2015 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 2015
| team= Western Illinois Leathernecks
| sport= football
| image = Western Illinois Leathernecks wordmark.svg
| image_size= 150
| conference= Missouri Valley Football Conference
| division=
| short_conf= MVFC
| STATSRank =
| FCSCoachRank =
| record = 7–6
| conf_record = 5–3
| head_coach= Bob Nielson
| hc_year = 3rd
| off_coach= A.J. Blazek
| oc_year =
| def_coach= Brian Mohnsen
| dc_year =
| off_scheme=
| def_scheme=
| stadium= Hanson Field
| champion =
| bowl = FCS Playoffs Second Round
vs Illinois State
| bowl_result = L 19–36
}}
{{2015 MVFC football standings}}
The 2015 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third year head coach Bob Nielson and played their home games at Hanson Field. They were a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. They finished the season 7–6, 5–3 in MVFC play to finish in a three way tie for third place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs where they defeated Dayton in the first round before losing in the second round to fellow MVFC member Illinois State.
On December 14, head coach Bob Nielson resigned to become the head coach at fellow MVFC member South Dakota.{{Cite web | url=http://www.pjstar.com/article/20151214/SPORTS/151219733 | title=Texas High School Football Hall of Fame to enshrine Kenneth West }} He finished at Western Illinois with a three year record of 16–21.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 2015
| rankdivision = NCAA Division I FCS
| poll = STATS
| timezone = Central
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = {{tooltip|September 3|Thursday}}
| time = 6:00 pm
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Eastern Illinois
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| tv = WIUtv3, ESPN3
| score = 33–5
| attend = 5,985
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 12
| time = 11:00 am
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Illinois
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Champaign, IL
| tv = BTN
| score = 0–44
| attend = 37,733
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 19
| time = 5:00 pm
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Coastal Carolina
| opprank = 2
| site_stadium = Brooks Stadium
| site_cityst = Conway, SC
| tv = {{URL|1=http://www.bigsouthsports.com/live|2=BSN}}
| score = 27–34
| attend = 10,311
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 3
| time = 3:00 pm
| w/l = w
| homecoming = y
| opponent = Southern Illinois
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| tv = WIUtv3/ESPN3
| score = 37–36
| attend = 7,125
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 10
| time = 3:00 pm
| w/l = w
| opponent = South Dakota
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| tv = MVC TV, WIUtv3, ESPN3
| score = 40–21
| attend = 6,298
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 17
| time = 4:00 pm
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Northern Iowa
| opprank = 12
| site_stadium = UNI-Dome
| site_cityst = Cedar Falls, IA
| tv = WIUtv3, ESPN3
| score = 24–19
| attend = 16,324
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 24
| time = 2:00 pm
| w/l = l
| away = y
| rank = 20
| opponent = Illinois State
| opprank = 3
| site_stadium = Hancock Stadium
| site_cityst = Normal, IL
| tv = ESPN3
| score = 28–48
| attend = 13,391
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 31
| time = 1:00 pm
| w/l = l
| rank = 23
| opponent = Youngstown State
| opprank = 25
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| tv = WIUtv3, ESPN3
| score = 21–23
| attend = 2,610
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 7
| time = 2:30 pm
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = North Dakota State
| opprank = 6
| site_stadium = Fargodome
| site_cityst = Fargo, ND
| tv = WIUtv3-TD, ESPN3
| score = 7–59
| attend = 18,251
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 14
| time = 12:05 pm
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Indiana State
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Terre Haute, IN
| tv = WIUtv3-TD, ESPN3
| score = 37–30
| overtime = OT
| attend = 4,567
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 21
| time = 1:00 pm
| w/l = w
| opponent = South Dakota State
| opprank = 5
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| tv = WIUtv3, ESPN3
| score = 30–24
| overtime = 2OT
| attend = 1,853
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 28
| time = 11:00 am
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Dayton
| site_stadium = Welcome Stadium
| site_cityst = Dayton, OH
| gamename = NCAA Division I First Round
| tv = ESPN3
| score = 24–7
| attend = 997
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = December 5
| time = 1:00 pm
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Illinois State
| opprank = 4
| site_stadium = Hancock Stadium
| site_cityst = Normal, IL
| gamename = NCAA Division I Second Round
| tv = ESPN3
| score = 19–36
| attend = 6,124
}}
}}
Ranking movements
{{Ranking movements
| poll1title = STATS FCS
| poll1firstweek = 0
| poll1lastweek = 13
| poll1_0=RV
| poll1_1=RV
| poll1_2=RV
| poll1_3=RV
| poll1_4=RV
| poll1_5=RV
| poll1_6=RV
| poll1_7=20
| poll1_8=23
| poll1_9=RV
| poll1_10=RV
| poll1_11=RV
| poll1_12=RV
| poll1_13=22
| poll1_14=
| poll1_15=
| poll1_16=
| poll1_17=
| poll1_18=
| poll1_19=
| poll1_20=
| poll2title = Coaches
| poll2firstweek = 0
| poll2lastweek = 13
| poll2_0=NR
| poll2_1=RV
| poll2_2=RV
| poll2_3=RV
| poll2_4=RV
| poll2_5=RV
| poll2_6=RV
| poll2_7=23
| poll2_8=RV
| poll2_9=RV
| poll2_10=NR
| poll2_11=RV
| poll2_12=RV
| poll2_13=22
| poll2_14=
| poll2_15=
| poll2_16=
| poll2_17=
| poll2_18=
| poll2_19=
| poll2_20=
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Western Illinois Leathernecks football navbox}}