Road Swing Continues, MVFC Play Begins for Redbirds At Missouri State

Date: Sept. 23, 2017
Time: 2 p.m. CT
Site: Springfield, Missouri
Stadium: Robert W. Plaster Stadium (17,500)
Series: ISU leads 20-16-1
Streak: Won 3
Last: W, 37-0 at Illinois State on Nov. 12, 2016
Listen: WJBC AM 1230 / 93.7 FM
Streaming Audio: GoRedbirds.com and TuneIn App
Watch: Valley Football on ESPN3

THE GAME
A convincing 2-0 start to the season for Illinois State has led the Redbirds to the beginning of the Missouri Valley Football Conference slate, as ISU travels to Springfield, Missouri, to face the Missouri State Bears in the MVFC opener for both squads.

THE SERIES
Illinois State and Missouri State will face off for the 38th time on Saturday, with the Redbirds owning a 20-16-1 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools. The Redbirds have earned victories in the last three meetings with the Bears, and have won six of the last eight contests overall under the leadership of head coach Brock Spack. ISU is 5-2 overall against MSU in its last seven games in Springfield, including a 38-2 win in the last meeting at Plaster Stadium on Oct. 17, 2015.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Illinois State: Tyree Horton, LB, 6-0, 230, Jr., Miami, Florida (TCU)
Horton had a standout effort for the Redbirds in a dominant defensive performance in their 44-13 win over Eastern Illinois. Horton was nearly unblockable, leading the Redbirds with 11 tackles on the day, while adding a pair of sacks and 3.5 tackles-for-loss. He also forced a fumble on the day and was credited with a quarterback hurry, as the Redbird defense allowed just 7 first downs, 14 yards rushing and 117 yards of total offense to the Panthers.

Missouri State: Calan Crowder, RB, 6-1, 212, Sr. Bartlesville, Oklahoma (Bartlesville HS)
Crowder's two-yard touchdown run with 1:53 left in regulation gave Missouri State a 28-21 victory over Murray State last Saturday. Crowder, who rushed for 104 yards on 15 carries in the Bears' first win of 2017, capped the decisive 44-yard scoring drive with a short plunge into the end zone. He currently leads the team with 291 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the season.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
>> Missouri State University is located in Springfield, Missouri, and has an enrollment of 26,000 students. The Bears are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and play their home games at Robert W. Plaster Stadium (17,500).
>> The Bears finished the 2016 season with a 4-7 record overall and 2-6 mark in MVFC play. The Bears return 45 letterwinners and 18 starters from that team in 2017.
>> MSU is led by third-year head coach Dave Steckel (Kutztown, 1982), sporting a 6-19 as the head coach of the Bears. In his first two years leading the MSU program, Steckel and his staff helped the Bears engineer a three-win turnaround from the 2015 campaign, bolting from the gate with wins in three of their first four games which included victories in their first two road contests against FCS competition. 
>> The Bears are off to a 1-2 start to the 2017 season. MSU scored 43 points in a shootout loss against in-state FBS Missouri before falling at then No. 11 North Dakota. Missouri State hosted Murray State in its home opener last weekend, and limited the Racers to just 83 rushing yards and 273 yards of total offense in a 28-21 victory.
>> After playing a pivotal role in Missouri State's first victory of the season, senior return specialist Deion Holliman was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference's Special Teams Player of the Week. Holliman totaled 149 all-purpose yards and a pair of key punt returns late to help spur MSU's win over the Racers.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET (Nov. 12, 2016)
Illinois State dominated in all facets of the game, with a well-balanced offensive attack in the 37-0 shutout victory over Missouri State. Sophomore quarterback Jake Kolbe led the attack, throwing for three touchdowns and 246 yards against the Bears. The Redbird defense provided the offense with plenty of scoring opportunities, as ISU came up with two turnovers and held the Bears' offense under 200 total yards in the shutout performance. 

ANOTHER DOMINANT DEFENSIVE EFFORT
After allowing zero yards rushing and just 41 yards of total offense in a shutout the season opener against Butler, the Redbird defense followed it up with another strong performance in a dominant 44-13 win over Eastern Illinois in game two. ISU allowed the Panthers to rush for just 14 net yards on the ground and only gave up 117 yards of total offense in the game (second-lowest offensive total in EIU school history) while allowing just one defensive touchdown. They also tallied three turnovers, six sacks and 11 tackles-for-loss in the victory. Through two games, the Redbirds are allowing opponents an average of just seven yards per contest on the ground and 79 yards of total offense per game.

MEMORABLE FIRST CATCH
Redshirt freshman tight end Robert Gillum saw action in the season-opener against Butler, but did not record a catch in his first career game. On Saturday against Eastern Illinois, he recorded first career reception and chances are it will be one he will never forget. After taking over at the 20-yard line following a touchback on an EIU punt, quarterback Jake Kolbe found Gillum in the middle of the field for a big gain. After breaking a few tackles and breaking away from defenders, Gillum's first grab quickly turned into an 80-yard touchdown and extended the ISU advantage to three scores late in the third quarter. 
 
REDBIRD RUSHING ATTACK
For the second week in a row, the Redbirds used a balanced rushing attack to control the game and run away with a victory. Sophomore starter James Robinson scored the game's first two touchdowns for ISU and ended the day just 11 yards shy of his third-career 100-yard rushing performance. Fellow sophomore Markel Smith also went over the 80-yard mark, thanks a 57-yard touchdown rumble in the second quarter.  Redshirt freshman quarterback Malachi Broadnax rounded out the effort with 57 yards on the ground, including a 43-yard dash, and scored from 16 yards late in the fourth quarter for the fourth rushing touchdown of the game for the Redbirds. 

HORTON'S HUSTLE
Transfer linebacker Tyree Horton had a standout effort for the Redbirds in a dominant defensive performance in their 44-13 win over Eastern Illinois in the 106th Mid-America Classic. Resetting his single-game career-high numbers, Horton was nearly unblockable, leading the Redbirds with 11 tackles on the day, while adding a pair of sacks and 3.5 tackles-for-loss. He also forced a fumble and was credited with a quarterback hurry, as the Redbird defense allowed just 7 first downs, 14 yards rushing and 117 yards of total offense to the Panthers. For his effort, Horton was named an Honorable Mention selection in the STATS FCS National Players of the Week release.

CLINCHING THE MID-AMERICA CLASSIC CROWN
In the 106th meeting of the Redbirds and Panthers, Illinois State reclaimed the Mid-America Classic trophy in dominant, 44-13, fashion over Eastern Illinois on the road. The Redbirds held their opponent to under 100 yards rushing and under 200 total yards for the second consecutive game. The 31-point margin of victory was the Redbirds' largest in the series in 25 years, when ISU defeated EIU 48-7 at Hancock Stadium in 1992. 

SPACK HITS THE CENTURY MARK
When the Redbirds step on the field to face the Bears this Saturday, they will be led onto the field by head coach Brock Spack for the 100th time in his career at ISU. Spack will become just the fourth coach in Redbird history to eclipse the century mark of games coached at Illinois State, joining Edwin Struck (178), Howard Hancock (122) and Denver Johnson (102). Spack's 64 wins during his tenure are second-most to Struck's 86 victories and his winning percentage of .646 is the best in school history for a coach with multiple seasons.