Jan. 13, 2006
2006 Schedule
NORMAL, Ill. - The 2006 Illinois State football schedule became complete on Friday, when NCAA I-AA provisional school Central Arkansas agreed to play at Hancock Stadium on Sept. 9, as the Redbirds' home opener.
"We are excited to get the schedule solidified," head coach Denver Johnson said. "We certainly have a challenging non-conference schedule that hopefully we will have some success in, and by success I mean preparing us for conference play."
The Bears, which competed in the NCAA Division II playoffs last season, finished the 2005 campaign with an 11-3 record, including 41-38 overtime loss to North Alabama in the quarterfinals.
Before meeting Central Arkansas for the first time in school history, the Redbirds will travel to face their 12th straight I-A opponent in Kansas State, on Sept. 2. The Wildcats are coming off a 5-6 season, but the Redbirds will be the first opponent for new K-State head coach Ron Prince.
After the Central Arkansas game, on Sept. 16, the Redbirds and Eastern Illinois will continue the state's oldest rivalry and the 13th longest in I-AA. On Sept. 23, ISU will face its second straight Ohio Valley Conference opponent, Murray State, in Murray, Ky.
Unlike previous seasons, the Redbirds will have an off week on Sept. 30, prior to heading into Gateway Conference play. The Redbirds, which finished the 2005 season 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the league, will open the conference season on the road at Western Kentucky.
"I've had open dates in the past that I thought were beneficial to us, and I've had open dates where I felt we were revved up and ready to play and it was tough waiting. So I can go either way," Johnson said. "But, I appreciate it this year. Coming through our non-conference schedule, we will be at a place where we will need to take a few days to catch-up, regroup and heal-up to head into conference play healthy and fresh."
On Oct. 14, the `Birds will host Southern Illinois for Homecoming 2006, before returning to the road on the following Saturday at Western Illinois.
October 28 marks the first game of a two-game homestand, as ISU hosts Youngstown State for Family Day before Missouri State rolls into town on Nov. 4. ISU ends the regular season away from Hancock Stadium by traveling to Indiana State on Nov. 11 and Northern Iowa on Nov. 18.
