Illinois State’s defense, which includes Jalen Gaines (50) and Jake Anderson (97), has pressured opposing quarterbacks all season. (Photo by Barry Bottino, PrairieStatePigskin.com)
By Dan Verdun
Not only will Illinois State face the No. 1-ranked team in FCS Saturday in Normal, but the Redbirds will also go against one of the most successful quarterbacks in the division.
Naperville native Mark Gronowski brings SDSU (4-0, 1-0) to Hancock Stadium. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, the Neuqua Valley High School graduate is one of the most highly decorated FCS quarterbacks.
The junior has led SDSU into two national championship games, including last year’s 45-21 romp over rival North Dakota State in which he was named Most Outstanding Player.
Yet, ISU head coach Brock Spack can find comfort that his defense has been tested by quality QBs leading up to this weekend’s Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown.
“We’ve played some really good quarterbacks,” Spack said in last week’s media address. “I’ve been impressed with these last three quarterbacks we’ve played. All of them are good.
“Western’s kid is a really good player. Eastern has a good quarterback. He makes them different. And the kid we played last week is a good player.”
The trio Spack referenced are Matt Morrissey (WIU), Pierce Holley (EIU) and Cole Dugger (Lindenwood).
Spack’s Redbirds (3-1, 1-0) came away with two wins in those three games. The lone loss came against EIU. Holley, a transfer from Georgetown, engineered a 93-yard touchdown drive that began with 1:32 left and EIU with no timeouts.
Under pressure
Illinois State’s defense sacked Holley eight times in the game, but none occurred on the game-deciding drive.
The Redbirds have racked up 20 sacks on the season, tops in FCS.
“It’s been good for our team to be able to rush the passer,” Spack said. “The kid (Dugger) Saturday was a pretty good athlete. He was a little bit of a pain in the neck to keep in the pocket.
“We did a good job of that, but we gave up four explosive plays on defense, and that’s unusual for us. We don’t do that very often.”
Most college football programs define explosive plays as runs of 12 or more yards and passes 20 or more yards. To date, the Redbirds have allowed 13 explosive plays: six by rush and seven by pass.
“We’ve seen a Division I-caliber quarterback most every weekend,” Spack said. “That’s one thing if you ask me that’s been a surprise, how good these last three quarterbacks have been.
“Every one has made a throw (that has impressed me). I happened to be along our bench and each threw from the other hash(mark). The last time I saw this was in the Big Ten. These guys can throw it. That was very obvious.”
Gronowski enters Saturday’s game completing 52-of-79 passes for a 66 percent completion rate. He has thrown for nine touchdowns while being intercepted only once.
In addition, he has four rushing touchdowns.
“He’s really good,” Spack said. “He’s a combination of those guys (that we’ve faced the last few weeks). He has the footspeed of the last guy (Dugger). He can throw it like the kids from Western and Eastern Illinois. He has a good arm; he’s accurate.”
A growing trend?
Spack, a former defensive coordinator under Joe Tiller at Wyoming and Purdue, has been ISU’s head coach since 2009.
The way Spack sees it, quality quarterbacks are found virtually everywhere now.
“I’m trying to think who doesn’t have a good quarterback,” he said. “These quarterbacks we’re now seeing are transfers.
“The playing field is pretty level now. Everybody is getting one that is a pretty good thrower.”
Spack included his team’s quarterback in that group. Redshirt senior Zack Annexstad, a transfer from the University of Minnesota, is in his second season as a Redbird.
“Everybody in college football has got a quarterback. They (coaches) go in that portal, and these quarterbacks want to play,” Spack said. “Sometimes you’re a four- or five-star (recruit) and you’re No. 3 or 4 at the place you’re at and you’re not going to see the field for three years.
“You go play somewhere else. I didn’t expect that. I expected that the halves would hoard all the talent, but it doesn’t seem to have gone that way.”
Whatever way it’s gone or whatever way it’s headed, Spack expects it to pay dividends for his defense.
“That helps us get ready for a guy like Gronowski and others we will see,” he said.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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