Illinois State offensive lineman Jake Pope has landed on multiple All-American teams as the postseason rolls on for the Redbirds. (Photo by Barry Bottino, PrairieStatePigskin.com)
By Dan Verdun
Offensive line play has been one of the major factors unseeded Illinois State has won its way into Saturday’s FCS national semifinals.
“They’re a big reason we’re where we are,” ISU head coach Brock Spack told Prairie State Pigskin as the Redbirds (11-4) prepared for their 6:30 p.m. Saturday clash at No. 12 seed Villanova (12-2).
The winner will advance to the national championship Jan. 5 in Nashville against the winner of Montana State vs. Montana in the other Saturday semifinal.
ISU has averaged 415.3 yards per game – 221.6 passing and 194.6 rushing – through three playoff games.
Anyone who witnessed ISU’s 37-7 home loss to Southern Illinois in the Nov. 22 regular-season finale would certainly raise an eyebrow at the Redbirds’ postseason run.
Yet senior offensive lineman Jake Pope points to that game as a turning point.
“Truthfully, I think that SIU week was a wakeup for us,” Pope said. “We thought things were sweet. We thought that we had it figured out.
“Obviously, that was wrong. After that, we had to go back to the drawing board.”
The Redbirds returned to the brand of football that Spack, an old-school Big Ten proponent, favors. He is quick to credit offensive line coach Harold Ethridge, who returned to ISU in 2018 for a second stint in Normal.
“He’d been here before as part of (head coach) Todd Berry’s teams here (in the late 1990s),” Spack said. “I like a guy who’s been here. He’s done a good job.”
The offensive line has gone through changes as the season played out. Pope shifted from right tackle to left tackle when senior Brandon Smith suffered a season-ending injury. Guard Landon Woodard missed the win at No. 1 North Dakota State with a hand injury.
Redshirt junior Brayden Jellison has seen more playing time in the reshuffled rotation.
“As soon as the opportunity came, I didn’t waste it,” Jellison said.
Things certainly came together in ISU’s 42-31 thrashing of No. 8 seed UC Davis in last weekend’s quarterfinals. The Redbirds produced 532 yards of total offense with an equal distribution of 266 yards on the ground and 266 through the air.
“It was the first time we really started to put it all together when it came to the running game getting double teams, getting hip-to-hip, moving to the second level and getting the job done,” Pope said.
Jellison added: “We identified who we were supposed to be going to (on the defensive line) and made it really easy as far as what combinations we ran.”
Pope has relished the run in this, his final collegiate season.
“We’ve kicked it up a notch this year and come together as a unit. That’s really what I think has made the difference for us,” he said. “I‘m just blessed to play another day of football.”
This week’s opponent
Villanova returns to the national semifinals for the fourth time and the first since 2010. The Wildcats slipped past Montana, 23-21, in the 2009 title game.
“It’s a blueblood program in FCS,” Spack said. “They play in the (Colonial Athletic Association), a very storied league. They have a storied football program.”
Meanwhile, Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante shared his admiration for the Redbirds.
“I’m still looking for a weakness. I haven’t found one yet. I’m hoping that we don’t have many either,” he said.
All-CAA first-team offensive linemen Stephane Voltaire and Temi Ajirotutu have combined to play 103 games with 85 starts in their careers.
Quarterback Pat McQuaide has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards with 24 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Running back/kick returner Ja’briel Mace has 15 TDs on the season.
Linebacker Shane Hartzell has disrupted opponents with 94 tackles, 17.4 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
“We need to play a complete game. We have to make sure we play as consistent and as fundamentally sound as we can,” Ferrante said.
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m.; TV: ESPN2; Radio: WJBC.com.
Key matchup to watch
ISU run game vs. Villanova defense
Illinois State has run the ball effectively to set up the pass and control the clock through its playoff run. Expect the same gameplan against the Wildcats.
“We’ve just got to be us. I don’t think that’s anything earth-shattering,” Spack said. “We’ve got to have success running the football and take advantage of big plays when they present themselves on both sides of the ball.”
Villanova has only allowed 35 points in its three playoff victories and just 14.9 per contest during an 11-game winning streak.
What’s at stake
A win sends Illinois State into the national championship game for the second time in school history. The Redbirds are attempting to become the first team to win four road games in a single postseason.
News and notes
Both teams posted seven wins against teams with winning records this fall. Illinois State’s FCS opponents have a combined 82-83 record (ISU played North Dakota State twice, going 1-1); Villanova’s FCS foes produced a 92-67 record. …. Both teams had losses to FBS opponents: Illinois State lost at Oklahoma while Villanova lost at Penn State. …. Illinois State and Villanova have played once previously. The Redbirds defeated the Wildcats in Philadelphia, 19-17, on Sept. 25, 1976. Gerry Hart was in his final season as ISU head coach. Redbird radio analyst Ted Schmitz was an ISU assistant that fall. …. Opponents have blocked six Illinois State kicks this season. …. ISU middle linebacker Tye Niekamp earned first-team All-American honors from the Associated Press. Receiver Daniel Sobkowicz and cornerback Shadwel Nkuba II were tabbed on the second team. Pope received honorable mention. … Niekamp and Pope were named first teamers by FCS Football Central on SI while Nkuba II landed on the second team and Woodard on the third team. … Niekamp was named to the Stats Perform FCA All-America first team for the second straight year. Long snapper Dylan Calabrese was on the second team with Sobkowicz and Nkuba II on the third team.
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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