Illinois State junior Dylan Lord was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after a 79-yard punt return touchdown against rival Eastern Illinois. Lord also had six receptions for 77 yards and a TD catch. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
Illinois State has moved up the national polls while reaching down its depth chart.
The Redbirds rose to No. 3 in the Stats Perform FCS poll earlier this week on the strength of garnering one first-place vote.
“We appreciate the recognition, but we really don’t talk about it much,” head coach Brock Spack said. “It helps with recruiting and gets our fans fired up.”
ISU (4-0) has been ranked for 35 straight weeks heading into its 4 p.m. Saturday Missouri Valley Football Conference opener at Northern Iowa (1-2). UNI lost, 55-0, at FBS Iowa last weekend.
The Redbirds have continued to win despite dealing with injuries to key players. Running back Victor Dawson, last year’s leading rusher and a top contributor to last fall’s playoff run, sat out last Saturday’s 49-13 win against Eastern Illinois.
Senior running back Seth Glatz was also on the sidelines and receiver Luke Mailander left the EIU game after taking a hard hit from EIU defender Isaac Engle.
“We’ve had pretty good depth, but it’s getting tested right now,” Spack said.
Spack said Dawson would be able to play against Northern Iowa, while the status of Glatz (neck) and Mailander (concussion) remains uncertain.
“This is what happens most of the time in football. You get guys banged up. They can probably play, but they’re not 100%. You don’t want to expose them to (further) injury, which could be worse,” Spack said.
Sophomores Tyler Lofton (62 rushing yards, 2 TDs) and receiver Mar’Quan Gary (72 receiving yards, TD) performed well in replacement roles.
“We’ve got so many guys at so many different positions that can go out there and produce. It’s a good problem to have,” leading receiver Dylan Lord said.
Still, Spack has had his fill of early-season injuries.
“We don’t want to lose many more guys, but for us, it’s been one of the better teams we’ve had for depth,” Spack said.
Saturday begins ISU’s eight-game, balanced MVFC schedule in which every team plays the other league members.
“I like that,” Spack said. “There’s a true champion. You can’t sit here and say, ‘Well, you didn’t play them’ or this or that. I like it.”
Dome preparation
With the game being played at the UNI-Dome and rain in Normal early in the week, Illinois State practiced inside its indoor facility this week, Spack said.
“We go indoors when we have (upcoming) games in domes. It gives us a feel for the echoing and perfect conditions, which is always helpful with no rain or snow or wind blowing,” Spack said.
Kickoff: 4 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: WJBC.com
Key matchup to watch
ISU offense vs. UNI defense
Four games into the season, the Redbirds lead the MVFC with a 48.5 points-per-game scoring average. Meanwhile, Northern Iowa has allowed 15 touchdowns and 1,360 yards in three games.
What’s at stake
A victory increases ISU’s road win streak to 12 games, the longest in FCS.
Quick hits
Illinois State’s 4-0 start is its first since 2017. … The Redbirds remained No. 4 in the American Football Coaches Association rankings. … Six MVFC teams are ranked in the Stats Perform FCS poll this week: No. 2 South Dakota State, No. 3 ISU, No. 7 North Dakota, No. 8 South Dakota, No. 11 Youngstown State and No. 24 Southern Illinois. Montana State, the defending FCS champion, remains in the top spot. … Lord was named MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week thanks to his 79-yard punt return for a touchdown in ISU’s 49-13 win against rival Eastern Illinois. “Going into Missouri Valley games, having really good special teams makes the game a lot easier for the offense and defense,” the junior said. … Lord leads ISU with 22 catches for 280 yards and four touchdowns. … Illinois State middle linebacker Tye Niekamp picked up three tackles for loss in the Redbirds’ 28-24 win at FBS Northern Illinois. His career 41.5 TFLs moved him past College Football Hall of Fame member Boomer Grigsby (2001-04) for fifth of the Redbird career list. … Niekamp is 25 tackles away from tying Ryan Szokola (1997-2000) at No. 5 on the ISU career tackles leaderboard. … Head coach Todd Stepsis is in his second season at Northern Iowa. Three of the Panthers’ four wins last season occurred in the UNI-Dome. … Northern Iowa leads the series, 23-18. The schools first met in 1972 with the Redbirds posting a 24-14 win in Normal.
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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