MACOMB - Not many running backs can turn third-and-37 into a first down. Pierre Rembert can. And Illinois State opponents are beginning to wonder exactly what Rembert can't do.

Rembert riddled Western Illinois for 230 yards rushing and two touchdowns and the ISU defense shut out the opponent in the second half for the second straight week in the Redbirds' 27-14 Gateway Conference victory Saturday.

A Hanson Field crowd of 9,220 saw No. 3-ranked ISU improve to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the Gateway. The Redbirds are tied for the conference lead with Northern Iowa.

Rembert matched his career high with 39 carries as ISU won its sixth straight game for the first time since 2000.

"If the team has to get on my shoulders to win the game, I've got to accept it," said Rembert, who extended his school-record streak of 100-yard games to seven and pushed his season rushing total to 1,042 yards. "My ultimate goal is to get a touchdown any time I touch the ball."

Rembert nearly did just that at a most unlikely time in the third quarter. After a shotgun snap over quarterback Luke Drone's head resulted in a 22-yard loss, ISU faced third-and-37 from the Western Illinois 34-yard line.

Taking a handoff from Drone on a draw, Rembert broke free for a 56-yard run to the Leathernecks' 10.

"Things were cascading the wrong way there," Redbirds' coach Denver Johnson said. "You obviously want to gain something to get a little field position back. You would be lying if you felt you could get 37 or more. To recapture the momentum and get a good feeling about your offense was huge."

ISU settled for a 20-yard Kevin Mazur field goal and a 20-14 lead, but the impact was greater than three points.

"Our linebacker blitzed the wrong gap and he (Rembert) found an opening," Leathernecks' safety Fu'ad Khaleel said. "We miss a tackle here, miss a tackle there and he got loose. That takes some life out of a defense."

Rembert's 230-yard total was the ninth highest in ISU history. The senior set the school record last season with 272 yards against Missouri State.

"We've got other guys waiting in line, good backs," said Johnson. "But Pierre is just a workhorse. He's not real flashy, but he's real productive. He holds on to the ball, and he runs tough between the tackles."

The ISU offensive line of tackles Isaiah Wiggins and Brandon Joyce, guards Janiah Downing and Joe Niklasch and center Jonathan St-Pierre helped Rembert pile up 154 yards in the third quarter alone.

"They gave us a lot of different looks," Rembert said. "It was tough for our linemen to get on people. But we made adjustments."

ISU moved 76 yards on eight plays for the game's final touchdown. Rembert carried on seven of those snaps and a 34-yard pass from Drone to Jake Rourke set up a 1-yard Rembert touchdown plunge for a 27-14 Redbird lead with 4:23 left in the third quarter.

"I congratulated Denver and told him 'you guys played like the No. 3 team.' They didn't do anything stupid," Western coach Don Patterson said. "It's frustrating to play a team that doesn't beat themselves. We were forced to beat them and we were not quite good enough to do it."

The Leathernecks, who had beaten ISU five straight times, slipped to 3-5 and 0-4 in the Gateway.

"We lost to a very good football team," said Patterson. "We had a hard time getting off the field on defense. By the same token, we had a hard time staying on the field and converting our critical downs."

An ISU defense that coughed up 230 yards in the opening half stiffened considerably after halftime.

Redbird linebacker Niall Campbell stopped a fourth-quarter Western drive with an interception. It was quarterback Steve LaFalce's first interception in 122 attempts.

"I was fortunate to read the quarterback. He threw it up there, and I was fortunate to come down with it," Campbell said. "We knew they were an explosive offense and pretty balanced. The first half they executed and we had miscommunication in the back end. The coaches made some great adjustments and we had better communication."

Western took a 14-3 lead in the first half on an 18-yard reverse for a touchdown by Marco Thomas and a 1-yard run by J.J. Payne.

ISU got on the board with a 37-yard Mazur field goal and pulled within 14-10 on a 1-yard Rembert run.

Drone found H-back Dave Mordis for a 15-yard scoring pass with 1:30 before half for a 17-14 edge.

LaFalce completed 23 of 40 passes for 299 yards, but ISU limited Western to a net of 77 yards on the ground.