1986 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1986

| team = Western Illinois Leathernecks

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference

| short_conf = GCAC

| record = 6–5

| conf_record = 2–4

| head_coach = Bruce Craddock

| hc_year = 4th

| captain =

| stadium = Hanson Field

}}

The 1986 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (GCAC) during the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Bruce Craddock, the Leathernecks compiled an overall record of 6–5, with a mark of 2–4 in conference play, and finished fifth in the GCAC. The Leathernecks were led by senior All-American center Frank Winters, senior All- American defensive lineman Todd Auer, and sophomore quarterback Paul Singer, who was 6 -2 as the starter and led the Leathernecks in passing for the second consecutive season. All - conference receiver Albert Brown led the Leathernecks in receiving yards.

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1986

| rankdivision = NCAA Division I-AA

| poll = NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = August 30

| w/l = l

| away = y

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Kansas State

| site_stadium = KSU Stadium

| site_cityst = Manhattan, KS

| score = 7–35

| attend = 26,320

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-olathe-daily-news-k-state-opens-seas/160436710/|work=The Olathe Daily News|title=K-State opens season with 35–7 victory|date=August 31, 1986|accessdate=December 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 13

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1986|team=Mankato State Mavericks|title=Mankato State}}

| site_stadium = Hanson Field

| site_cityst = Macomb, IL

| score = 17–13

| attend = 11,231

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-rock-island-argus-wiu-manages-to-get/160436883/|work=The Rock Island Argus|title=WIU manages to get past Mankato State|date=September 14, 1986|accessdate=December 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 20

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Southwest Missouri State

| site_stadium = Briggs Stadium

| site_cityst = Springfield, MO

| score = 27–10

| attend =

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-western-illinois-wins/160437140/|work=The Pantagraph|title=Western Illinois wins|date=September 21, 1986|accessdate=December 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 27

| w/l = w

| away = y

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Northern Illinois

| site_stadium = Huskie Stadium

| site_cityst = DeKalb, IL

| score = 10–0

| attend = 26,364

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-chronicle-western-edges-huskie/160437277/|work=The Daily Chronicle|title=Western edges Huskies|date=September 28, 1986|accessdate=December 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 4

| w/l = l

| opponent = Illinois State

| site_stadium = Hanson Field

| site_cityst = Macomb, IL

| score = 7–17

| attend = 12,136

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/herald-and-review-illinois-state-wins/160435602/|work=Herald and Review|title=Illinois State wins|date=October 5, 1986|accessdate=December 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 11

| w/l = w

| away = y

| nonconf = y

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1986|team=Northern Michigan Wildcats|title=Northern Michigan}}

| site_stadium = Memorial Field

| site_cityst = Marquette, MI

| score = 28–22

| attend =

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-flint-journal-w-illinois-28-n-mic/160437508/|work=The Flint Journal|title=W. Illinois 28, N. Michigan 22|date=October 12, 1986|accessdate=December 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 18

| w/l = l

| opponent = Eastern Illinois

| opprank = T–9

| site_stadium = Hanson Field

| site_cityst = Macomb, IL

| score = 3–37

| attend =

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-eastern-illinois-bops-wes/160430709/|work=The Pantagraph|title=Eastern Illinois bops Western|date=October 19, 1986|accessdate=December 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 25

| w/l = l

| away = y

| opponent = Northern Iowa

| site_stadium = UNI-Dome

| site_cityst = Cedar Falls, IA

| score = 30–32

| attend = 13,152

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times-northern-iowa-nips-weste/160433940/|work=Quad-City Times|title=Northern Iowa nips Western|date=October 26, 1986|accessdate=December 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 1

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1986|team=Northwest Missouri State Bearcats|title=Northwest Missouri State}}

| site_stadium = Hanson Field

| site_cityst = Macomb, IL

| score = 26–9

| attend =

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-rock-island-argus-western-26-northw/160437798/|work=The Rock Island Argus|title=Western 26, Northwest Missouri 9|date=November 2, 1986|accessdate=December 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 8

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Southern Illinois

| site_stadium = McAndrew Stadium

| site_cityst = Carbondale, IL

| score = 24–21

| attend = 12,500

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-eastern-illinois/160432565/|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|title=Eastern Illinois wins conference as Western knocks off SIU 24–21|date=November 9, 1986|accessdate=December 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 15

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Sam Houston State

| opprank = 15

| site_stadium = Hanson Field

| site_cityst = Macomb, IL

| score = 13–16

| attend = 4,628

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114742763/sam-houston-st16-w-illinois-13/|work=The Rock Island Argus|title=Sam Houston St.16, W. Illinois 13|date=November 16, 1986|accessdate=December 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

References

Western Illinois

Category:Western Illinois Leathernecks football seasons

Western Illinois Leathernecks football