Illinois State junior Wyatt Boals (51) has emerged in the defensive rotation as shown here against UC Davis in last year’s playoff run. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
Wyatt Boals isn’t looking for glory. The Illinois State defensive lineman just wants to do his job.
“In high school, there was no glory in O-line and D-line. There were never any interviews. No one ever wanted to talk to me, and I never cared about that,” Boals told Prairie State Pigskin. “My job is taking up a bunch of guys and freeing up other people.”
That job is vital for Saturday’s 6 p.m. game at Hancock Stadium. No. 10/11 Illinois State hosts No. 2 South Dakota State in a key Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup that has postseason ramifications.
ISU (4-1, 0-1) needs a bounceback victory after last week’s 28-21 loss to unranked Northern Iowa in the MVFC opener.
“The loss wasn’t a sucker punch, but it was a punch in the mouth. UNI played great, and we didn’t have our best game,” Boals said.
South Dakota State (4-1, 1-0) is fresh off a 42-7 trouncing of Eastern Illinois, a team ISU toppled 49-13 two weeks ago.
Boals, listed at 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, said this week’s practices have focused on “attacking the ball.”
“The first guy is tackling and the second guy has to get there and punch the ball out. It wasn’t just the missed tackles (against UNI),” Boals said. “We haven’t had a whole lot of turnovers.”
Through five games, the Redbirds have collected four interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
Illinois State head coach Brock Spack is pleased with Boals’ development.
“He’s really turned his game into a lot of options. He can play a lot of positions in the defensive line for us, which is good,” Spack said.
Boals has mostly played nose tackle, or what’s termed the zero technique, this season.
“It’s just raw physicality,” the Middlebury, Ind., native said. “Almost every single time you’re getting double-teamed. When they start running the ball on you, it’s so much fun. You’re taking on those double-teams, getting a bunch of knockbacks and freeing up your linebackers. It’s a pretty nice position.”
Cutting to the Chase
The jury is still out on whether South Dakota State quarterback Chase Mason plays against the Redbirds.
Mason injured his left leg in the Sept. 19 win against Youngstown State in Brookings. He did not return after halftime and did not play last weekend against EIU.
SDSU head coach Dan Jackson termed Mason’s injury as “a sprain” in multiple media reports. Mason, who missed five games last season with an injury, has twice torn his ACL in his career.
Boals described Mason as “one of the best athletes in FCS right now.”
Mason was one of six quarterbacks on the MVFC preseason players to watch list. He completed 64.9% of his passes for 2,005 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. Mason, who ran for six touchdowns, accounted for at least one TD rushing or receiving in all nine games he played in 2025.
Marengo High School graduate Josh Holst started in Mason’s place last week. The junior completed 11 of 22 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown.
Sophomore Jack Henry also took QB snaps, rushing six times for 39 yards against Eastern.
In his media address earlier this week, Jackson said: “Chase is gonna make the trip, and we’ll see the plan once we get out there.
“I’m expecting Henry and Josh to take most of the snaps this week and most likely be the guys this Saturday unless there was some unforeseen change in Chase’s progress.”
Kickoff: 6 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: WJBC.com
Key matchup to watch
ISU defense vs. SDSU run game
A week after allowing 199 rushing yards at Northern Iowa, Illinois State faces the Missouri Valley’s top-ranked rushing offense.
The Jackrabbits average 302.4 yards per game. Josiah Johnson tops the league with a 109.8 yards-per-game average and seven touchdowns.
“It all depends on who is playing quarterback. (Mason) has big arm talent. They can run the football. They love to do that,” Spack said. “Stopping the running game is always job No. 1. We’ve got to do that and not get beat by shock plays.”
What’s at stake
A win restores Illinois State’s bid for the MVFC title and for a seed in the FCS playoffs. A loss means an 0-2 conference start with games with four ranked teams yet to come. Three of those games are on the road.
Quick hits
Illinois State junior Dylan Lord leads the MVFC in receptions per game (6.8) and receiving yards per game (73.6). His five touchdown catches is tied with two others for the league lead. … South Dakota State kicker Tristan Alvano is 8-for-11 on field goal attempts with a long of 43 yards. He has made all 26 PATs. … ISU’s Michael Cosentino is 2-for-2 on field-goal tries with a long of 30 yards. He is 25 of 26 on PATs. … Each team has returned a punt for a touchdown this season. … SDSU leads the series, 7-6. While the schools have split the last four games, ISU has won three of the last five, including last year’s 35-21 victory in Brookings. … Redbird tight end Alex Herrera, a transfer from Eastern Illinois, has caught a touchdown pass in all four games to date. … Saturday’s game is one of four FCS matchups featuring ranked teams going head-to-head. Two of the games occur in the MVFC. No. 21/24 Southern Illinois hosts No. 8/10 Youngstown State at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale.
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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