Redshirt freshman Dylan Lord’s 61 receptions this season rank sixth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and second on the team to All-American Daniel Sobkowicz. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Barry Bottino
In Dylan Lord’s third career college game last September, he experienced what he called “the whole trifecta.”
The Illinois State wide receiver suffered a dislocated left ankle, broke his fibula and tore three tendons against Western Illinois, which ended his freshman season.
A year later, Lord enters Monday’s FCS national championship game against Montana State (6:30 p.m., ESPN) enjoying an impressive comeback season with 61 receptions, the second-best total for the Redbirds.
“My goal going into the season was just to help the team out in any way I could,” he said. “I’m getting some more opportunities, so I’ve got to make the most out of them.”
Lord has started 10 games at slot receiver and has three touchdowns. He has the sixth-most receptions in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and ranks 10th in receptions per game (3.81).
In the Redbirds’ 29-28 upset victory against top-seeded North Dakota State in the second round of the playoffs, Lord had a career-high 10 receptions.
He has benefited from being on the field with ISU All-American receiver Daniel Sobkowicz (78 catches, 18 TDs, 1,089 yards) and working regularly throughout the summer and fall with quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse.
“Having Dan out there, he takes a lot of the spotlight,” Lord said. “That helps a lot. With Tommy, our connection has gotten better. There’s no better time for us all to be on the same page.”
Nashville homecoming
Illinois State arrived Friday in Nashville for the national championship game, and it served as a welcome trip for Redbirds assistant coach Kye Stewart.
“It’s a good thing for me since I’m from Nashville,” said Stewart, who serves as defensive assistant head coach, co-special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach. “It’s a homecoming for me to go down there and for us to play in front of a bunch of my family and friends.”
Stewart said he will have about a dozen people on hand Monday night for the game to cheer on the Redbirds.
“It will be a good little crowd,” he said. That group will include his father, brother and high school coach.
Kudos to the kids
Injured offensive tackle Brandon Smith confirmed to Prairie State Pigskin this week that he will be returning to ISU next season for his final year of eligibility.
Smith, who sustained a broken leg late in the season, has been impressed with the two youngest players in the Redbirds’ starting lineup – junior center Brayden Jellison and sophomore right tackle Logan Brasfield.
“(Jellison) has taken a huge step. Jelly and Logan Brasfield are young guys that have been thrown into the fire this late in the season when everything means so much more, and it’s impressive. Their names were called and they’ve stepped up.”
Brasfield has started 13 games for the Redbirds while Jellison has seven starts.
Play together, stay together
The Redbirds have forged a roster-wide bond during 16 games and months of preseason preparation. In fact, camaraderie has been at the core of ISU’s remarkable season, according to players.
“It’s the togetherness of the team. We’re so close with each other,” running back Seth Glatz said of ISU’s success. “You’re playing for the person next to you.”
The same is said of players on the other side of the ball.
“We’ve been playing really good defense and our team is close,” defensive lineman Garret Steffen said. “We’ve got a tight-knit group of guys that genuinely likes each other. It’s a positive culture. Guys don’t give up. We keep fighting. We’ve shown that in every game.”
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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