Western Illinois last played a football game Nov. 23, 2019. Saturday’s 30-24 loss to Missouri State resembled much of the time in between.

As with life in the pandemic world, WIU experienced its share of highs and lows in the defeat that opened this spring’s eight-game Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule.

“It’s been a long, long road and a long journey for these guys,” WIU head coach Jared Elliott said in the postgame press conference. “Obviously I was wanting a different result for these kids because they deserve it. I’m extremely proud how hard our guys played. That wasn’t the issue today. Our issue today was like any first game, especially a first game when you haven’t played in so long. We’ve got to eliminate self-inflicted wounds.”

While Western’s record stands at 0-1, Missouri State won for the first time under new head coach Bobby Petrino after losing all three games the Bears played in the fall.

Three things we learned:

1. Penalties and turnovers continue to decide games

Two of the key statistical categories loomed large.

Western Illinois and Missouri State combined for 17 penalties for 138 yards and seven turnovers.

“Extremely frustrating,” Elliott said. “I know we had two touchdowns called back (on penalties) and the one, if not the third, was on the one- or two-yard line. Very frustrating.”

Yet, the Leathernecks still had a chance to pull off a comeback. On the final drive, WIU drove to the Missouri State 41-yard line. However, starting quarterback and team captain Connor Sampson left the field with an injury.

Backup Henry Ogala stepped in and threw a 40-yard completion to Dennis Houston only to have it negated by a holding penalty called on Michael Ross.

“Way too many penalties,” Elliott said.

On the next snap, Missouri State stripped the ball from Ogala and recovered to effectively end the game.

“We turned the ball over at some very costly moments,” Elliott said.

2. Big plays produce big results

The game featured big plays on both sides.

After falling into a 14-0 deficit, WIU rallied to tie the game. Linebacker Greg Benton Jr. scooped up a fumble and raced 75 yards for a second quarter Leatherneck score.

Greg Benton Jr.

“I could go on about Greg for days, but that man is all heart,” teammate Herschel Blankenship said.

Schaumburg native and transfer Mason Laramie nailed a 45-yard field to give Western a 17-14 halftime lead.

After receiver Tony Tate scored on a two-yard run with 7:56 remaining in the game, WIU held a 24-20 lead.

Things looked even better for Western when Missouri State misplayed the ensuing kickoff return and then suffered a snap infraction. The Bears faced a first-and-14 inside their own five-yard line. WIU followed by stopping quarterback Jaden Johnson cold on a read option.

Yet, momentum and field position changed as Johnson found Damoriea Vick for a 67-yard reception into Western territory. Moments later, 6-foot-7 Issac Smith snatched a pass between two WIU defenders and then raced into the end zone with the game-deciding touchdown. The Bears later added a field goal.

3.  Field position matters

Western spent most of the third quarter mired deep in its own territory. In fact, Adam Fellner punted from his own end zone on three consecutive possessions.

That situation was set up after WIU was called for “an invalid fair catch signal” following a Missouri State field goal, according to Elliott.

Missouri State held WIU in check and forced the Fellner punts.

“The third quarter was tough,” Elliott said. “We put our defense in some really bad spots, and they played their tails off. We had at least three possessions, if not four, backed up inside the 10 and couldn’t get a first down. We weren’t able to do that and really lost almost a quarter there.”

News and notes:  WIU’s final drive wasn’t helped by the fact the Leathernecks had only one timeout. Western burned two timeouts — one of special teams and one on defense — in the third quarter . . . Before departing with his injury, Sampson was 34-for-46 for 281 yards. He passed for one touchdown but also threw two interceptions . . . Houston had nine catches for 71 yards and a TD . . . Tate, a DeKalb native, had 161 total yards (69 receiving, 89 returning, 3 rushing) . . . Blankenship led Western with 10 tackles, eight solo.

What’s next?

Western travels to nationally ranked South Dakota State March 6.

Bryce Jefferson was at the center of numerous game-changing plays Saturday for the Illinois State football team.

Several of those plays put the Redbirds up three scores in the first half of the spring season opener against South Dakota at ISU’s Hancock Stadium.

