Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse has helped get Illinois State in position to make the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since ISU qualified from 2014-2016. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Barry Bottino
Illinois State ended a playoff drought last fall. On Saturday at South Dakota State, the Redbirds ensured they would make a return trip.
ISU won its eighth game of the season against the Jackrabbits, 35-21, to move into a third-place tie in the Missouri Valley Football Conference standings with North Dakota. The win extended ISU’s winning streak to four games in a row.
Eight wins in what is considered the nation’s toughest FCS conference will certainly carry plenty of weight among the FCS playoff committee when pairings are announced Nov. 23.
“We’ve got the momentum now,” said junior linebacker Tye Niekamp, who had a career-high 16 tackles Saturday. “That makes four (in a row). It’s just keeping the same momentum we’ve had. Keep doing the same things we’ve been doing. It’s been working out.”
Saturday’s win also gave the Redbirds (8-3 overall, 5-2 MVFC) a 7-0 record in November the past two seasons.
“I like these win streaks,” said senior receiver Daniel Sobkowicz, who caught three first-half touchdowns to become ISU’s all-time leader in that category. “I think we can make a really big playoff run with how we’ve been playing. I know we can play a lot better.”
Because of the Illinois High School Association championship football games being played at ISU’s Hancock Stadium over Thanksgiving weekend, the Redbirds would have to travel for a first-round postseason game.
That is, unless they are chosen as one of the top eight playoff seeds. Those eight teams all get a first-round bye and a second-round home game, which would be played Dec. 6.
The No. 13/14 Redbirds would at least need to win their season finale Nov. 22 at home against Southern Illinois to get to nine wins to receive consideration as a top eight seed.
On Saturday, only two teams ahead of ISU in the national rankings – No. 9/10 UC Davis and No. 5/6 Tennessee Tech – sustained losses.
Davis lost a Big Sky Conference game, 38-17, to third-ranked Montana State. TTU lost a 42-10 decision to FBS Kentucky.
Illinois State has not been among the FCS playoff committee’s Top 10 rankings that were revealed Oct. 15 and Nov. 5.
Asked about a potential top-eight seed after the game, ISU head coach Brock Spack said his focus was squarely on next weekend’s Senior Day game against Southern Illinois. Kickoff is scheduled for noon on Nov. 22.
“We have some unfinished business with Southern Illinois,” he said. “We’ve got to win that game. We’ll let all that other outside noise take care of itself next Sunday.”
The FCS playoff pairings will be announced at 11 a.m. Nov. 23 on ESPNU. First-round games will be played Nov. 29.
Saluki sendoff
No. 21/23 Southern Illinois (6-5, 3-4) saw its once-promising playoff hopes dashed with a 53-51 home loss Saturday to No. 17/22 South Dakota in five overtimes.
“You just feel gutted walking off the field like that,” SIU head coach Nick Hill said. “I just feel for the guys.”
The loss marked the second week in a row that SIU surrendered a double-digit second-half lead.
The Coyotes secured their eighth win of the season and a likely spot in the playoffs along with ISU. At 6-2 in the MVFC, South Dakota sits in second place by itself. ISU and North Dakota can tie for second place with wins next weekend.
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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