The 'Birds do not have a player from the state of Indiana, as compared to the 42 for the Sycamores.
Turnover Free
It's unknown if the Illinois State football team has any additives or preservatives, but one thing is definitely for sure - the Redbirds are turnover free. At least since the 9:49 mark of the first quarter in the game at Western Kentucky when Pierre Rembert lost his only fumble of the season. Since that time, the Redbirds have played their last 294 minutes and 49 seconds without a turnover. In addition, quarterback Luke Drone has thrown 120 passes, and completed 74, without an interception. His last occurred in the second quarter at Murray State.
Managing Miscues
Just because the Redbirds are turnover free, doesn't mean their opponents are. Since the Redbirds' last turnover, Illinois State has forced eight opponent miscues. The Redbirds have forced 12 more turnovers than what they have committed and their +1.33 turnover ratio not only leads the Gateway Football Conference, but also ranks No. 2 in all of I-AA football. It has also turned into points, as ISU has out scored its I-AA foes 55-10 on points off turnovers.
It Takes Two to Tackle
Pairs are definitely needed to perform the tango, but for linebackers Cameron Siskowic and Kye Stewart they prefer to tackle. The tandem doesn't need each other to get done either, but they do compliment each other pretty well. Siskowic has notched 114 tackles on the season and leads all of I-AA football with 12.67 tackles per game. Stewart has also gone over the century mark in stops with 101, which ranks second in the conference and No. 3 nationally. With two tacklers each posting over 100 wrap-ups, Siskowic and Stewart become the first duo since Boomer Grigsby and Gean Gilot to accomplish the feat since 2003.
Road Warriors
With victories at both Western Kentucky and Western Illinois this season, and wins at Missouri State and Southern Illinois in 2005, the Redbirds are riding a four-game road winning streak in the Gateway Football Conference. The streak is Illinois State's longest run of success on the road since joining the Gateway in 1985.
Robinson Returns; Collects No. 31
Reigning Gateway Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year Laurént Robinson returned to the Redbird line-up against Missouri State. Robinson responded with two catches for 46 yards. With his first catch, Robinson extended his school record of consecutive games with a reception to 31. He enters Saturday's game at Indiana State needing six catches and 116 yards receiving to become Illinois State's all-time leader in career receptions and receiving yards.
Redbird 500
After reaching 500 yards of total offense four times last season, the ISU offense collected its first 500-yard day in 2006 against Missouri State. The Redbirds totaled 527 yards of offense against the Bears, including 305 through the air, while registering 26 first downs and averaging 7.8 yards per play.
Cleaning the State
With the Redbirds' 27-14 win over Western Illinois, it gave Illinois State its first sweep of Illinois' I-AA schools since the 2000 season. Earlier this season, the 'Birds downed Southern Illinois, 37-10, and defeated Eastern Illinois, 44-30.
Bend Don't Break
The Redbird defense is allowing 336.33 yards per game, which ranks No. 4 among Gateway teams, but ISU opponents haven't been able to convert them into points. On the season, ISU is allowing a league-best 18.11 points per game, which also ranks No. 25 nationally. The 'Birds have allowed 11 touchdowns in 26 red-zone trips (42 percent).
Drone: A Worker QB
Not only is quarterback Luke Drone a hard-worker, he is also efficient. In fact, he's the most efficient quarterback the Redbirds have ever had. For his career, Drone has posted a passing efficiency rating of 151.1, which is 23 points higher than the next highest ISU quarterback. His efficiency rating (148.49) this season leads the conference and ranks No. 12 in I-AA football.
Gunnin' 'em Down
Cameron Siskowic is showing why he was named a Buck Buchanan Award watch list member in 2006, as the senior linebacker leads the nation in tackles. The San Diego, Calif., native is on pace to lead the Gateway Football Conference in tackles for the second straight season. As a result, Siskowic has totaled 354 tackles in his career at Illinois State, which ranks sixth in school history. He is only the 12th player in ISU history to total 300 or more tackles in a career.
Rembert Bears Down
In two games, Illinois State running back Pierre Rembert ended his career against Missouri State with 384 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. With three touchdowns on Saturday against the Bears, Rembert moved into sole possession of third place all time in ISU history with 25 career rushing touchdowns.
Getting Your Picks On Route 66
With Hancock Stadium located just off nostalgic Route 66, the Redbird defense has been getting their kicks in 2006. Through nine games, the `Birds have intercepted 14 passes, which is tied for the fourth best team total in Division I-AA. The kicker is that the Redbirds have already surpassed last season's total of 10. In addition, the 'Birds are averaging 1.6 picks per game, which would put them on pace for 17 interceptions, the most since 1989.
Eight Would Be Great
With victory today, Illinois State would earn its eighth win of the season. The eighth victory would tie for the second-highest win total in the 111-year history of the Illinois State football program, equalling the eight wins of the 1907 team (8-0-2), the 1967 team (8-2) and the 1998 team (8-4). The eight victories would also mark the highest win total by a Denver Johnson coached team, who won seven games in three seasons at Murray State and two campaigns with the Redbirds.
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Rembert's Grand, and He's Looking to Double It
With his 230 yards rushing at Western Illinois, running back Pierre Rembert eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing milestone this season. ISU's offensive workhorse now has 1,165 yards on the season on 239 attempts with 13 touchdowns. It is only the 12th time the Redbirds have had a 1,000-yard rusher in a season, but the fifth in the last seven years. Rembert's season total ranks as the fifth best in school history and he needs only 16 yards to move into sole possession of third place. In addition, Rembert is just 34 yards shy of eclipsing the 2,000-yard for his Redbird career.
