Illinois State sophomore quarterback Chase Kwiatkowski has excelled in his role as a running quarterback through two games this season. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
MACOMB – Amid an ongoing quarterback duel, a third offensive weapon has emerged in the Illinois State backfield.
While veteran QBs Beckham Pellant and Gage Roy have taken the majority of snaps through two games, sophomore Chase Kwiatkowski has made his presence known in the form of a talent-laden rusher.
“It’s taking advantage of every single opportunity that I get,” Kwiatkowski said after fourth-ranked ISU’s 41-10 non-conference win Saturday night at Western Illinois.
Kwiatkowski has made a handful of impact plays while rushing for 111 yards on only six carries (18.5 yards per rush).
The Chicago St. Laurence High School graduate led ISU with a team-high 76 yards on four attempts against Western. His runs went for 25, 28, 4 and 19 yards.
Illinois State head coach Brock Spack recalled a day from spring practice in which the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Kwiatkowski caught the staff’s attention.
“We put him at running back because we were short a guy back there and he was killing us,” Spack said. “He’s hard to handle. He can move and he’s got moves. He’s always moving forward.”
Spack called Kwiatkowski “a natural runner.”
Roy referred to him as “a freak athlete.”
Kwiatkowski played baseball and ran track growing up as well as “a little bit of basketball, but I wasn’t too good because I couldn’t handle the ball.”
Thus far, Kwiatkowski has shown he can handle the football.
“He’s got a burst that you can’t see from the press box or the stands,” Spack said. “He’s a big guy that can run and can accelerate. He’s just a load.”
Opponents will certainly notice his running ability when reviewing video. Thus, Kwiatkowski knows he must continue to develop as a passer.
“We’ve already been talking about it. These past two weeks, we’ve shown I can run it. They’re going to start crowding the box and that’s when you hit them over the top,” he said.
Kwiatkowski threw the ball in the season-opening 76-0 rout of NAIA St. Francis, completing 5 of 7 passes for 37 yards and a 13-yard touchdown.
“We’re trying to throw the ball a little bit with him,” Spack said. “I really wanted to throw it in the second half, but when you’re up by (24 points vs. WIU), you shouldn’t do that.”
With Pellant and Roy still battling to take ownership of the top job, Kwiatkowski intends to learn as much as he can from them.
“They’re two great leaders, two great people,” he said. “They’ve been so welcoming. I was a freshman last year and Beckham took me under his wing and helped me when I needed it.”
This season, Kwiatkowski intends to be ready when Illinois State needs him.
“You’ve got to take hold of your role and you’ve got to love it,” he said. “If that’s running right now, I’m going to make plays when they’re there.”
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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