Pioneer Football League its first FCS playoff win since it was given an automatic bid in 2013. Tennessee State beat Butler 31-0 in 2013, and Montana routed San Diego 52-14 last year. Chamberlin said the experience helps his team know what to do next year to get back to the playoffs. He hopes returners look at their preparation and efforts in the offseason and try to repeat them.
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