Receiver Daniel Sobkowicz (2) celebrates with head coach Brock Spack (center) and assistant coach C.J. Irvin (right) following last week’s win at Missouri State. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
Eleven seniors will be honored prior to Illinois State’s final home at Hancock Stadium Saturday, but the focus could well be on the one who isn’t playing.
Quarterback Zack Annexstad sustained a right knee injury during last week’s 36-35 win at Missouri State.
With just under a minute remaining in the game, Annexstad ran for seven yards to the MSU 1-yard line.
After colliding simultaneously with Bears safeties P.J. Hall and Todric McGee, Annexstad fell to the turf and immediately grabbed his knee. Unable to put much weight on his right leg, Annexstad was helped off the field.
“It looks like it’s pretty serious,” Spack told WJBC Radio afterward. “You never know. But right now, I don’t like what I see.”
During Tuesday’s media address, Spack said, “I don’t have anything on Zack right now. We’ll probably know something by the end of the week. Nothing new. Doing some testing right now, so we’ll see.”
A day later, the Bloomington-Normal-based Pantagraph reported Annexstad made a brief appearance at practice before leaving for treatment.
In the likely event that Annexstad cannot play Saturday against Murray State, backup Tommy Rittenhouse would be the ISU starter.
Rittenhouse started three games at the end of last season when Annexstad was sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Rittenhouse, a redshirt sophomore, had his best performance in last year’s season finale against Western Illinois. The Wheaton St. Francis graduate was 13-for-22 passing and rushed for the winning touchdown in ISU’s overtime win against WIU that November afternoon.
Sophomore Mason Kaplan, a transfer from Valparaiso, would serve as Rittenhouse’s backup. Kaplan has yet to see game action this season.
“He’s had a very good fall,” Spack said of Kaplan. “He’s very capable of playing for us. He’s throwing the ball even better than he did even a year ago.”
Annexstad, in his second season at ISU since transferring from the University of Minnesota, has thrown for 2,114 yards in nine starts. He completed 69.7 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Rittenhouse has appeared in six games, completing 11-of-13 passes for 61 yards and one touchdown. He has rushed nine times for a net of 61 yards.
This week’s opponent
Murray State (2-7 overall) is playing its first season in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Despite scoring three second-half touchdowns last week, the Racers fell to a 1-5 league record after losing 45-31 to nationally ranked North Dakota.
Murray State has struggled on offense for much of the season, averaging just under 18 points a game. Meanwhile, the defense has given up nearly twice as many points (33.89 per game average).
Quarterback D.J. Williams threw for a season-best 228 yards on 19-of-36 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions against North Dakota.
Tight end Cole Rusk, a Rock Island High School graduate, leads the Racers with 29 catches for 369 yards. He and receiver Taylor Shields each have five touchdown receptions.
(Kickoff: 11 a.m.; TV: Marquee Network & ESPN-Plus; Radio: WJBC.com)
Key matchup to watch
ISU defense vs. Murray State QB Williams
Williams, a redshirt sophomore, is a true dual-threat quarterback.
The Thornton High School graduate has completed over 56 percent of his passes for 11 touchdowns. Despite being sacked 17 times, Williams is the Racers’ third-leading rusher.
What’s at stake
A victory is needed to keep Illinois State’s slim playoff hopes alive.
Quick hits
Redbird running back Mason Blakemore won his second MFVC Offensive Player of the Week Award following his 125-yard, 2-touchdown performance in last week’s 36-35 win at Missouri State. … Blakemore leads the MVFC with nine rushing TDs. The Northern Illinois transfer ranks second to South Dakota State’s Isaiah Davis in rushing yards. … ISU redshirt sophomore Daniel Sobkowicz leads the conference in catches (61), receiving yards (838) and receiving touchdowns (9). … Illinois State is tied with Lafayette of the Patriot League with 33 team sacks. … ISU linebacker Amir Abdullah is tied for sixth nationally with nine sacks. … Saturday’s game will be the seventh meeting between the two teams, but the first as members of the same conference. ISU leads the series, 5-1. … Former ISU head coach Denver Johnson (2000-08) was the Murray State head coach prior to coming to the Redbirds. Johnson is now the offensive line coach at Lindenwood, an ISU opponent earlier this season.
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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