Illinois State senior cornerback Cam Wilson (25) had a team-high three pass breakups last weekend in the Redbirds’ upset win against No. 1 North Dakota State. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Barry Bottino
One play. Seventy-eight yard touchdown.
That’s how Illinois State cornerback Cam Wilson’s day started last Saturday, with a 7-0 North Dakota State lead after he gave up a long TD to All-American wide receiver Bryce Lance on NDSU’s first offensive play.
Wilson’s day finished, however, with his team-leading third pass breakup of the day, a 29-28 ISU win and with Lance not catching another ball the rest of the game.
“That was probably the best game he’s played all year,” ISU defensive backs coach Dru Richardson said. “It sums Cam up. He’s been here five years, and this is his first year starting. I don’t think there’s anyone on our defense that handles adversity as well as Cam does.”
In the postgame press conference, NDSU wide receiver Jackson Williams said there were a few times in the game he thought it was over and the Bison were going to pull out the win.
“One of those times being the first play of the game,” he said. “I said, ‘It’s over. They’re going home and they don’t want to be here.’”
Wilson’s thoughts after the first play were quite different.
“My reaction was that it was the first play,” he said with a laugh, “and that I’ve got about 50 more snaps to go. I was upset that I gave up a touchdown, but I didn’t think, ‘Aw, this game’s over.’”
Wilson said NDSU’s preference to throw out routes led him to react when Lance broke toward the sideline. Instead, Lance quickly broke up the field and got behind Wilson and the ISU defense.
“When I saw him break on the out, I just took a chance,” Wilson said. “I’m either going to pick it off and be great or give up a touchdown. I gambled and I lost the bet.”
During the ensuing 45 plays that ISU’s defense was on the field, Wilson and the Redbirds allowed only five more receptions.
“It showed how resilient we can be as a team,” said Wilson, who played in 35 games before this season as a reserve and on special teams. “The progress we’ve made is something I love about our defense.”
This season, Wilson leads the team with 13 pass breakups to go with 49 tackles, two interceptions and a sack.
“He’s got some legit speed,” Richardson said of Wilson’s strengths. “But it’s his combination of intelligence and speed (that stand out). Those two things are what make his game.”
When the Redbirds travel to No. 8 seed UC Davis for a 4 p.m. Saturday FCS quarterfinal game, they will face the Aggies for a second consecutive year in the postseason. Last season, Davis eliminated ISU, 42-10, in the second round.
“It’s a team that relies on many formations, shifts, a lot of movement,” Wilson said. “We’ve got to play with our eyes.”
“It’s about playing a disciplined football game,” Richardson added. “You can’t get distracted.”
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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