The 2002 Illinois State football schedule is highlighted by seven teams that posted a .500 mark or better last season, including three that qualified for the 2001 NCAA I-AA playoffs and four that ranked in the final top 25 poll.
Under Denver Johnsons second year at the helm, the Redbirds finished with a 2-9 mark overall and a 2-5 record in the Gateway Football Conference. Johnson and the Birds will open the 2002 campaign at West Lafayette, Ind., against Purdue.
Its not a bad start to the season, from a preparation standpoint, opening up the season at Purdue, returning home to play Quincy and then having an off week, Johnson said. After the off week, we have Murray State and home and then were at Eastern Illinois before opening up conference play.
The Redbirds have played at least one I-A team in 20 of the last 21 seasons and will extend that streak when they open the season at Purdue on Aug. 31. The Boilermakers finished 6-6 last season after a 33-27 loss to Washington State at the Wells Fargo Sun Bowl. Purdue posted a 4-4 mark in the Big Ten and tied for fourth place.
Following the season-opener, the 'Birds play non-conference games against Quincy, Murray State and Eastern Illinois.
On Sept. 7, Quincy will be the first team to share the Hancock Stadium turf. The Hawks, a Division II opponent, posted a 2-8 record last season and are a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Quincy will return a veteran squad after only losing five seniors from last season.
After an off week, the Redbirds host Murray State on Sept. 21, in a return game of a series that began last season, but already carries a lot of emotion. Johnson and several members of his Illinois State staff left Murray to take over the ISU program following the 1999 campaign. The Racers downed the Birds 32-17 in Murray, Ky., last year and finished with a 4-6 record.
Our schedule offers a lot of challenge, excitement and opportunity, Johnson added. With that off week, well have two games under our belt and have a week to evaluate where we are at. Coming out of training camp to open at Purdue followed by a game at home against Quincy, well need that open date at that point in time. Then well have a stretch of nine tough ball games. It will be a challenge, but one that were excited about.
Illinois State returns to the road on Sept. 28 to conclude its non-conference slate and to face its second-straight Ohio Valley Conference opponent in Eastern Illinois. The Redbird-Panther rivalry is the eighth most-played series in I-AA football, but the two teams didnt meet last year when the game was canceled following the September 11th attacks. ISU owns a 44-36-9 record in the series and has beaten the Panthers three-straight times. The Panthers won the OVC championship last season and finished 9-2 with a No. 9 in the final poll and a playoff appearance.
Southwest Missouri State invades Normal for Homecoming and the Gateway Football Conference opener on Oct. 5. The Bears finished fifth in the league with a 6-5 overall mark.
On Oct. 12, the Birds will travel to Western Illinois to face the Leathernecks. WIU opened the 2001 season with a 4-1 record, but finished with a 5-5 mark. Illinois State has won two of the last three meetings.
Southern Illinois returns to Hancock Stadium for Family Day on Oct. 19. The Salukis finished 2001 last in the league with a 1-10 mark.
The three weeks following Southern Illinois looks to be the most difficult stretch for the Redbirds in 2002. On Oct. 26, the Redbirds will face Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Illinois State humbled the Panthers on Homecoming weekend in 2001 with a 42-14 win. However, the Panthers regrouped and won the GFC championship with an 11-3 mark, No. 4 ranking and a final four appearance in the NCAA I-AA playoffs.
Were going to have a heck of an October, Johnson said. Well have Southwest Missouri State, at Western Illinois, home against Southern (Illinois) and at Northern Iowa. After Northern Iowa, were at Western Kentucky. With the two away games at UNI and Western Kentucky, everything will be taking shape in the conference standings and those games will have a lot of importance.
The following weekend, Nov. 2, Illinois State travels to Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers, beginning their second year in the GFC, broke a number of Hancock Stadium offensive records with a 58-14 win over the Birds in 2001. WKU advanced to the playoffs and finished ranked No. 12 nationally powered by a 8-4 record.
On Nov. 9, Youngstown State visits the Redbirds. The Penguins are coming off of a 8-3 season, but failed to receive a playoff bid despite a No. 15 ranking in the final poll. This will be the rubber game of the 11-game series between the two programs.
The Redbirds finish the regular-season campaign on Nov. 16 at Indiana State. Illinois State has won the last four meetings against the Sycamores, which finished the 2001 season 3-8.
The first round of the NCAA Playoffs is scheduled for Nov. 30.
Season ticket information is available from the Redbird Arena ticket office (309/438-8000).
2002 Football Schedule
A31 @ Purdue
S7 QUINCY
S14 OPEN
S21 MURRAY STATE (Varsity I Weekend)
S28 @ Eastern Illinois
O5 SW MISSOURI STATE* (Homecoming)
O12 @ Western Illinois*
O19 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS* (Family Day)
O26 @ Northern Iowa*
N2 @ Western Kentucky*
N9 YOUNGSTOWN STATE*
N16 @ Indiana State*
* - Gateway Football Conference games
All times Central and subject to change
