PHILADELPHIA – For the second week in a row, Illinois State (6-0, 3-0 MVFC) needed a game-winning field goal to come from behind to get a win, this time at Western Illinois. Following the victory, the Redbirds remained in the Top 10 of both national Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) polls released Monday.
The Redbirds are one of just four undefeated teams remaining in the Top 25 polls, alongside North Dakota State, Coastal Carolina and Harvard. ISU stayed steady at No. 9 in the FCS Coaches Poll after the thrilling win against the Leathernecks and moved up one spot to No. 9 in The Sports Network FCS Top 25. The No. 9 national ranking is the highest for ISU since 2012, when the Redbirds were also ranked No. 9 in early October.
Illinois State has maintained a spot in the national rankings for six-consecutive weeks and improved to 6-0 to start the season for the first time since 1967 with the win at Western Illinois last Saturday. The Redbirds pose a balanced attack in all phases and have out-scored opponents 253-83 this season and 141-44 over the final two quarters of play. ISU ranks No. 5 in the country in scoring offense (42.2 ppg), fourth in scoring defense (13.8) and leads the country in kickoff return average with just over 30 yards per return.
The Redbirds held steady at No. 9 in the FCS Coaches Poll, and was the only other MVFC representative in the Top 10 along with unanimous No. 1 pick and three-time reigning national champion, North Dakota State (7-0). The MVFC led all conferences once again with seven teams in the Top 25, and the Bison and Redbirds were followed by No. 15 South Dakota State (5-2), No. 16 Youngstown State (5-2), No. 19 Southern Illinois (5-3), No. 23 Northern Iowa (3-4) and No. 24 Indiana State (4-3).
The Bison also secured all but two of the 152 first-place votes in The Sports Network FCS Top 25 and led a group of seven teams from the MVFC to be ranked. The No. 9 ranked Redbirds were followed by No. 13 South Dakota State, No. 17 Youngstown State and No. 20 Southern Illinois. Rounding out the Valley Football representatives in the Top 25 were No. 22 Indiana State and No. 23 Northern Iowa, who both suffered losses last weekend North Dakota State and South Dakota State, respectively.
Illinois State returns home, following its two-game road swing, to host Missouri State (4-3, 1-2 MVFC) Saturday at Hancock Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
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