Illinois State running back Mason Blakemore ranks ninth among FCS leaders with a 6.96 yards per carry average. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
Illinois State head coach Brock Spack got a surprise when he sat down to watch film of the Redbirds’ 24-21 home loss last weekend to Northern Iowa.
“I thought I was going to be really angry watching the tape. I came in in a really bad mood on Sunday morning,” Spack said.
Instead, the 15th-year ISU leader saw a number of things he liked about his team’s performance.
“I felt bad for them,” he said. “At times, our team played really, really well in all phases of the game.”
In the end though, No. 23 Northern Iowa took the wind out of the Redbird sails on a cold, blustery day at Hancock Stadium.
The loss was the second straight for ISU in Missouri Valley Football Conference action. The Redbirds (4-4, 2-3) have dropped three of their last four games.
“We’ve lost three games by a total of seven points and probably a play a game would have won the game, but that’s where it’s at right now,” Spack said.
Though pleased overall with his defense against Northern Iowa, Spack noted that “our issue in that game was third down.”
Northern Iowa converted 8 of 14 third-down attempts.
“We couldn’t get off the field on third down, and we had some third-and-longs there,” Spack said. “We have to get off the field.”
This week’s opponent
Missouri State (3-4, 2-3) hosts the Redbirds in another MVFC game.
The Bears have won two of their last three games, but are coming off a 44-28 loss at No. 24 Youngstown State.
Quarterback Jordan Pachot passed for a career-high 341 yards in that game.
The Bears rank 12th in yards per completion (13.86) and 13th in the FCS for pass efficiency (157.69).
Receiver Raylen Sharpe needs just 53 receiving yards to eclipse 1,000 in his Missouri State career. His 63 catches for 947 yards has taken just 18 games to reach.
Sharpe ranks eighth nationally and first in the MVFC in receiving yards per game (91.4). The junior has four games of over 100 yards receiving this season.
(Kickoff: 2 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: WJBC.com)
Key matchup to watch
ISU pass rush vs. MSU pass game:
Illinois State ranks No. 2 among FCS leaders with 28 sacks. Meanwhile, Missouri State leads the MVFC and ranks sixth nationally in passing offense, averaging 303.2 yards per game.
An effective pass rush would certainly speed up Pachot’s decision-making and help the Redbird secondary.
What’s at stake
With ISU’s recent results trending in the wrong direction, the Redbirds certainly need a win.
In addition, a victory would allow Spack to reach 100 wins in his career.
With an overall record of 99-69 (.589), Spack would become the fourth head coach in MVFC history to reach the century mark at a member school.
Quick hits
Spack said receiver Jalen Carr, out of last week’s game with an injury, is expected to play Saturday. … The Redbirds lead the all-time series 22-18-1 against the Bears. Missouri State has won two out of the last three meetings between the teams. … Spack holds an 8-4 career record against Missouri State. … Unranked Illinois State received seven votes in the FCS Coaches Poll. … ISU sophomore receiver Daniel Sobkowicz has caught at least one pass in 18 of 19 career games. The Rolling Meadows High School graduate leads the Redbirds with 54 receptions for 730 yards and eight touchdowns. Those totals place Sobkowicz among the leaders in a variety of MVFC receiving categories.
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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