NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State (2-4, 1-2 MVC) surrendered 20 points to Missouri State (3-3, 2-1 MVC) in the fourth quarter to lose, 34-28, in the 89th annual ISU Homecoming game at Hancock Stadium Saturday afternoon. Senior tailback Parrish Fisher had a career-high 118 yards rushing and a touchdown for a Redbird rushing attack that amassed over 300 yards.
Three Redbird tailbacks scored in the game. To go along with Fisher's career-day, junior Geno Blow led the Redbird rushing attack with 140 yards, all in the first half, and moved into a tie for fifth place on the ISU career 100-yard game rushing list with his seventh-career 100-yard game. Senior Walter Mendenhall ran for 76 yards and a touchdown. The Redbirds had 351 yards on the ground, against just 190 for Missouri State.
Senior Kevin Brockway was 10-for-25 for 125 yards and two interceptions. He connected with senior Kelvin Chandler and junior Eyad Salem three times each. Chandler had 58 yards receiving while Salem racked up 36.
Sophomore Kelvyn Hemphill led ISU with 13 tackles, including a career-high nine solo stops. Junior Chris Garrett tied his career-high with eight tackles. Senior Tom Nelson had six tackles and amassed 133 yards on kickoff returns, falling just short of his career-high mark of 150 from last season.
On the opening drive of the game, Missouri State mishandled an option pitch near midfield, and senior Adam Blankenship covered up the loose ball for the Redbirds. ISU moved the ball into the red zone, but a holding penalty stalled the drive, and the Redbirds took the lead with a 27-yard field goal by sophomore Steven Fetzer.
After a missed field goal by Missouri State, the Redbirds took over at their own 20-yard line and moved the ball into Missouri State territory on six plays. Brockway attempted a screen pass out to the flat, but it was tipped by a Missouri State defender and intercepted by linebacker Tony Randolph. The Bears capitalized on the turnover by moving the ball 55 yards for a score, helped along by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Redbirds. Missouri State quarterback Cody Kirby scored the touchdown on a four-yard run and the Bears led, 7-3, early in the second quarter.
ISU answered on the ensuing possession with a touchdown to pull back ahead, 10-7. Blow broke free off the right side and streaked down the right sideline for a 53-yard run, diving across the goal line with a Missouri State defender on his back. Blow's run was ISU's third play of over 50 yards this season and just the second that resulted in a touchdown.
After forcing Missouri State to punt on its next possession, ISU moved the ball efficiently down the field for another score. Brockway connected with Chandler on a 46-yard pass play that put the Redbirds on the Missouri State 33-yard line. It was the longest pass play of the season for ISU and a career-long for both players. Fisher scored on a seven-yard run later in the drive to extend the Redbirds lead to 17-7.
Missouri State came right back with a 79-yard scoring drive of its own, with the big play coming on a 37-yard run by tailback Kingjack Washington. Kirby punched in the score on a quarterback option on a third-and-goal play from the 2-yard line. The Redbirds' attempt at extending their lead heading into halftime was thwarted when Fetzer's 29-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by MSU.
ISU opened the second half with nine unanswered points. Junior Zach Kutch put the first points on the board in the second half with a career-long 43-yard field goal, capping an ISU drive that took up nearly half of the third quarter. After a Missouri State punt, Mendenhall saw his first action of the game with eight carries that accounted for 58 of ISU's 62 yards on the drive. He scored his second touchdown of the year on a three-yard run.
Missouri State came right back with 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to take back the lead, 24-26. Kirby rushed for his third score of the game from one yard out to open the quarter. The `Birds brought the ball into Missouri State territory on the ensuing possession, but Brockway was intercepted for the second time at the Missouri State 22-yard line. Kirby connected on two long pass plays to enter Illinois State territory and tailback Stephen Johnston busted through the left side for a 26-yard touchdown run. The Bears missed a two-point conversion attempt, but led, 27-26.
A holding penalty nullified a long run by Mendenhall on the next ISU possession and forced the Redbirds to punt. On a third-down play, Kirby found wide receiver Justin Fuselier on a deep pass down the left sideline and Fuselier beat the Redbird secondary down the field for a 77-yard score.
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