Quarterback Steve LaFalce and his receivers continue to produce glitzy statistics, but Western Illinois keeps falling short in games against ranked Gateway Conference rivals.
WIU plays host to No. 1 Western Kentucky on Saturday in its fourth straight game against a Gateway team ranked in the Top 20 in Division I-AA. The Leathernecks (2-5, 0-3) have lost successively to Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Youngstown State.
LaFalce, a former Fremd quarterback, passed for more than 350 yards in each of those losses with nine touchdown passes and two interceptions.
Three of those TD passes went to Reggie Gray, a Morgan Park product who also had more than 100 yards receiving twice in the three-game span.
Gray exceeded the 100-yard mark for a school-record eighth time by catching nine passes for 134 yards at Youngstown to break Ron Wilson’s record set in 1968-69.