Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse (16) celebrates with his teammates, including receiver Daniel Sobkowicz (2) during Saturday’s 21-3 first-round playoff win at Southeastern Louisiana. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
Three times Illinois State had attempted to score from the Southeastern Louisiana 1-yard line. Three times the Redbirds were turned back.
Then came the call from offensive coordinator Tony Petersen.
“I knew it would probably be called sometime in the game. When we got to there, I was like, I think it’s coming,” quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse said in a postgame radio interview.
What was coming was a trick play the Redbirds had practiced during the week but had not run during a game this season.
It also proved to be a pivotal play in Saturday’s 21-3 first-round playoff victory at No. 16-seed Southeastern Louisiana. The Redbirds will face top-seeded North Dakota State in Fargo at noon Dec. 6.
Rittenhouse began the fourth-down play by handing off to Wenkers Wright, the senior running back who had twice been stopped by the SLU defense for no gain on the first- and third-and-goal snaps.
Wright, who had missed the previous two games with an ankle injury, then handed the ball to receiver Daniel Sobkowicz. He took two steps and was immediately pressured by SLU defensive end Evan Aubrey coming off the edge.
The senior wideout lofted a hurried pass to Rittenhouse, who had cleared the end off the right side of the line of scrimmage.
“I think I got some air on it, so he was able to run under it,” Sobkowicz said of his pass. “Tommy’s pretty fast. I trusted him.”
Rittenhouse needed every bit of his speed to catch up to the throw that resulted in his first career reception.
“As soon as I saw it (the ball) up, I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I can get there,’” he said.
But get there Rittenhouse did, making the catch over his left shoulder at the 2-yard line and going untouched into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown.
“I had to make an adjustment for it, but my guys do that for me all the time,” Rittenhouse said. “(It was) my turn to return the favor.”
The score boosted ISU to a 14-3 lead with just under 9 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
The TD provided breathing room on a day when the Illinois State’s offense mustered 292 yards of total offense – 82 below its season average.
It also helped erase the pain of a 6-yard touchdown run by Victor Dawson that was taken off the scoreboard on a false start penalty by tight end Scotty Presson Jr. The Redbirds lost a later opportunity to score when Dawson fumbled at the SLU 11-yard line at the end of a 17-yard run.
“We left a couple of opportunities out there, but I’m proud of our team. We bounced back from a really disappointing game (37-3 loss to Southern Illinois) a week ago,” ISU head coach Brock Spack said.
Sokowicz has completed 4 of 6 passes in his career and thrown touchdown passes in three consecutive years. But none proved to be more important than Saturday’s throw.
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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