Illinois State safety Keondre Jackson returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown in Saturday’s 44-7 rout of Indiana State. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Barry Bottino
Quarterback Zack Annexstad used his right arm and his legs Saturday to help Illinois State turn a sluggish start into a fantastic finish.
Annexstad, a redshirt senior, achieved career highs with four touchdown passes and 79 rushing yards to carry the Redbirds to a 44-7 rout of winless Indiana State in a Missouri Valley Football Conference game at Hancock Stadium.
“We had a slow start, but I think we rallied really well and I’m really proud of this team,” Annexstad told WJBC radio.
After last week’s 40-21 loss to No. 1 South Dakota State, the Redbirds (4-2 overall, 2-1 MVFC) sputtered early against the visitors from Terre Haute. Three plays into the game, a tipped Annexstad pass resulted in a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown by Sycamores linebacker Garret Ollendieck 58 seconds into the game.
Illinois State didn’t respond until 12 minutes later when Annexstad found a wide-open Jalen Carr on a fourth-down play for a 30-yard scoring pass.
The Redbirds led 23-7 at halftime and held Indiana State (0-6, 0-3) without an offensive score. In six games, the Sycamores have produced only seven offensive touchdowns.
Junior running back Mason Blakemore added 74 yards and a rushing TD as the Redbirds gained 244 yards on the ground.
Five different offensive players scored TDs for Illinois State, which outgained the Sycamores, 416-168. The Redbirds also were 9-for-17 on third downs.
Defensively, linebacker Amir Abdullah had two of the team’s three sacks Saturday, while safety Keondre Jackson returned an interception 30 yards for a score. Cornerback Jeff Bowens also grabbed an interception.
Game changers
1:44, 1st quarter: Annexstad delivered on fourth down and 7 with a 30-yard scoring pass to Carr to tie the game.
0:16, 2nd quarter: With 16 seconds remaining before halftime, Annexstad connected with tight end Cam Grandy for a 10-yard TD.
12:24, 4th quarter: Jackson grabbed his second career interception and returned it for a TD to close out the scoring.
What it means
Illinois State improved to 4-2 overall and inched closer to playoff consideration ahead of two important MVFC tests – Oct. 21 at Youngstown and Oct. 28 at home against Northern Iowa.
Best ‘Birds
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Redbird players in the game:
Annexstad, QB: Four passing touchdowns and a team-leading 79 rushing yards equated to a big contribution to the victory.
Abdullah, LB: His two-sack day helped the junior improve his team-leading total to 8.5. The Redbirds have 24 sacks in six games as a team.
Grandy, TE: The 6-5, 260-pound senior was the game’s top receiver with six catches for 56 yards and a touchdown.
What’s next?
The Redbirds leave the state of Illinois for the first time this season when they travel to Youngstown State for a 1 p.m. MVFC game Oct. 21.
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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