Daniel Sobkowicz hauled in a touchdown pass Saturday against Indiana State, his first game action since sustaining a shoulder injury Oct. 18 against Youngstown State. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Barry Bottino
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – A shoulder fake, of all things, from Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse helped free up his favorite target for a third-quarter touchdown Saturday.
It was the right shoulder of Daniel Sobkowicz, wrapped in a black brace underneath his white jersey, that caused him to miss the last two games.
The All-American receiver’s return Saturday led to plenty of good vibes for an Illinois State team on a three-game winning streak after dominating the Sycamores, 52-20.
“It’s fantastic,” Rittenhouse said of Sobkowicz’s return. “He’s a hell of a player. It’s always good to have No. 2 out there.”
With three catches for 31 yards and the receiving TD against Indiana State, Sobkowicz worked his way back into an offensive unit that flexed its muscle Saturday.
“I was definitely going to be ready,” he said. “I didn’t know how much I was going to play. I felt really good.”
ISU coach Brock Spack waited until the fifth series of Saturday’s game, during the second quarter, to insert Sobkowicz.
“It meant a lot, just as long as he didn’t get hurt,” Spack said. “After the first quarter, it was a tight (7-7) game, so we said we’d play him. He made some catches. He used his shoulder. He fell on it a couple times. He came out of this game really well.
“We got the rust off of him. There are some big games coming down the road.”
With a 7-3 record (4-2 Missouri Valley Football Conference), the Redbirds are tied for third place in the league standings. With a potential playoff spot looming, ISU finishes the season at South Dakota State (7-3, 3-3) this weekend before hosting Southern Illinois (6-4, 3-3) on Nov. 22.
The Jackrabbits have lost three games in a row since quarterback Chase Mason sustained a foot injury Oct. 18 against Murray State. SIU’s three MVFC wins are against the bottom three teams in the standings – Indiana State (3-7, 1-5), Northern Iowa (3-7, 1-5) and Murray State (0-10, 0-6).
Having Sobkowicz back gives the Redbirds another weapon for an already diversified passing game, which boasted 10 different players with a reception Saturday.
In limited action against Indiana State, Sobkowicz moved to No. 2 all-time in school history with 3,031 receiving yards and claimed the No. 3 spot all to himself in career TD receptions with 30.
“Down the road, it’s going to be pretty cool to see,” he said of his statistical achievements. “But right now the main prize is getting back healthy and being out there with my team.”
Over the final two contests and any playoff games, Sobkowicz could finish No. 1 in school history in three categories with 535 receiving yards, three TD catches and 30 receptions.
More than numbers, his focus is ensuring the Redbirds get to the postseason.
“That’s what I’ve been worried about a lot more,” he said.
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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