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Final Word: Weather shouldn't be factor

CHAMPAIGN — Of course, it rained on Friday. Hard. After all, Illinois is hosting a football game this weekend.

Just as Western Illinois was about to take the field for an afternoon walkthrough, the skies opened up. After a short delay, the Leathernecks were able to complete their hourlong workout.

Playing against the Big Ten is common for Western Illinois. Saturday’s game is its fourth in three years against Jim Delany’s conference.

“These games are opportunities for programs like ours to kind of gauge where they are at,” Leathernecks coach Bob Nielson said. “We’re a young football team that is working to try to get better.