No. 2 South Dakota State handed No. 10/11 Illinois State its second straight Missouri Valley Football Conference loss by virtue of a 31-14 score Saturday at Hancock Stadium. (Photo by GoJacks.com)
By Dan Verdun
NORMAL – Illinois State’s romp through its non-conference schedule has gone the way of summer heat.
After the first 4-0 start in nine seasons, the Redbirds dropped their second straight Missouri Valley Football Conference game.
No. 2 South Dakota State pummeled the No. 10/11 Redbirds, 31-14, Saturday night at Hancock Stadium.
SDSU (5-1, 2-0) averaged 7.39 yards per play in the decisive win against ISU (4-2, 0-2).
Playing without Walter Payton Award-nominee quarterback Chase Mason for the second straight game because of injury, the Jackrabbits rushed for 239 yards. Josiah Johnson, the MVFC’s leading rusher, ran for 131 yards on 19 carries.
SDSU will likely ascend to the top spot in the national FCS polls. No. 1 Montana State was upset by previously winless Idaho Friday night.
“We played pretty well for about three quarters. Unfortunately, a football game is 60 minutes. We’ve got to figure some things out here in the next two weeks and reset,” ISU head coach Brock Spack said.
Trouble surfaces early
The first sign of trouble came early in the first quarter when punter Hayden Futch – feeling pressure from the SDSU rush – pulled the ball down and attempted to run. He was tackled after a 1-yard gain, turning the ball over on downs.
“We panicked a little bit. We felt we had it blocked (protection-wise),” Spack said.
SDSU head coach Dan Jackson said, “The offense took the field after that play ready to execute with the right mindset.”
Three plays later, Jackrabbit quarterback Josh Holst – a Marengo High School graduate – fired a 33-yard touchdown pass to receiver Lofton O’Groske. SDSU led, 7-0.
Illinois State tied the game midway through the second quarter when reserve quarterback Chase Kwiatkowski scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. The score capped off a 12-play, 64-yard drive.
Jackrabbit run
Johnson, however, delivered a big play late in the first half. On a 3rd and 1, the 215-pound sophomore bounced off Illinois State linebacker Tye Niekamp, broke another attempted Redbird tackle and galloped 56 yards to the ISU 30.
“We had a perfect (defensive) call. We had an unblocked player, and he fell off the tackle,” Spack said. “We had him (Johnson) stopped at the line of scrimmage. It’s a stunt that we use, and it’s very good but you’ve got to get him to the ground.”
The explosive play led to a field goal that gave SDSU a 10-7 halftime lead.
Second-half slog
The second half was dominated by South Dakota State, which outscored ISU by 14 points.
The Jackrabbits scored touchdowns on a 7-yard pass, a 31-yard interception return and a 66-yard run.
“We were worn down,” Spack said. “At the end, our defense didn’t have much left . . . and we missed tackles. We fell off tackles because of it.”
ISU managed just 3.72 yards per play. Kwiatkowski scored the lone Redbird touchdown of the second half with 2:47 left in the game.
“We expect better from ourselves,” said senior Victor Dawson, who led ISU with 67 rushing yards on 22 carries.
Dylan Lord, ISU’s leading receiver through six games, was held to two catches for 21 yards. He was targeted eight times. Lord, normally the team’s primary punt returner, did not return any punts Saturday night.
“He had a hamstring (injury) in the first half and was not healthy at all,” Spack said.
Lord’s first catch didn’t come until the 8:38 mark of the third quarter.
Game changers
12:38, 1st quarter: Futch, the ISU punter, was stopped after a 1-yard gain, turning the ball over on downs at the Redbird 38.
2:00, 2nd quarter: Johnson ran 56 yards to the ISU 30-yard line. The play led to SDSU taking a three-point lead into halftime.
11:04, 4th quarter: SDSU took a commanding 24-7 lead as cornerback Myles Green grabbed a pass that deflected off the hands of Lord in tight coverage by cornerback Noah St. Juste. Green, a Homewood-Flossmoor graduate, returned it 31 yards for a touchdown.
Best ‘Birds
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Illinois State players in the game:
Dexter Niekamp, LB: The sophomore outside linebacker recorded five tackles, one for loss. He had a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery.
Ben Harman, DL: The junior registered eight tackles, three of which were solo.
Kwiatkowski, QB: The sophomore scored ISU’s two touchdowns.
What it means
Illinois State enters its bye week with a two-game losing streak. Both defeats are in MVFC play.
What’s next
The Redbirds travel to Carbondale for a conference game at Southern Illinois. The Salukis lost, 28-16, to Youngstown State Saturday at Saluki Stadium.
The starting time for ISU-SIU is still listed as to be announced.
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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