Illinois State receivers Daniel Sobkowicz (2) and Xavier Loyd (1) each had big receiving days in Saturday’s 31-19 win at Indiana State. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – One step closer.
Saturday’s 31-19 win at Indiana State gave Illinois State its eighth victory of the season, boosting the Redbirds’ chances of making the 24-team FCS playoff bracket when it’s announced Nov. 24.
“It’s great,” ISU head coach Brock Spack said. “I told the team (in the locker room) the thing that’s being overlooked is that we’ve won five in a row on the road against FCS competition. That’s really difficult.”
Saturday’s victory improved the Redbirds to 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Sycamores slipped to 4-7 overall and 3-4 in the MVFC.
ISU has one regular season game remaining, a Nov. 23 home date with North Dakota to close out the conference schedule.
“It means a lot,” receiver Daniel Sobkowicz said. “The last three years here we’ve won four, six and six (games). Being able to break that 6-to-7 range, and now getting to eight wins is something I don’t take for granted.”
Receiving revival
Hampered early in the season by a variety of injuries, Sobkowicz has returned to the form that made him a preseason all-conference selection. The Rolling Meadows High School graduate has gone over the 100-yard receiving mark in two straight games.
Sobkowicz grabbed two touchdowns Saturday, including a dazzling, one-handed grab that resulted in an 84-yard catch-and-sprint to the end zone.
“He (Indiana State defensive back Tony Roberts) was kind of on top of me for a little bit (early in the route),” Sobkowicz said. “I was hand-fighting with him. I was just trying to get his arm off of me. The ball was in the air, and I just put out my left arm and caught it.”
Rittenhouse and Sobkowicz later teamed up for a second touchdown, one that covered eight yards and gave Illinois State a comfortable 21-point lead.
Spack said the Redbirds didn’t come into the game intending to throw the football so much on offense, especially early in the game.
“They (Indiana State defense) were loading the box on us,” Spack said. “To their credit, their two inside players were causing us some issues. So we started throwing the ball out on the perimeter.”
Rittenhouse threw the ball a career-high 41 times, 26 in the first half.
“You’ve got to adjust to whatever they (defense) bring,” he said.
Receiver Xavier Loyd caught 13 passes, falling one reception short of tying the single-game ISU record. Rittenhouse attempted to get him the 14th catch late in the third quarter, but Loyd slipped on the route.
“I really don’t look to break records, I just want to be here and have fun and win with my guys,” Loyd said.
Game changers
14:49, 2nd quarter: Rittenhouse found a wide-open Loyd for a 6-yard touchdown pass. Ian Wagner added the extra point to tie the score, 7-7.
10:07, 2nd quarter: Sobkowicz caught an 84-yard touchdown pass from Rittenhouse, giving the Redbirds a 14-7 lead.
9:52, 3rd quarter: Rittenhouse and Sobkowicz connected again, this time for an 8-yard touchdown. Wagner’s PAT boosted ISU’s lead to 21 points.
Best ‘Birds
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the the top three Illinois State players in the game:
Rittenhouse, QB: The junior completed 29-of-41 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns. He was not sacked and did not commit a turnover.
Sobkowicz, WR: The junior caught eight passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
Loyd, WR: The Kansas State transfer caught a career-high 13 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown.
What it means
Illinois State, ranked No. 16 in the Stats Perform FCS poll, adds an eighth win to its playoff resume.
What’s next
Illinois State concludes its regular season schedule by hosting North Dakota for a noon kickoff at Hancock Stadium in Normal.
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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