Illinois State redshirt sophomore Beckham Pellant is competing to replace record-setting quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse, who helped lead the Redbirds to the national championship game last season. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Barry Bottino
NORMAL – The smile on Mickey Turner’s face was evident after Illinois State’s spring scrimmage.
So was the new Illinois State offensive coordinator’s excitement about the team’s potential.
“You can tell out here that there’s a lot of guys who can make some plays,” said Turner, who took over March 13 after the departure of Tony Petersen. “I’m obviously pumped for the opportunity. I think I’m in a very fortunate position because of the offense we have, the way the guys work. We have enough guys coming back, enough young guys showing up and also the staff. I love the guys I work with.”
The Redbirds showed plenty of the firepower that helped them advance to the national championship game last fall while averaging nearly 31 points and 400 yards a game.
The playmaking was evident among the two leading competitors to replace departed quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse.
Redshirt sophomore Beckham Pellant, who was ISU’s backup last season, was 17-for-23 for 125 yards. Senior Gage Roy, an FBS transfer from USC, finished 15-for-22 for 131 yards and an interception.
Turner said the competition will continue through the summer before a decision is made on a starter in fall camp.
“Beckham obviously knows the system a little better, so that shows up in some of the adjustments and the tougher looks,” Turner said. “Gage, to his credit, has done a heck of a job learning quickly.”
Pellant said his focus this spring has been on consistent execution of the offense.
“Consistency is a big thing I wanted to harp on, and I think I really hammered on that,” he said. “I was much more tied in to doing everything that the offense needs to make a play run smoothly and not leaving out one piece here or there.”
Pellant said the offense has largely stayed the same under Turner. “Our base identity is all still the same,” he said.
The hiring of new quarterbacks coach Bob Dunn, meanwhile, has added some new wrinkles.
“The big changes have come with Coach Dunn,” Pellant said. “They’re all changes in a good way. He’s really harping on read keys and advantage points. He’s making our reads a lot simpler to let us go out and play the game at a much faster pace.”
Competing against a Power 4 school transfer has provided Pellant with additional focus.
“Competition is great,” he said. “It drives everyone, and that’s been helping me to have that extra motivation of, ‘You’ve gotta go win the job.’”
Roy, who arrived on campus in January, has taken on a crash course in the offense, relying on teammates, Turner and Dunn, whose hiring was announced March 11.
“Learning from the guys in the (quarterback) room this spring is crucial for me,” he said. “I’m the new guy. I didn’t know any of the plays two months ago. I feel like I’ve picked it up pretty well, but there’s still a lot of room to improve on with mastering the offense. That’s my big summer goal.”
Roy said his familiarity with some of the offensive concepts and his study habits have helped him learn.
“I spent four years in a spread offense, so it’s very similar,” he said. “It’s a lot of the same route concepts. They’re just called different things. When I get home from football practice, I study our play sheet for a couple hours every day.”
Pellant and Roy have benefited from the return of wide receivers Luke Mailander and Dylan Lord. On Saturday, redshirt freshmen Ian Willis (eight receptions, 71 yards) and Mar’Quan Gary (four catches, 50 yards) flashed some playmaking ability.
Running back Tyler Lofton, a fellow redshirt freshman, had a highly productive day as ISU sat its top two backs, Victor Dawson and Seth Glatz.
Lofton rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns while also catching six passes for 29 yards.
“The offense hasn’t changed a ton,” Turner said, “but we have started to tinker as the spring has gone on, whether it’s a protection or a route or whatever. It’s been fun to see the growth happen.”
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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