Defensive backs Jeff Bowens (21) and Keondre Jackson (3) have been stalwarts for Illinois State, which ranks eighth nationally in total defense. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
The next two weeks may well be crucial to Illinois State’s postseason chances. Saturday brings a trip to nationally ranked Youngstown State, followed by a home date with Northern Iowa.
While viewed very differently by the two major national FCS polls, the reality is that head coach Brock Spack’s Redbirds need to impress the playoff committee as they vie for a postseason bid.
“I’ve talked to our team about consistency and taking one game at a time,” Spack said. “We’re in a five-game season now. It’s really only one; it’s this game we have in front of us. We can’t get ahead of ourselves.”
ISU (4-2 overall, 2-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference) has yo-yoed in and out of the FCS Coaches Poll this season. After last weekend’s 44-7 stomping of winless Indiana State, the Redbirds nestled at No. 25.
However, Illinois State is nowhere to be found in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll. The Redbirds garnered 11 votes, essentially putting them at No. 34.
“The next two (games) are huge,” said Sam Herder, senior FCS analyst for HERO Sports.
Herder, who is a Top 25 voter, noted that getting a “quality win” over Youngstown State – ranked No. 23 in the media poll – would go a long way to helping Illinois State’s cause.
Erik Pitzer has operated the website NoBowls.com since 2008. According to his website, Pitzer has accurately predicted 226 of the 240 teams selected to participate in the FCS postseason.
Like Herder, Pitzer views Saturday’s game as a key step in Illinois State’s postseason bid.
“The Redbirds’ game in Youngstown this weekend may prove pivotal for their playoff chances,” Pitzer said. “A loss to the Penguins would put a ton of pressure on their remaining games.”
GoRedbirds.com, the official Illinois State athletic website, calls the game a “crucial road contest.”
Spack opened his Tuesday media address noting that previous games with Youngstown State have generally been decided by narrow margins.
“We’ll have to play well,” he said. “They’re undefeated at home. We’ll really have to be on top of our game to give ourselves a chance to win.”
The Redbirds’ four wins have come against Dayton (2-5) of the non-scholarship Pioneer League, Lindenwood (3-4) of the Big South-OVC Association, along with Western Illinois (0-6) and Indiana State (0-6) of the MVFC.
Illinois State’s losses have been to Eastern Illinois (4-3) and No. 1-ranked South Dakota State (6-0).
According to MasseyRatings.com, ISU has played the 85th toughest FCS schedule to date among the 122 FCS programs.
After facing Youngstown State and Northern Iowa, the Redbirds play at Missouri State, host Murray State and finish the regular season at No. 6 North Dakota State.
With the unbalanced Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule, Illinois State does not play No. 13 Southern Illinois or No. 15 North Dakota this fall.
“That head-to-head loss (to EIU) could impact Illinois State on the bubble if ISU finishes 7-4,” Herder said.
This week’s opponent
Youngstown State (3-3, 1-2) has been an up-and-down team as its record would indicate.
The Penguins posted a quality home win over then-No. 6 Southern Illinois but have suffered close road losses at Northern Iowa and No. 10 South Dakota.
Youngstown State rallied from a 21-point deficit at South Dakota only to fall, 34-31.
Quarterback Mitch Davidson brings veteran leadership to the Penguins. The senior engineered fourth-quarter comebacks wins against Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois last season.
“The quarterback has experience now. They’ve come from behind in quite a few games. They look like they’re out of a few and man, he makes some big-time throws,” Spack said.
Division II transfer running back Tyshon King played high school football at Kankakee Bishop McNamara. Through six games, King has rushed for 483 yards on 75 carries and scored a team-high eight touchdowns for the Penguins.
(Kickoff: 1 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: WJBC.com)
Key matchup to watch
ISU run game vs. YSU defense
Illinois State got a game-high 79 rushing yards from quarterback Zack Annexstad and 74 more from running back Mason Blakemore in its homecoming victory over Indiana State.
The Redbirds will need their running game, which also features fellow backs Cole Mueller and Wenkers Wright, to produce. Blakemore leads ISU with 425 yards and seven touchdowns on the season.
Youngstown State ranks fifth in the FCS, allowing just 80.8 yards rushing per game. The Penguins only trail Southern Illinois (69.8), Princeton (73), Lafayette (79.8) and Florida A&M (80).
On 152 carries, the Penguins have surrendered just 485 yards this season. However, 194 of those yards have come on five carries (60, 40, 34, 30, 30). On the other 147 attempts, YSU has allowed 291 yards (1.98 per rush).
“They’re salty and they’re physical up front,” Spack said. “We’ve got to try to get bodies on bodies and move them. It’s not easy.
“We have to have some semblance of a running game to take the stress off the passing game.”
What’s at stake?
A road win against a nationally ranked team gives Illinois State a resume-building victory and momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.
An ISU win would also give Spack his 100th career coaching victory.
Quick hits
Linebacker Tye Niekamp was named one of 22 players on the midyear watchlist for the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in FCS. … “I consider Illinois State a blueblood in this league,” Youngstown State head coach Doug Phillips said. … Phillips said the Illinois State defense causes “a lot of chaos. They come at you from different angles. They blitz. They (go) four-man (line). They’ll bring four, but you don’t know which four they’re bringing.” … Illinois State is second in the FCS in sacks (24) and seventh in tackles for loss (47). … ISU linebacker Amir Abdullah leads the FCS with 8.5 sacks (1.42 per game) and is tied for eighth in TFLs (10 total, 1.7 per game). … Saturday’s game marks the first time this season that ISU has left the state of Illinois for a game.
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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