April 21, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
It's tough to tell which is looking better, Illinois State's football team with 43 letterwinners and 16 starters returning or the 74-degree forecast for Saturday's Red-White Game, either way both the Redbirds and the sunshine will be on full display at Hancock Stadium for the annual scrimmage at 2:30 p.m.
The full day begins early however, as the ISU Athletics Department will host its traditional garage sale, which begins at 8 a.m. in Horton Field House. The sale, which is open to the public, will conclude around 11 a.m., and will feature game-worn jerseys, workout gear, sweats, warm-ups, coats, jackets, sport bags and athletic shoes. All the items will be priced from 10 cents to $40.
After the garage sale, the Redbird tailgate will begin at 1 p.m., also in Horton. Admission for the tailgate is a Redbird Raffle ticket, or tickets will be available at the door for $5. Fans will be served hamburgers and hot dogs and will have the opportunity to interact with the members of the Redbird football team. There will also be a number of giveaways provided during the event.
As the tailgate winds down, fans will be led into Hancock Stadium for the Red-White Game. The scoring system will be similar to past years, with the offense earning six points for a touchdown, one or two points for a PAT, three points for field goal, one point for a first down and two points for a gain of 25 yards or more that doesn't result in a touchdown.
The defense will earn six points per turnover and an additional seven if the turnover is returned for a touchdown, three points for a "three and out," two points for a quarterback sack and one point for a tackle for loss.
Head coach Denver Johnson is looking for the Redbirds to finish the spring camp on a high note.
"We want to come out and have some fun in front of our family and friends, but it's also a work day," Johnson said. "That's why we play with this format (offense versus defense). We still have some things to do and I want to see further evidence of the things that we have harped on all spring."
At halftime, the raffle winners will be announced with the first prize being a dream vacation from Suzy Davis Travel, valued at $2,000. The second prize is two round-trip tickets to anywhere from Air Tran and the third prize is a weekend stay at the DoubleTree Inn in Bloomington.