Several more plays proved costly for seventh-ranked ISU (0-1) in a 27-20 Missouri Valley Football Conference loss to the unranked Coyotes (1-0).

Jefferson, ISU’s redshirt sophomore quarterback, threw for 280 yards and was the game’s second-leading rusher with 65 yards. But he also threw four interceptions and lost two fumbles in the defeat as ISU turned the ball over seven times as a team.

“The name of the game is don’t beat yourself,” Jefferson said. “We had way too many turnovers. We put our defense in a bad position.”

After Jefferson’s 59-yard scoring pass put the Redbirds up 17-0 early in the second quarter, the team’s next three drives ended with turnovers in its own territory. The result was a 17-17 halftime tie that was part of 27 consecutive points for South Dakota.

“We got control of the game, up 17-0, and the bottom fell out with the turnovers,” ISU head coach Brock Spack said.

Three things Prairie State Pigskin learned from Saturday’s game:

1. ISU’s pass game is explosive

Jefferson’s arm strength was on full display Saturday with completions of 55, 58, and 59 yards. Seven different receivers caught passes, including a game-high 132 yards on five catches for junior Austin Nagel.

“It was feast or famine for him,” Spack said of Jefferson. “It was really good or it was not so good. He made some great throws. He’ll bounce back.”

2. Run game is a work in progress

Not having James Robinson in the backfield would be a massive adjustment for any team. For the Redbirds, they leaned heavily Saturday on redshirt freshman Pha’leak Brown, who led all rushers with 86 yards on 17 carries. Forty-one of those yards came in the fourth quarter.

“Pha’leak got it going a little bit,” Spack said. “He was a little jittery early. But it’s asking a lot for (young) guys to come out and be perfect. He played well most of the day.”

Jefferson, known for his running ability, had five carries for 12 or more yards. Redshirt freshman Nigel White added 19 yards on seven carries.

As a team, the Redbirds racked up 167 yards on the ground.

3. Defense has its moments

The Redbird defense led the nation in 2019 with 52 sacks. They opened the spring season with five against South Dakota from five different players.

Chasing elusive Coyotes quarterback Carson Camp proved challenging at times, and the offense’s seven turnovers put the defense on the field over and over again.

“We’ve got to do a better job of rushing the passer,” Spack said. “We didn’t tackle as well as I thought we could.”

Being on the field after the turnovers added to the defense’s fatigue, according to Spack, and made tackling and getting off of South Dakota blocks more difficult.

What’s next?

The Redbirds travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to face Northern Iowa (1-1) at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 6. The broadcast will be available on ESPN3 and ESPN+.

In Carbondale, Sundays are workdays for the Southern Illinois football team.

The work that the Salukis put in six days ago, according to head coach Nick Hill, paid massive dividends in the team’s Missouri Valley Football Conference home opener Saturday – a 38-14 demolition of defending national champion and No. 1 North Dakota State that halted the FCS powerhouse’s 39-game winning streak.

Just as stunning was the fact that SIU (2-1) pulled off the win a week after stumbling to a 44-21 loss at North Dakota, which Hill termed a major disappointment.

“It was a long trip,” he said of the defeat in Grand Forks, N.D. “We got right back to work on Sunday. These guys really showed up with some resiliency. They were willing to watch and learn from their mistakes. That’s what I’m most proud of.”

SIU’s offense outgained the Bison, 443-268, and piled up 25 first downs compared to only 12 for NDSU.

Trailing 17-0 late in the first half, NDSU completed a 37-yard Hail Mary pass to end the half. SIU responded with 21 unanswered second-half points to take control of the game and hand NDSU its first loss since Nov. 4, 2017.

“We’re gonna enjoy this thing,” Hill said. “This game will be remembered for a long time as maybe the biggest win in that stadium.”

1. Rochester’s finest

High school teammates Avante Cox, a junior wide receiver, and Nic Baker, a sophomore quarterback, were spectacular for the Salukis. The Rochester (Ill.) High School products were part of a high-powered offense that included 17-for-23 passing and 254 yards for Baker in his first career start filling in for injured starter Kare’ Lyles.

