Junior Willie Watts rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns while senior Kevin Glenn passed for 350 yards and a pair of TD's as Illinois State rolled to a 40-7 decision over Southwest Missouri State in a Gateway Football Conference game Saturday on Senior Day at Hancock Stadium. It was the sixth straight win over the Redbirds.
In collecting his 10th career 100-yard game, Watts cruised past 1,000 yards for the season and became the eighth 2,000-yard career rusher in Redbird history. He has 2,062 career yards and 1,087 for the season. Glenn, the Redbirds all-time passing and total offense leader, completed 17 of 30 passes and hit nine different receivers. Jon Laurenti caught four of those for 102 yards as the Birds tallied 539 yards of total offense for the day.
Redbird head coach Denver Johnson was pleased with the work of Glenn, who reclaimed his starting position just a week ago.
Its been an eventful season, especially the way we started off (the season, 1-4), struggling the way we did and Kevin struggling the way he did, and then coming back, said Johnson. We beat three real good football teams (SMS, plus nationally ranked Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois) these last three games.
Illinois State, 6-0 after a 1-4 start, will await the decision of the NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee to see if the Redbirds can get their third straight NCAA Playoff bid. The 16-team field will be announced at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
Johnson believes his team could be one of those getting a call.
Were still hopeful well get the opportunity to play some more, said Johnson, in his first season at Illinois State. Im convinced the (NCAA) committee will have to give us a good hard look.
Illinois State, 7-4 overall, 4-2 in the Gateway, dominated from the start. Jake Straders 37-yard field goal capped an 11-play drive with 8:32 left in the first quarter.
On the ensuing possession, Redbird defensive end Scott Cook hammered Bears quarterback Austin Moherman at the SMS 14, causing a fumble which was recovered by ISU defensive tackle David Bull, who ran six yards for the first Redbird touchdown. The Redbird defense hounded and pounded the SMS offense, which gained just 46 yards on 30 snaps in the first half and finished with 184 total yards.
About four or five games ago, our defense finally grasped and embraced the spirit of the way we wanted them to play, said Johnson.
After an SMS punt, Illinois State drove 68 yards in 12 plays capped by Watts two-yard run and it was 16-0 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Glenn hit Laurenti in the end zone for a 25-yard scoring strike at the end of an eight-play, 54-yard drive with 5:15 left in the half.
Watts broke a 25-yard TD run on ISUs first possession of the second half. and Vito Golson caught an 81-yard pass from Glenn for Illinois States 10th 50-yard or longer touchdown play of the season in the third quarter.
The Bears, 5-6 overall, 2-4 in the Gateway, avoided a shutout when Jason Ringena scored on a two-yard run with 2:35 left in the game.
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