Illinois State walk-on Patrick Bauer (13) earned a scholarship from the Redbird coaching staff this month. The St. Viator High School graduate ranks second on the team in tackles for loss, sacks and interceptions. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
Coming out of St. Viator High School in Mount Prospect, Patrick Bauer wasn’t sure his football career would continue.
“I didn’t have a whole lot of interest. I was pretty undersized. I was about 6-3 and 185 pounds coming out of high school,” the redshirt sophomore linebacker told Prairie State Pigskin.
Though he had offers from non-scholarship FCS Pioneer League teams Butler and Drake, along with a walk-on offer from FBS Northern Illinois, Bauer said he applied to Illinois State “as a normal student because I wasn’t totally sure that I was going to play football in college.”
However, his high school coach David Archibald sent video out to college coaches. The ISU coaching staff responded positively and Bauer visited campus.
“I thought ISU was a great place to be with great facilities and it’s D-I, which excited me,” Bauer said. “I liked the coaching staff and liked what it stood for as a team.”
After appearing in three games and redshirting the 2023 season, Bauer wound up seeing action in 12 games last fall. He delivered a five-tackle, two-TFL performance in a win against Eastern Illinois.
Bauer has bulked up, reaching a listed 235 pounds this season. His on-field performance matched the weight gain.
He is tied for seventh on the team with 39 tackles. Bauer ranks second in tackles for loss, sacks and interceptions.
All of this led to head coach Brock Spack awarding Bauer a scholarship last week.
“He’s a hard worker,” Spack said. “He’s tough and works his butt off. He’s just gotten better and better. He’s surpassed my expectations.”
Bauer said, “It was a really cool moment. He did it before the whole team on Friday. I was super excited, and it means the world to me. It’s what I’ve been working for the last two and a half years.”
Bauer said he’s far from finished. His focus includes Saturday’s regular-season finale at Hancock Stadium when No. 11 ISU (8-3 overall, 5-2 Missouri Valley Football Conference) hosts rival Southern Illinois (6-5, 3-4), which is ranked 24th.
“It doesn’t mean I will stop working hard,” he said. “I’m going to do what I’ve been doing.”
This week’s opponent
Southern Illinois is coming off a five-overtime loss to surging South Dakota. The defeat likely ended any chance the Salukis have of making the FCS playoffs.
Quarterback D.J. Williams makes the SIU offense hum. The senior, who began his career at Murray State, ranks third in total offense among national FCS players. Williams has produced 3,400 yards this season (309.1 per game).
“Southern Illinois is always athletic,” Spack said. “The quarterback has made a big difference. He can run and has a big arm.”
Senior Vinson Davis III ranks 28th among FCS receivers with 54 catches for 780 yards and five touchdowns.
While the Saluki offense ranks 12th nationally with a 36.4 points-per-game average, the defense ranks 78th, surrendering 28.45 points.
Kickoff: Noon; TV: Marquee, ESPN-Plus; Radio: WJBC.com.
Key matchup to watch
ISU defense vs. SIU QB Williams
Last month, the Redbirds were stung by dual-threat quarterback Beau Brungard. Williams brings a similar game to Normal.
“He’s strong. He’s put together well,” Spack said. “He can change direction. He can make all the throws. His deep balls are really good.”
Williams has a similar appreciation for the Redbird defense.
“Their interior is very good. That defensive line causes a lot of problems for people,” he said. “They’ve got an All-American linebacker (Tye Niekamp) that makes a lot of plays and helps them go.
“It’s going to be a good game to try and figure them out and have a little chess match going with good players making good plays.”
What’s at stake
A win gives Illinois State five straight victories heading into the postseason.
News and notes
The 24-team FCS playoff bracket will be revealed at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPNU. … Southern Illinois leads ISU in the all-time series, 43-39-3. The Redbirds won, 45-10, last year in Carbondale. The teams first met in 1929. …After its 35-21 win at South Dakota State, ISU jumped three spots Monday to No. 11 in the Stats Perform FCS poll. … ISU linebacker Tye Niekamp was named MVFC Defensive Player of the Week for the third time for his career-high 16-tackle game at South Dakota State. Niekamp needs three tackles to set his career high for a single season. … ISU quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse hasn’t thrown an interception since the Oct. 18 loss to Youngstown State – a span of 138 pass attempts. … The Redbirds posted a 5-1 record on the road this season. The lone loss came in the season opener at FBS Oklahoma. … Meanwhile, ISU is 3-2 in home games this fall.
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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