Illinois State senior Wenkers Wright, shown here in last year’s postseason against Southeast Missouri, remains a vital part of the Redbirds’ quest to make this season’s FCS playoff field. (Photo by Barry Bottino, PrairieStatePigskin.com)
By Dan Verdun
Wenkers Wright isn’t one to dwell on the negatives of life.
Born in Haiti, he and his brother Gregory were adopted from an orphanage by Shawn and Betsy Wright and grew up with four siblings in southern Indiana. He excelled in both the classroom and on the athletic field at Floyd Central High School before becoming the lead running back at Illinois State.
So, don’t look for him to stew over last Saturday’s 40-35 loss to Youngstown State before a near capacity Hancock Stadium crowd for homecoming.
“The game is over with, nothing you can do to change it. There’s a lot we can do to learn from it,” Wright told Prairie State Pigskin. “We’re focused on the next game.”
That next game is a 1 p.m. Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup at 21st-ranked South Dakota. It’s also a game vital to both the No. 18/20 Redbirds (4-3, 1-2) and the Coyotes (5-3, 3-1) in their quests to make the FCS playoff field.
Wright said the team needs to eliminate mental errors.
“We’ve got to know our positions and know the different situations our positions can be in,” he said. “For me specifically as a running back, I’ve got to be locked into my reads and what the defense is showing us on the field. It all comes down to mental preparation. We always say it’s penalties and mental errors that make a team lose a game.”
A season after rushing for over 1,100 yards, Wright is again ISU’s top back. Through seven games, the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder has powered his way to 465 yards and five touchdowns.
Wright and backup Victor Dawson rank seventh and 10th, respectively, among MVFC rushing leaders.
Wright has also taken on an added responsibility in recent weeks, one that he performed earlier in his career.
“I’ve started on kickoff return for the past three years as the backside returner. (This season), sometimes as the running back role requires more out of me, I stepped away from that,” he said.
The ISU coaching staff made the decision to insert Wright back into his old spot. The results have been spectacular. He ripped off an 80-yard return against Murray State two weeks ago and a 53-yarder against Youngstown State.
ISU head coach Brock Spack said Wright returns kickoffs like he runs out of the backfield.
“He’s a guy that makes a decision and goes,” Spack said. “He was very good Saturday and has been for the last couple weeks.”
Key injuries
The Redbirds lost three key players in the loss to Youngstown State: left tackle Brandon Smith, leading receiver Daniel Sobkowicz and safety Jack Dwyer.
Spack said that Smith will miss the rest of the season and therefore senior Jake Pope will shift from right tackle to left tackle. Redshirt sophomore Ben Wallace will take over at right tackle.
While Dwyer “will be out awhile,” according to Spack, Sobkowicz is “week-to-week.” Wright said while those players will be missed, it opens opportunities for others.
“It’s the next man up mentality,” Wright said. “Always have faith in the team and keep moving forward.”
This week’s opponent
South Dakota, coached by Travis Johansen, is ranked No. 21 in the Stats Perform FCS poll. Though unranked in the American Football Coaches Association poll, the Coyotes are the top vote-getter outside the Top 25.
Following a loss to top-ranked North Dakota State, South Dakota has reeled off three straight victories and has won 11 consecutive games at home.
“It’s been complimentary football,” Johansen said. “We’ve been able to put good drives together on offense when we need them. When we give up a score on defense, we respond offensively.
“When we’re not scoring, our defense has been able to get stops. Our special teams are flipping the field and we’re creating field position advantage.”
The Coyotes slipped past Northern Iowa, 17-14, last Saturday on a 58-yard field goal by senior Zeke Mata.
Running back L.J. Phillips Jr. is the top rusher in FCS with 1,061 yards and 11 touchdowns in eight games.
Veteran quarterback Aidan Bouman has passed for 1,339 yards. Redshirt sophomore Larenzo Fenney has 18 receptions for 422 yards. His six TD catches are second only to Sobkowicz (seven) on the MVFC leaderboard.
Six Coyote defenders have at least 42 tackles, led by Roman Tillmon’s 53.
South Dakota’s other losses were to FBS Iowa State in the season opener and to FCS No. 15 Lamar.
Kickoff: 1 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: WJBC.com.
Key matchup to watch
ISU defense vs. USD RB Phillips
Phillips averages 132.6 yards per game, best in the nation.
“He’s a bowling ball,” Spack said. “He’s a tough guy, a fire hydrant. He’s hard to tackle because he’s so strong. He’s powerful, quick and sudden. Those words describe him very accurately.”
What’s at stake
An ISU victory would give the Redbird playoff push a huge boost, especially since it would come against a team that is also vying for an at-large postseason bid.
“We treat every game like it’s one we’ve got to have, but this is one game we’ve got to have,” Wright said.
News and notes
While Illinois State spent much of its weekly practice time outside on the Hancock Stadium turf, the Redbirds also utilized their indoor bubble in preparation of playing inside South Dakota’s domed stadium. “We cranked up the music to get used to the noise,” Spack said. … Sobkowicz has 3,000 receiving yards in his ISU career, placing him third on the all-time list. The senior needs seven yards to pass Laurent Robinson (3,007). Sobkowicz ranks second in career receptions (218) behind Tyrone Walker (250) and is tied with Robinson (29) for third place in career receiving touchdowns. … The loss to Youngstown State dropped the Redbirds in the two major FCS Top 25 polls. ISU plummeted from No. 9 to No. 20 in the AFCA rankings and from No. 12 to No. 18 on the Stats Perform list. … ISU did not record a sack against Youngstown State. Penguin quarterback Beau Brungard earned Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week honors for his 528 yards of total offense and five touchdowns against the Redbirds. Brungard has won the award twice 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.
Find us on social media!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSPigskin
Facebook: Prairie State Pigskin
Instagram: Prairiestatepigskin
Blue Sky: PSPigskin
Prairie State Pigskin 
Leave a comment