The I-Pass
The Redbird offense won't necessarily help at the toll booths, but it has been blowing through Gateway football stadiums will regularity the last three seasons. The Redbirds lead the Gateway with 226.56 passing yards per game. If ISU can stay on top in that category, it would mark the third straight season in which the Redbirds have led the conference in passing offense. The 'Birds would only be the third team to accomplish the feat joining Northern Iowa and Western Illinois.
Applying the Full Nelson
That's exactly what sophomore free safety Tom Nelson has been doing to opposing quarterbacks this season, as he has picked off four passes this season. The 2005 Gateway Freshman of the Year leads the Redbirds in picks and ranks tied for No. 13 in the nation with 0.44 interceptions per game.
Doubting Thomas
Lined up at the defensive tackle position, there is reason to be skeptical that Illinois State's Jarek Thomas has two interceptions on the year. But, it's true. Thomas' two interceptions are the most by a Redbird defensive lineman since 1974, when Rick Spain also snagged a pair of passes. Thomas intercepted a shovel pass against Central Arkansas, but later in the season he got the ultimate defensive lineman's dream with an interception returned for a touchdown against Youngstown State.
Action Jackson
Despite having all-American wide receiver Laurént Robinson hobbled with an ankle injury, senior Pierre Jackson has emerged as an alternative deep threat for the Redbirds. "Jelly" has notched three 100-yard receiving games this season and leads the team with 36 catches for 650 yards. He has also added four touchdowns.
Moving the Chains
The Redbird offense has taken advantage of every down this season, especially third down. In 122 attempts on third down, Illinois State has converted 60 of them or 49.2 percent. The Redbird success rate ranks as the seventh best in I-AA football on third down. As a result, the 'Birds have collected 186 first downs on the season.
The Temple of Doom
Senior safety James Temple has collected two interceptions this season. The first against Eastern Illinois and his latest against Missouri State. Temple now has six on his career, which makes him the Redbirds' active leader in that category.
Rembert Running with Regularity
In eight of the nine games this season, including the first straight seven, Illinois State running back Pierre Rembert has rushed for 100 yards or more. With his streak of seven straight games to start the season, Rembert compiled the longest such string of 100-yard rushing games in ISU history, bettering the old mark by three games. Rembert is one performance away from tying the school record of nine 100-yard rushing games in a season set by Toby Davis, during the 1992 season.
Which 'Bird will get the Fifth?
When Brent Hawkins claimed the 2005 Gateway Defensive Player of the Year award, it marked the fourth straight by a Redbird player (Boomer Grigsby won the award in 2002, 2003 and 2004) and tied the league record for consecutive league MVPs with Northern Iowa (1991-94). Both Kye Stewart and Cameron Siskowic hope to extend that ISU streak as the nation's and conference's top two tacklers.
Movin' On Up
In just his second season as a starter, Luke Drone is starting to creep up the charts in the ISU record book. With 4,979 career passing yards, Drone is in sole possession of the No. 3 spot on the all-time ISU passing list. He is now chasing John Coppens (1981-84) and needs 1,260 yards to move into second. In addition, his 19 completions against Missouri State moved him into fourth place for career completions with 351. He only needs seven more to pass Dusty Burk for the third spot.
All-America U
ISU has produced at least one all-American player in 20 of its last 23 seasons. Over the last seven seasons, 27 players from 11 different positions have been honored. Laurént Robinson, Brent Hawkins, Stafford Davis and Cameron Siskowic were all consensus selections in 2005.
Transferable
Since 1993, when the NCAA rules changed to allow players immediate eligibility at the I-AA level, Illinois State has had 44 players transfer from I-A schools. ISU's I-A transfers on this year's roster include: Alan Abrams (RB, Ole Miss); Adam Blankenship (DL, Nebraska); Pierre Jackson (WR, Minnesota); Brandon Joyce (OL, Indiana); Dan Passarelli (WR, Northern Illinois); Pierre Rembert (RB, Michigan); Cameron Siskowic (LB, Washington St.); Jonathan St-Pierre (OL, Miami (Fla.)) and James Stevenson III (DL, Illinois).
Rembert's Rave Reviews
Through nine games, his first as ISU's featured running back, Pierre Rembert has gotten two thumbs up. With 129.44 rushing yards per game, Rembert ranks No. 56 nationally among running backs. He is on pace to finish the regular season with 1,424 yards on the season, which would rank as the second highest total in Redbird history.
Men of Honor
The Redbird football team concluded the spring semester with 35 players on the AFNI Athletics Honor Roll, a new team record. The Redbirds also compiled a 2.68 grade point average for the semester, which was the highest team GPA by the football team in over a decade.
40 Days and 40 Nights
Actually it is a little less than 67 days - that's how many straight 24-hour days a person would have to work to equal the 1,595 community service hours that the Illinois State football team put in last academic year. Typically, the goal for the entire athletic department is 1,000, but the Redbird gridders put in 1,595 hours themselves.
Somebody's Watching
On Aug. 23, Cameron Siskowic was put on watch. Siskowic was added to the 2006 Buck Buchanan Award watch list after finishing as a finalist last season as one of the nation's top I-AA defensive players. Senior wide receiver Laurént Robinson began the 2006 campaign on the Walter Payton Award list, but due to limited action with his high-ankle sprain, Robinson was removed from the watch list on Oct. 11.