Last week against North Dakota, Baker threw two interceptions in the defeat. Against NDSU, he did not turn the ball over. “For his first start ever, that’s a big win for him,” Hill said.

Cox caught seven passes for 138 yards and continued to wow his head coach. “He might be the best skill player in the country,” Hill said. “He plays extremely hard.”

2. Run game revs up

A week after rushing for only 90 yards against North Dakota, the Salukis pounded away at NDSU for 178 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Sophomore Romier Elliott led all rushers with 89 yards and scored twice, while fellow sophomore Javon Williams Jr. added 40 yards and two scores.

3. Winning up front

Along with its offensive line leading the way on 48 run plays, the SIU defensive front allowed only 109 rushing yards. The NDSU total was aided by a late fourth-quarter run of 63 yards by Jalen Bussey.

“There’s not a lot of teams that control the line of scrimmage against North Dakota State,” Hill said. “If you can run the football, you can do a lot of things (on offense). Besides two plays, we dominated the football game.”

What’s up next?

SIU travels to Youngstown State for an 11 a.m. kickoff on Saturday, March 6. The game will be aired on either ESPN3 or ESPN+ online.

This blog post is the 37th in a series about my (and twin sister’s) preventative breast cancer screening journey that began when we were 30 years old in July 2019. Here is a list of all of the posts written about our journey at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to date. To keep tabs on new posts, sign up for the “A Daily Miracle” email list at this link. You can also follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

My twin sister traveled down to Mayo Clinic in Rochester with her husband a week ago Friday for her 14th and FINAL infusion of T-DM1/Kadcyla!! Her infusion went excellently, and, according to her oncologist, after 20 chemotherapy infusions totaling 43 hours and a double mastectomy with reconstruction, my twin sister is now officially in REMISSION from breast cancer!!!

As our dad wrote in a Facebook post last Friday as my twin sister and her husband headed off to her final day of chemotherapy at Mayo Clinic in Rochester:

Today is a great day long in coming.  This is Steph’s last chemo treatment day at Mayo for her breast cancer journey. Over a year of tears, worry and lots of prayers.  The strength and faithfulness and determination Stephanie and her husband Paul have provided to all of us along the journey has been nothing short of incredible. For all suffering, be reminded today that joy will return, Faith is essential, and love of Family, and the support of kind friends will get you through. Thanks be to God for His Faithfulness. And thank you friends and Family for, well, everything. #ACS #breastcancer #remission #faithful #ThankYouLord

Here are a few highlights from my twin sister’s most recent visit to Mayo, starting with her departure pictured above as she and her husband prepared to head out to Rochester but first posed for a photo with their two boys, “Bart the Cat” and “Gizmo the Boston Terrier” (who you can follow on Instagram @gimme_mo_gizmo :)). We are celebrating her new status as a patient in “remission!” We’ve also included praises and new prayer requests for us at this moment in time (full details follow in the blog post below).

Thank you so much again for your prayers for us as we travel this journey together! It is indeed the end of an era and the beginning of a new survivorship chapter presenting us with plenty of opportunities to trust in the Lord!:

