Illinois State wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz caught seven passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, while also passing for a score. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Barry Bottino
NORMAL – The nation’s No. 1 FCS team rolled into McLean County on Saturday and needed less than a quarter to make a big impression.
South Dakota State (5-0 overall 2-0 Missouri Valley Football Conference) put up three first-quarter touchdowns on Illinois State (3-2, 1-1) – which was ranked No. 22 this week in the national coaches poll – and eventually roared to a 40-21 victory against the Redbirds.
“It was men against boys, basically,” Illinois State head coach Brock Spack said. “We didn’t play very well defensively. We got shoved around a little bit. “We found out what physical football is all about and learned a lot.”
SDSU quarterback Mark Gronowski, a Naperville native, threw scoring passes of 31 and 60 yards, then ran for a 13-yard score for a 20-0 SDSU lead with just over 4 minutes left in the first quarter.
The Jackrabbits’ duo of running backs Isaiah Davis (197 yards, two TDs) and Amar Johnson (108 yards) shined behind a bulldozing offensive line.
Illinois State allowed 547 total yards in the game, including 374 on the ground. SDSU had 202 first-half rushing yards. Last season, the Redbirds allowed an opponent more than 200 yards in an entire game only twice.
“The (running backs) are really patient guys and then they can accelerate, which made it difficult for us,” Spack said.
Three different times, ISU cut the lead to 13 points. But South Dakota State responded every time.
The Redbirds relied on an efficient short passing game, led by quarterback Zack Annexstad, who was 26-for-33 for 162 yards and a passing touchdown. Spack said using the pass game to control the clock was a goal for ISU.
Sophomore Daniel Sobkowicz caught a touchdown and also threw one to Annexstad, a 9-yard connection early in the second quarter.
“We threw the ball pretty well,” Spack said. “There were some good things, but not enough. You can’t spot a good team like that that many points in the first half.
“They kept competing in the second half,” Spack said of his players. “We never stopped.”
ISU safety Keondre Jackson led all players with 13 total tackles and had a pass breakup.
“We didn’t execute our job,” he said. “Poor tackling, that’s what it came down to.”
Game changers
4:08, 1st quarter: With the offense in a five-receiver formation, Gronowski took the snap, dropped back and raced up the middle for a 13-yard rushing TD and a 20-0 SDSU lead.
13:36, 3rd quarter: Less than 40 seconds into the second half, Mason Blakemore’s 37-yard scoring run cut the SDSU lead to 13 for the third time in the game.
10:09, 4th quarter: Davis took a direct snap and plowed in from 2 yards out for a 40-21 Jackrabbits lead.
What it means
The loss was a convincing one, but Spack said SDSU is the toughest team the Redbirds will play this season and his team still has plenty of potential achievements ahead.
Best Birds
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Illinois State players in the game:
Sobkowicz, WR: The sophomore made several clutch catches in key situations, finishing with seven receptions for 70 yards and a TD. He also threw a TD to Annexstad.
Annexstad, QB: The team’s offensive leader showed off his accuracy, completing 26 of 33 passes for 162 yards and a TD. He also caught a scoring pass from Sobkowicz.
Jackson, S: The Freeport native had 13 tackles and a pass breakup, but was upset with himself in the postgame media session for dropping a potential interception early in the game.
What’s next?
The Redbirds host winless Indiana State for Homecoming Oct. 14 in Normal. The game will kick off at 2 p.m.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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