NORMAL, Ill. – The 2018 spring practice period officially came to a close Saturday, as the Illinois State football team split into Red and White squads to face off in the annual Spring Showcase scrimmage at Hancock Stadium. The White squad came out on top by a score of 14-7, as a festive crowd finally enjoyed some nice spring weather in the Twin Cities and got their first look at the Redbirds.
Spring Showcase Highlights:
• For the second-straight week, the running game was strong as all three touchdowns were scored on the ground
• James Robinson struck first, breaking free for a 33-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to give the Red team an early 7-0 lead … Robinson would finish with 49 yards on six carries and also caught two passes for 39 yards
• Markel Smith tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter for the White team, as he bowled his way into the endzone from two yards out for the score … Smith would finish the day with a combined total of 43 yards on nine carries while splitting time for both teams
• Jordan Birch was also strong on the day, with a combined 57 yards on 10 carries while also adding two catches for 13 yards
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Trenton Hatfield scored the game-winning touchdown in the third quarter for the White team, as he avoided pressure and took off for a 56-yard score to give his team the victory in the scrimmage
• Red team starter Jake Kolbe was solid on the day, going 7-for-10 with 69 yards passing with 23 going to Braxton Haley
• Tuvone Clark was the standout on defense for the winning squad, finishing the day with seven tackles, a sack and a pass breakup that nearly resulted in a pick six for the White team
• Defensive lineman Steven Podkulski was also disruptive up front, with three tackles, a sack and two TFLs
• Defensive back Jarrell Jackson recorded the only takeaway of the game, when he picked off Kolbe and returned it 44 yards to set up the Smith score
• Zack Mathews led the way for the Red team defense with four stops, while Ryan Guhl, Peyton Jones, and Austin Galindo each finished with three stops
• Punter JT Bohlken impressed on special teams, as he averaged 49 yards per punt on seven attempts with three placed insde the 20 yard line while punting for both teams
Thoughts From Head Coach Brock Spack:
"Overall, I loved what I saw out of this team this spring. We seemed to improve each day and we certainly got better from the start of practice until today. We got some things figured out personnel wise, but there are still some questions that need to be answered when we get back to camp this fall with our new players. Today, we were able to get some good work done and the running game impressed for the second week in a row, which is a positive headed into summer conditioning. The best part is we didn't have anyone get hurt and we will take time to heal up and come back with a full squad in August when camp begins."
Up Next:
The Redbirds head into the offseason, before starting fall camp in August. Two-plus weeks of preparation in the summer heat will then prepare the team for the season opener on Sept. 1 against St. Xavier at Hancock Stadium. For ticket information, log onto GoRedbirds.com/tickets or call the ISU Athletics Ticket Office at (309) 438-8000.
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