• Praise!: My twin sister is 100% (14/14) of the way done with her post-operative chemotherapy regimen of T-DM1/Kadcyla and is officially in “remission!” Her side effects have been minimal, especially compared to what she experienced after her neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen on TCHP in 2019 and early 2020. She has headaches and a bit of nausea for about a week after each of her infusions of T-DM1, but this week is the last week that she will ever have to experience that again because we hope and pray and trust this is the last time she ever has to do chemotherapy EVER!!! 😀 She will follow up with her Mayo oncology team every 4 months until 2024 to keep a close eye on her healing journey.
• Praise / Prayer request!: At her most recent eye doctor appointment at Mayo Clinic, her eye doctor let my twin sister know he is “confident” that the corneal cysts that developed last year will disappear likely after the conclusion of T-DM1! The corneal cysts get a bit worse for the week after each of her T-DM1 infusions, but it is our hope and prayer they will disappear completely in a matter of weeks!!! We will post an update after she goes to see him again in April 2021! This would be a literal MIRACLE!
• Praise! / Prayer request!: My twin sister had a follow-up appointment with the gynecological oncology team at Mayo Clinic last week to follow up on her ovarian cancer screening scare last fall and her ovaries are totally normal! That means that she and her husband will be able to take a timed break from her daily dose of Tamoxifen in 2022 to conceive using IVF. Prayers are appreciated for their health and discernment as they move forward with family planning later this year!!
• Prayer request!: Now that my twin sister is in remission, would you join us in praying for her healing and protection from cancer recurrence forever, for her strength, health, and for joy as she continues to heal? She will take Tamoxifen every day for 5 years–with a timed break in 2022 to conceive using IVF–and we appreciate any and all prayers for her as she marches into survivorship, which is a mental and physical battle!

Here is my twin sister with her husband outside of the Gonda Building at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, ready to head into her final chemotherapy infusion!

My twin sister’s 14th (and final!) infusion of T-DM1 / Kadcyla at Mayo Clinic Rochester

My twin sister’s final infusion of T-DM1 was amazing for a few reasons. First, her favorite chemotherapy nurses of all time were working, which means she got to talk with them and give them thank you cards for all of the time they spent helping her–especially in 2019 when she first started TCHP with a 6 hour chair time per infusion. 🙂

Also, because she got to celebrate being finished with chemotherapy forever with a set of clappers from a very good friend (thanks, Caroline!!! :))

My twin sister didn’t request a window room for her final infusion because she wanted others with longer chair times to have the “window seats.” 🙂 When she got up to go home, she promised her nurses she would send photos of her and her husband’s babies through the patient portal next year. 🙂

Here are some videos of my twin sister using her clappers!:

Celebrating Remission!!!

When my twin sister and her husband returned home from their trip to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, our immediate family had prepared a party for her!! We set out generous flowers, balloons, and gifts from family and friends (thanks Aunt Jeanne, Aunt Shawn, Jess, Jayme, and Tracie!!!), and enjoyed some quality time reflecting on the Lord’s faithfulness on this long and arduous journey. Here is a brief video and some photos I captured when she and her husband got home:

Here’s the whole family celebrating my twin sister’s remission! Yay!!!

My twin sister’s good friends Jess and Jayme got her a bunch of Minnesota-themed celebration gifts including a puzzle, mug, candy and chocolates and flowers!!!

My twin sister’s good friend Tracie got her some amazing Crumbl cookies and her aunts got her a box that exploded with candy and butterflies!!!

Here we are playing our duet, “Let the Good Times Roll!,” in the Gonda Building lobby between eye and ovarian doctor appointments a few weeks ago!

Ovarian cancer free / “looking good!”

In mid-February, I took my twin sister down to Mayo Clinic in Rochester for a follow-up appointment with her ovarian doctor team and eye doctor to check on her microcystic edema. First: Ovarian doctor. This appointment was made to follow up on my twin sister’s ovarian cancer screening scare last fall. 

Thankfully!, my twin sister’s ovaries on this most recent ultrasound are totally normal! That means that she and her husband will be able to take a timed break from her daily dose of Tamoxifen in 2022 to conceive using IVF. Prayers are appreciated for their health and discernment as they move forward with family planning later this year!! She is all set to go back and see them in 6 months for a routine checkup–in August 2021.

Here we are about to go check in for my twin sister’s day of eye and ovarian appointments!

Microcystic edema update

Her doctor also said that he did a brief literature review and found, in some German literature, that similar chemotherapy drugs to T-DM1 / Kadcyla cause cysts on the corneas. But, that he has never seen evidence of someone on T-DM1 / Kadcyla having corneal cysts, let alone healing from them!

“So she is defying science, right??” I asked him.

“I would say she’s creating science!” he responded and smiled.

