Illinois State wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz rushed for a 2-yard touchdown Saturday in the Redbirds’ Missouri Valley Football victory at Murray State. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Barry Bottino
Murray State punctuates touchdowns at its home stadium with a jaunt from its very own thoroughbred, Racer One.
In a game Saturday night that featured nearly 80 points and 1,000 yards, Illinois State proved it had plenty of offensive horsepower.
Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse threw for 338 yards and a career-high four touchdowns and wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz caught eight passes for 162 yards and a score to power Illinois State to a 46-32 Missouri Valley Football Conference victory.
“Fortunately, we were a lot better than them on offense,” ISU head coach Brock Spack said. “Tommy did a great job running the offense. It didn’t really matter who he threw the ball to.”
ISU piled up 510 yards thanks to the Rittenhouse-led passing game and a rushing attack that had 172 yards, featuring 71 from Victor Dawson.
Eight different players caught passes and four – Sobkowicz, wide receiver Dylan Lord, running back Seth Glatz and tight end Javon Charles – caught touchdowns.
The No. 9/10 Redbirds (4-2 overall, 1-1 MVFC) zipped to a 21-3 lead after one quarter. The home team, however, scored two touchdowns in the second quarter.
In the fourth quarter, a Murray TD pass and two-point conversion – followed by a successful onside kick – caused some concern for the Redbirds.
“We didn’t play very well on defense,” Spack said. “It’s just the way it is. We’ve got to go back to work. It’s not an effort thing. We just didn’t execute. This has become my least favorite place to play.”
Last season at Murray, ISU won, 40-32, in a game in which the Redbirds had to recover two onside kicks and allowed 426 yards.
On Saturday, Murray QB Jim Ogle (23-for-39, 283 yards) guided the Racers to 471 total yards, including 170 on the ground.
Murray (0-6, 0-2) extended its losing streak to 15 games in a row. Yet the Racers tightened the game to 43-32 in the fourth quarterback when Ogle tossed a 5-yard TD pass to running back Jawaun Northington and a 2-point conversion pass to Darius Cannon.
The Racers recovered an onside kick on the next play but the Redbirds forced a punt.
ISU followed with a 19-play, 88-yard drive that ended in a Matt Maldonado field goal to put the game away.
Game changers
12:06, 2nd quarter: Rittenhouse connected down the left sideline with reserve running back Seth Glatz, who outran the Racers’ defense for a 52-yard scoring play.
3:23, 3rd quarter: Rittenhouse connected on a 24-yard scoring pass to Sobkowicz – the QB’s fourth TD of the night – to extend ISU’s lead to 43-24.
3:25, 4th quarter: ISU kicker Matt Maldonado, who was 2-for-2 on field goals Saturday, kicked a 26-yarder to extend the Redbirds’ lead to 46-32.
Best ‘Birds
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Illinois State players in Saturday’s game:
Rittenhouse, QB: The senior completed 84% of his passes for 338 yards and a career-high four TD passes.
Sobkowicz, WR: Along with eight catches for 162 yards and a receiving TD, the veteran receiver also ran for a score.
Dawson, RB: Despite only 10 carries, he led ISU’s rushing attack with 71 yards and a TD.
What it means
The Redbirds rebounded after a frustrating loss last weekend to No. 1 North Dakota State and improved to 1-1 in the MVFC.
What’s next
ISU will host Youngstown State (3-3, 0-2) at 2 p.m. Oct. 18 for the annual Homecoming game in Normal. YSU lost, 35-17, at North Dakota on Saturday.
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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