‘Every game is a playoff game’ for Illinois State as Redbirds try to end FCS postseason drought

Illinois State head coach Brock Spack is hoping the last four games of the season point to a playoff berth for the first time since 2019. (Photo by Barry Bottino, PrairieStatePigskin.com)

By Barry Bottino 

Trying to figure out the FCS playoffs with five weeks left on the calendar is part maddening, part confusing and part frustrating.

Illinois State coach Brock Spack sees a simple path, however, for the Redbirds to end their playoff drought in four remaining games.

“If we win, there are no issues. You’ve just got to win,” he told Prairie State Pigskin. “Every game is a playoff game to us.”

Spack’s team – which is 5-3 overall and sitting in sixth place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference at 2-2 – is on a bye this week.

That provides plenty of time to think about the playoff possibilities for ISU, which is ranked No. 21 this week in the Stats Perform Top 25 poll.

Going 4-0 in the final four games – vs. Youngstown State Nov. 2, at Northern Iowa Nov. 9, at Indiana State Nov. 16 and vs. No. 7 North Dakota Nov. 23 – would “be a no-brainer” to get ISU in the playoffs, he said.

That would give the Redbirds a 9-3 overall record, a 6-2 MVFC mark and wins over two ranked teams (North Dakota and Southern Illinois, who was No. 19 last month).

After that, things aren’t as crystal clear.

“To take it out of the playoff committee’s hands, you want to win at least eight,” he said. “Eight should be a no-brainer out of the Missouri Valley, but who knows? Eastern Illinois didn’t get in last year with eight (8-3), but they don’t play in the (MVFC).”

Spack, whose team has not made the playoffs since 2019, said a 7-5 team “with the right combination” of wins also could make the field.

He hopes a team from the MVFC, which has four teams ranked in the top seven this week, would get more consideration from the committee.

“Our conference should get some leeway when it comes to a 7-5 team or an 8-4 team,” Spack said.

Nationally, the analytics-based website RedHerringFCS.com gives Illinois State a 53% chance to make the playoffs in its latest projection.

HERO Sports listed the Redbirds this week in their bracket prediction among the “Bubble Teams Left Out” of the postseason, along with UT Martin (4-3), Southeastern Louisiana (4-4), Northern Arizona (4-4), Stephen F. Austin (4-3) and Tennessee State (6-2).

Though ISU is sixth in the current MVFC standings, third-place Missouri State is ineligible because it is moving up to FBS next season.

Spack admits that losing even one game down the stretch could bring multiple teams from around the country into the playoff picture.

“Who knows where everybody else will be (in late November),” he said. “A lot can happen in a week or two. We’ve just got to take care of business.”

What the committee wants

Now in his 16^th year at Illinois State, Spack said getting the attention of the playoff committee comes down to several factors.

“You’ve got to win enough to get yourself in front of them,” he said. “Road wins are big. We’ve beaten a ranked opponent (Southern Illinois) on the road as well. We’ll have one more ranked team coming in here at the end.”

ISU beat the then-No. 19 Salukis, 45-10, in Carbondale on Oct. 5. SIU (2-5, 0-3) is currently on a four-game losing streak.

Offensive lineman Jake Pope said the Redbirds have what it takes to make a successful run to a playoff berth.
“The thing about our team is that we’re capable,” he said. “We have weapons all over the field on both sides of the ball. I feel like the only time that we’ve ever faltered is when we’re not on the same page with each other. That’s something that the leadership has really prided itself on this bye week. 

“When everybody is on the same page, we’re a force.”

A welcome bye

What does Spack think about the bye?

“We need it, man,” he said. “First and foremost, to get our players feeling better. Get them healed up a little bit, rested.”

He said the team also is working on individual technique this week and checking over players’ academic progress.

“This is probably the latest bye week I’ve had in my career,” junior running back Wenkers Wright said. “I’d say this is the perfect time for it. If we had to go (another) week, man, I don’t know how we would have done it. It’s a good reset.”

Injury list grows

Along with the high-profile losses of preseason All-American running back Mason King and linebacker Amir Abdullah, ISU is dealing with bumps, breaks and bruises galore.

On Tuesday, Spack said sophomore linebacker Tye Niekamp will have thumb surgery this week. Niekamp wore a cast on his right arm Saturday in the 40-32 win against Murray State because of an injury he sustained in the Missouri State game.

“We put that in a cast to protect it,” Spack said. “He’s just been banged up from training camp on. It’s not ideal. If there’s something else in there (during surgery), he’ll probably have to sit for two weeks.”

Outside linebacker Jalan Gaines also wore a large cast on his right arm against Murray State because of a finger injury that occurred late last week in practice.

Veteran safety Keondre Jackson, who sat out the Missouri State game with a right shoulder injury two weeks ago, was forced into action at Murray State after his replacement, senior C.J. Hodgdon, sustained an upper body injury against the Racers.

“Keondre goes in there and about the second play, he hurts his bad shoulder,” Spack said. “I’ve been told it is not anywhere near where it was the first time he hurt it. He played more than we were hoping to play him. We didn’t want to play him at all (vs. Murray). We were down to our third boundary safety.”

Spack said he expects both Jackson and Hodgdon will be available after the bye.

Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse briefly left the Murray game flexing his left arm but returned a few plays later and finished the game.

Amir coming back?

Abdullah is “full go” at practice this week for the first time since a knee injury Aug. 31 against Iowa.

“Abdullah was out there running around (Tuesday),” Spack said. “He looked pretty good. We fully expect him to be available (for Youngstown).”

Spack said his standout linebacker was available to play against Murray State and went through a pregame workout as part of his rehab. “We just didn’t feel he was quite ready for that,” he said. “I’m a lot more confident about that after the bye week, unless something puts him behind.”

Youth is served

The Murray State game featured a youth movement. Twenty ISU players who are either a freshman, redshirt freshman or sophomore got reps.

“We’ve played quite a few young guys in the secondary, and they’re doing a good job,” Spack said.

Yet the ISU coach said having so much youth on the field could be a reason the Redbirds struggled at times in the second and fourth quarters against Murray.

The Racers outscored Illinois State 14-10 in the second quarter and 18-10 in the fourth.

Restful Saturday

How will Spack spend his gameday during the bye week?

“It’ll be just me and the Golden Retrievers,” he said. “I might take in a high school game locally. I’ll definitely be with the dogs watching college football.”

Dan Verdun contributed to this story.

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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