That was pretty funny. My twin sister is creating science. Yay! And, of course–we attribute her healing to the Lord as a miracle :))

He said that he wants to see her back in 3 months, when he is “confident” she may be totally healed, following the end of T-DM1! That is our hope any prayer–that her corneal cysts will have cleared up completely by then! 🙂

Here is a cartoon in her eye doctor’s office, which is pretty funny!

This verse was face-up on the morning I picked my sister up to go to Mayo for some eye doctor and ovarian appointments! Bible Verse notecards are a wonderful gift and these came from a dear friend from her church’s marriage ministry as an encouragement for her breast cancer journey. 🙂

Next steps

I was listening to a Christine Caine podcast recently about what to do when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Her encouragement was to turn to the Psalms, where David–a man after God’s heart–wrote out pages and pages of psalms of lament, mourning, and celebration. This was a huge inspiration to me because I’ve found myself in the Psalms a lot this year and now I know why–because living through and reflecting on all of this–breast cancer testing, treatment, and healing–is incredibly overwhelming.

“Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5 has been a standby for us this past year and a half. Looking back on these past 15 months isn’t easy.

There have been days full of tears, sleepless nights, gut-wrenching questions asking God “Why?,” and pain that doesn’t make sense. The Psalms say a lot about this, like on the notecard above–that even when things don’t make sense, God promises to be with us. For anyone just embarking on a cancer journey or for our friends walking with someone you love through cancer diagnosis and treatment, know that God is near to you in the mountains and in the valleys. He loves you and is mighty to save you if you’ll let Him!!

“The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” Psalm 118:14

Even in the midst of incredible physical and emotional pain, we look ahead to a future trusting the Lord who has protected and delivered us this far will continue to do so. This might seem crazy, but especially after going through breast cancer, we know that we can trust the Lord’s plans are perfect and no pain is wasted: As Psalm 126:5 says, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.”

The five stages of grief may endure for our entire lifetime(s), too. But, God is good, still!

Here are some upcoming appointments as we all march on toward survivorship!:

• Monday, March 8th: Dermatology appointment to remove and test a “mildly atypical” spot on my twin sister’s back (the dermatologist doesn’t think it’s skin cancer but just wants to make sure!)
• Friday, March 12th: My follow-up with my plastic surgeon to ensure that I’m continuing to heal properly and there are no signs of capsular contracture; my twin sister’s one-year follow-up with her plastic surgeon!
• April 2021: My twin sister’s eye doctor follow-up @ Mayo Rochester checking on her microcystic edema; my twin sister’s 3-month post-chemo remission check-in with her oncology team!
• June 2021: My 18 month Breast Clinic follow-up at Mayo Clinic Rochester and my baby sister’s 6-month clinical exam follow-up at Mayo Clinic Rochester!

Thank you so much for your continued prayers for my twin sister’s health and healing, and for my twin sister’s, my, and my baby sister’s deliverance from breast cancer (forever)!!! It’s our hope and prayer that this blog and our stories have been and will continue to be a resource and help for anyone going through breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, or healing. 🙂

God is good!!!

This blog post is the 37th in a series about my (and twin sister’s) preventative breast cancer screening journey that began when we were 30 years old in July 2019. Here is a list of all of the posts written about our journey at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to date. To keep tabs on new posts, sign up for the “A Daily Miracle” email list at this link. You can also follow A Daily Miracle on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Filed under:
breast cancer, Motivation, Narrative, Prayer, Profile, Truth Bomb

Tags:
breast cancer, cancer, chemo, chemotherapy, her2, kadcylat, mayo clinic, remission, rochester

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  Sister Christian

  Sister Christian is a blogger, reporter, editor and follower of Jesus Christ seeking to find little miracles each and every day. She especially loves finding Jesus in art, music and culture. Learn more about her on Twitter @adailymiracle, and on Facebook as “A Daily Miracle.” Send an email to [email protected] with any comments, concerns or suggestions!

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• My Breast Cancer Journey Part 37: My Twin Sister is All Done With Chemotherapy & is in REMISSION!!! »

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• My Breast Cancer Journey Part 33: My Twin Sister’s 10th T-DM1 Infusion & She Doesn’t Have Ovarian Cancer WOOHOO! »

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