2001 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team

{{short description|American college football season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 2001

| team = Western Illinois Leathernecks

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Gateway Football Conference

| short_conf = Gateway

| record = 5–5

| conf_record = 4–3

| head_coach = Don Patterson

| hc_year = 3rd

| off_coach =

| oc_year =

| off_scheme =

| def_coach =

| dc_year =

| def_scheme =

| captain =

| stadium = Hanson Field

}}

{{2001 Gateway Football Conference standings}}

The 2001 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season. They were led by third-year head coach Don Patterson and played their home games at Hanson Field in Macomb, Illinois. The Leathernecks finished the season with a 5–5 record overall and a 4–3 record in conference play.{{cite web |title=Western Illinois Football Record Book |url=https://goleathernecks.com/documents/2021/10/17/Football_Record_Book_Updated_Oct_2021_.pdf |publisher=Western Illinois University Athletics |access-date=January 30, 2022 |page=73}} Western Illinois played a ten-game schedule instead of the typical eleven-game schedule in Division I-AA, as they were unable to schedule an eleventh opponent before the season began.{{cite news |last1=Batterson |first1=Steve |title=Western Illinois still seeks respect |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78947215/quad-city-times/ |access-date=January 30, 2022 |work=Quad-City Times |date=August 8, 2001 |page=D6 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 2001

| rankdivision = NCAA Division I-AA

| poll = The Sports Network

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = August 30

| w/l = w

| rank = 13

| opponent = Western Kentucky

| opprank = 3

| site_stadium = Hanson Field

| site_cityst = Macomb, IL

| score = 17–13

| attend = 11,832

| source = {{cite news |title=Toppers lose opener at Western Illinois |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93808914/messenger-inquirer/ |access-date=January 30, 2022 |work=Messenger-Inquirer |date=August 31, 2001 |page=1B |via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 22

| w/l = l

| away = y

| rank = 6

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=2001|team=Youngstown State Penguins|title=Youngstown State}}

| opprank = 3

| site_stadium = Stambaugh Stadium

| site_cityst = Youngstown, OH

| score = 7–41

| attend = 19,331

| source = {{cite news |title=Youngstown State handles Western Illinois |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93810720/the-pantagraph/ |access-date=January 30, 2022 |work=The Pantagraph |agency=Associated Press |date=September 23, 2001 |page=D3 |via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 29

| w/l = w

| rank = 13

| opponent = Southern Illinois

| site_stadium = Hanson Field

| site_cityst = Macomb, IL

| score = 38–21

| attend = 13,744

| source = {{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Steve |title=Dawgs bark, but can't bite off a win against Western |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92544560/southern-illinoisan/ |access-date=January 30, 2022 |work=The Southern Illinoisan |date=September 30, 2001 |page=1B |via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 6

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| rank = 14

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=2001|team=Southern Utah Thunderbirds|title=Southern Utah}}

| site_stadium = Hanson Field

| site_cityst = Macomb, IL

| score = 27–20

| attend = 8,824

| source = {{cite news |title=SUU Falls Short Against No. 14 Western Illinois |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93811131/the-salt-lake-tribune/ |access-date=January 30, 2022 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=October 7, 2001 |page=C6 |via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 13

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 14

| opponent = Illinois State

| site_stadium = Hancock Stadium

| site_cityst = Normal, IL

| score = 33–23

| attend = 6,777

| source = {{cite news |last1=Reinhardt |first1=Randy |title=Nothing special about this ISU loss |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93811379/the-pantagraph/ |access-date=January 30, 2022 |work=The Pantagraph |date=October 14, 2001 |page=D1 |via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 20

| w/l = l

| rank = 12

| opponent = Northern Iowa

| opprank = 14

| site_stadium = Hanson Field

| site_cityst = Macomb, IL

| score = 14–17

| attend = 15,637

| source = {{cite news |last1=Logue |first1=Andrew |title=Strong kicking, clutch receptions boost Panthers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93811714/the-des-moines-register/ |access-date=January 30, 2022 |work=Des Moines Register |date=October 21, 2001 |page=8C |via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 27

| w/l = l

| rank = 16

| opponent = Southwest Missouri State

| site_stadium = Hanson Field

| site_cityst = Macomb, IL

| score = 28–43

| attend = 5,187

| source = {{cite news |last1=Capie |first1=Kevin |title=SMS springs upset on No. 16 Western Illinois |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93812021/the-springfield-news-leader/ |access-date=January 30, 2022 |work=The Springfield News-Leader |date=October 28, 2001 |page=1C |via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 3

| w/l = l

| away = y

| nonconf = y

| rank = 23

| opponent = Sam Houston State

| opprank = 19

| site_stadium = Bowers Stadium

| site_cityst = Huntsville, TX

| score = 24–49

| attend = 2,842

| source = {{cite news |title=McCown Throws For 5 TDs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93812407/the-tyler-courier-times/ |access-date=January 30, 2022 |work=Tyler Courier-Times-Telegraph |agency=Associated Press |date=November 4, 2001 |page=3:4 |via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 10

| w/l = l

| away = y

| nonconf = y

| opponent = South Florida

| site_stadium = Raymond James Stadium

| site_cityst = Tampa, FL

| score = 17–48

| attend = 23,252

| source = {{cite news |last1=Young |first1=Pete |title=Bulls keep it close... for a little bit |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93823446/tampa-bay-times/ |access-date=January 30, 2022 |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=November 11, 2001 |page=17C |via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 17

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=2001|team=Indiana State Sycamores|title=Indiana State}}

| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Terre Haute, IN

| score = 52–15

| attend = 6,135

| source = {{cite news |title=Indiana State again ends with losing mark |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93823853/the-south-bend-tribune/ |access-date=January 30, 2022 |work=South Bend Tribune |agency=Associated Press |date=November 18, 2001 |page=C4 |via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Western Illinois Leathernecks football navbox}}

Western Illinois

Category:Western Illinois Leathernecks football seasons

Western Illinois Leathernecks football

{{collegefootball-2001-season-stub}}