With a 21-14 win over No. 18 Eastern Illinois on Saturday, the Illinois State football team earned national recognition by being ranked in both The Sports Network/College Sports Television and ESPN/USA Today polls on Monday.
The Redbirds (3-1 overall) will enter Saturdays game against Florida Atlantic with a No. 23 ranking in the TSN/CSTV poll and No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Head coach Denver Johnson is flattered with the selection, but feels there is still more work to do.
Its always a great honor for our team and staff to be recognized for their hard work and accomplishments on the field, Johnson said. But on the other hand, we still have a lot of things left to accomplish. In I-AA football, championships are won on the field, not in the polls. So even though it is nice to be recognized, we need to focus on our next opponent and continue to work hard for that Gateway Football Conference championship.
The national ranking is the first for the Redbirds since October 28, 2002, when No. 25 Illinois State dropped a 9-0 decision at No. 21, and eventual national champion, Western Kentucky.
Illinois States first game this season as a ranked team will be a challenge. FAU owns a 2-2 mark on the season with wins over Gateway rival Youngstown State (13-6) and Division I-A Middle Tennessee (20-19). The Owls are also coached by Howard Schnellenberger, who served as the head coach at Miami, Oklahoma and Louisville before starting the Owl program.
