← Matchups

Western Illinois

· 1-2 · power -9.9 · #294
Our numberUNA -4.9 no book has priced this game

North Alabama

· 1-2 · power -7.9 · #274
Our side
MoneylineUNA to win ours 61%
Projected score 27–32 WIU – UNA
2026-09-26 · 4:00 PM Braly Stadium · Florence, AL Early season

The books

No book has priced this game. Nothing to compare, and no ticket to build.

Series North Alabama lead 1–0 · 1 meeting since 2019
2025 unit ranks — last completed season, from games actually played
Run game even 13 ranks apart
Western Illinois Leathernecks #182 rush offense North Alabama Lions #195 run defense
Pass game even 20 ranks apart
Western Illinois Leathernecks #240 pass offense North Alabama Lions #260 pass defense
Run game edge North Alabama Lions 90 ranks
North Alabama Lions #125 rush offense Western Illinois Leathernecks #215 run defense
Pass game even 8 ranks apart
North Alabama Lions #210 pass offense Western Illinois Leathernecks #202 pass defense
Western Illinois Leathernecks Balanced · 46% run Ball-control North Alabama Lions Run-heavy · 63% run Avg pace Dual-threat QB · 52 rush ypg

Ranked by team-unit strength (rush & pass offense vs. run & pass defense) across all 265 D1 teams, not by individual players. Identity, tempo and unit strength are measured from the 2025 season.

The evidence 2025 production and power ratings · supporting the number above

Who carried each team in 2025
Western Illinois Leathernecks
LB Nick Reinicke 18 tkl · 1.0 sacks · 1.0 TFL #57 LB
DB Aa'zoriyon Bonner 9 tkl · 1 PD #170 DB
DB Jouvenson Romulus 9 tkl · 1 INT #376 DB
DB Brayden Hapner 8 tkl · 2 PD #458 DB
North Alabama Lions
DB Tae Martin 23 tkl · 4 PD #11 DB
DL Avery Howard 17 tkl · 2.0 sacks · 5.0 TFL #20 DL
WR Xavier Johnson 19 rec · 386 yds · 2 TD #14 WR
DL Cayden Adkins 11 tkl · 3.0 sacks · 3.0 TFL #29 DL

Top-rated players from last season, ranked within their position across D1. A grade measures what a player produced, and no 2026 game has been played yet — so this is who produced for these programs in 2025, not a claim about who is on the field this year.

Power breakdown
TeamPowerOffDefRank
Western Illinois Leathernecks -9.9 -1.1 -8.8 #294
North Alabama Lions -7.9 -4.2 -3.7 #274

Def is higher = better. The projection assumes a 2.4-pt home edge (0 at neutral sites).

Where the number comes from
Western Illinois offense vs North Alabama defense+2.5 pts
North Alabama offense vs Western Illinois defense+4.6 pts
Efficiency adjustment · EPA, success rate, explosiveness-0.1 pts
Power projection before adjustment+5.0
Travel · context onlyAway team travels 424 mi

The projection carries an efficiency adjustment — a residual from season-to-date EPA, success rate and explosiveness, which earned its place by walk-forward test (margin error 12.90 → 12.72 across seven held-out seasons).

Situational spots are shown for context, not baked in: travel, altitude and rest were tested against 6,000+ games and the power and efficiency ratings already account for them. Adding them again would double-count.