2002 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team

2002 Western Illinois Leathernecks football
Gateway co-champion
ConferenceGateway Football Conference
Ranking
Sports NetworkNo. 5
Record11–2 (6–1 Gateway)
Head coach
Home stadiumHanson Field
Seasons
← 2001
2003 →
2002 Gateway Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 Western Kentucky +^   6 1     12 3  
No. 5 Western Illinois +^   6 1     11 2  
Youngstown State   4 3     7 4  
Illinois State   4 3     6 5  
Indiana State   3 4     5 7  
Northern Iowa   2 5     5 6  
Southern Illinois   2 5     4 8  
Southwest Missouri State   1 6     4 7  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 2002 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Don Patterson and played their home games at Hanson Field. The Leathernecks finished the season with an 11–2 record overall and a 6–1 record in conference play, making them conference co-champions. The team received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they defeated Eastern Illinois in the first round and lost to Western Kentucky in the quarterfinal.[1] The team was ranked No. 5 in The Sports Network's postseason ranking of Division I-AA.[2]

  1. ^ "Western Illinois Football Record Book" (PDF). Western Illinois University Athletics. p. 73. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  2. ^ "Div. I-AA poll". The Burlington Free Press. Burlington, Vermont. December 24, 2002. p. 6B. Retrieved October 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.