Illinois State quarterback Gage Roy (raised helmet) and his teammates celebrate following a 41-10 victory against Western Illinois Saturday night at Hanson Field in Macomb. (Photo by Barry Bottino, PrairieStatePigskin.com)
By Dan Verdun
MACOMB – On a night when No. 4 Illinois State was a clear-cut winner, head coach Brock Spack still isn’t sure there is clarity in the quarterback competition between Beckham Pellant and Gage Roy.
“I don’t know,” Spack said after ISU’s dominant 41-10 win against longtime rival Western Illinois on a steamy Saturday night at Hanson Field. “When one throws an interception, the other does. When one throws a touchdown pass, the other throws a touchdown pass.”
Pellant, who got the starting nod for the second straight game, completed 8 of 22 passes with a TD throw and an interception.
Roy, a USC transfer, completed 8 of 13 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. The interception he threw was nullified by a roughing the passer penalty.
“I think they both threw the ball pretty well for most of the time,” Spack said.
Roy said: “It’s kind of a problem when both players are playing good. It makes it hard to make a decision. That’s my job to make it a tough decision and it’s Beckham’s job (too). We have a great relationship.”
ISU (2-0) scored on 6 of 7 trips to the red zone. WIU (1-1) managed only a second-quarter field goal and a late touchdown.
Roy credited ISU’s defense with stopping the WIU offense and getting the ball back into the Redbird quarterbacks’ hands.
Those hands included third-string QB Chase Kwiatkowski, who led the team with 76 rushing yards on four carries.
“He was amazing tonight,” Roy said.
The ISU offense showed balance with 257 passing yards and 239 rushing yards. The Redbirds converted 11 of 16 third downs.
The Redbird defense stymied the Leatherneck run game, allowing just 52 yards on 23 carries. WIU was 4 for 15 on third down.
“A lot of it is preparation and continue to build off what we’re doing,” senior linebacker Mason Kaplan said. “Coach says all the time, you’re here to make plays.”
After the game, Kaplan spent a few moments with WIU defensive coordinator Landon Fox, who was Kaplan’s first collegiate head coach when the pair were together at Valparaiso.
“Seeing each other was pretty cool,” Kaplan said. “Going back to Valpo, he took a chance on me out of high school. I’m very thankful. I wouldn’t be here today without him.”
Kickoff was pushed back an hour to 7 p.m. because of the extreme heat wave gripping the Midwest.
The win gives ISU a 53-52-3 lead in the all-time series, which dates back to 1904.
Game changers
4:41, 1st quarter: Pellant connected with tight end Alex Herrera on a 23-yard touchdown pass. Following Michael Cosentino’s extra point, ISU led, 10-0.
0:13, 1st quarter: Senior Seth Glatz, who began his collegiate career at WIU, scored on a 2-yard TD run.
5:24, 2nd quarter: Receiver Stevan Gavric hauled in a 36-yard touchdown pass from Roy, boosting ISU to a 24-3 lead.
Best ‘Birds
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Illinois State players in the game:
Kwiatkowski, QB: The redshirt sophomore ran for a team-high 76 yards, including a 28-yard dash.
Victor Dawson, RB: The senior from Cincinnati, who left last week’s season opener with an injury, rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns.
Kaplan, LB: The redshirt senior led the Redbirds with five tackles, one for loss.
What it means
Illinois State has won 10 straight road games dating back to last season. According to Stats Perform FCS, the Redbirds own the longest current road winning streak in the nation.
What’s next
The Redbirds continue their non-conference schedule with a Sept. 12 visit to DeKalb to face FBS Northern Illinois (0-1). NIU lost, 40-0, at Iowa Saturday. Illinois State will receive a $350,000 payout. Kickoff is 6 p.m.
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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