Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse, who has helped guide the team to the national title game, credits offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tony Petersen with improving his play thanks to a demanding teaching style. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Barry Bottino
Tommy Rittenhouse’s 2024 season was the best by an Illinois State quarterback in a decade.
This fall, which will culminate Jan. 5 in the national title game against Montana State, Rittenhouse has ensured he will be remembered around Bloomington-Normal for decades to come.
Amid the quarterback’s record-setting season, Rittenhouse credits a voice in his ear every practice and in his headset on game days – offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tony Petersen.
“It’s a really good relationship,” ISU head coach Brock Spack said. “They respect each other a lot. They get along. Tony’s very demanding. It takes a special guy to play for someone like that. I know Tony’s a big fan of Tommy.”
While guiding unseeded Illinois State (12-4) on a remarkable playoff run, Rittenhouse has thrown for a single-season school record 36 touchdowns.
He recently became only the fourth player in school history to pass for 3,000 yards in a season and needs 114 yards to break ISU’s 13-year-old record for passing yards in a season.
After several wins this fall, Rittenhouse has publicly praised Petersen’s play calling.
“He’s awesome,” Rittenhouse told Prairie State Pigskin. “I love tough coaches. My biggest thing is being comfortable with being uncomfortable, and Petersen really pushes me to do that every day.”
Petersen joined the ISU staff in 2022. He was a record-setting QB himself at FBS Marshall, where he later spent two stints as an assistant coach, highlighted by national titles in 1992 and 1996. (Prairie State Pigskin requested an interview with Petersen for this story. He was unavailable, according to an Illinois State spokesperson.)
Petersen’s experience as a player, according to Spack, forged his focus on helping players improve.
“He played the position, so you can’t fool him,” Spack said. “When you played the position and you know it, there’s only one way to play it.”
Petersen’s impact also was felt by the quarterback Rittenhouse replaced in Normal – FBS Minnesota transfer Zack Annexstad.
“He can be hard on guys, but I came from a world at Minnesota where that’s what I was used to,” Annexstad said. “He’s hard on guys because he knows what it takes (to be good). He knows what the standard is to play at a high level. I’ve always appreciated hard coaching.”
Annexstad, who worked earlier this season on an Illinois State TV broadcast as an analyst, said Petersen has helped fuel Rittenhouse’s impressive two-year run.
How has Rittenhouse improved the most?
“Mentally is the biggest thing, decision-making, letting everything happen,” Rittenhouse said. “That mental chess game of football. You’ve got to have that as a quarterback.”
Another plus is Rittenhouse has been sacked only 20 times in 16 games this season.
“My pocket presence has grown, my footwork,” he said. “I’ve been able to throw the ball more accurately with that, too.”
The lessons Petersen has provided often are wide-ranging.
“He’s a super smart coach who teaches me well,” Rittenhouse said. “It’s easy for me to understand. It’s helped me grow as a football player and even as a person.”
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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