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Illinois State University Athletics

Football Mike Williams

Redbirds and Panthers To Play For the 99th Time

PLAYER TO WATCH

Senior safety Bo Flowers has steadily increased his playing time after joining the team in August. However, in his last five games, the transfer from Illinois has bloomed in the secondary. Flowers tallied a career-best 10 tackles, five of which were solo stops, against Youngstown State last weekend. That bested his previous high of seven tackles set the week before at No. 24 Western Illinois (Oct. 30). The Maywood, Ill., native has recorded 31 of his 32 tackles over the last five games and has increased his production with each week.

THE GAME

A winning season is on the line for Illinois State (5-5, 4-4 MVFC), when it welcomes in longtime in-state rival Eastern Illinois (2-8, 2-6 OVC) to Hancock Stadium today for the regular-season finale on Senior Day. With a win, the Redbirds could secure back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2005-06 and finish the season with a 5-1 record at home.

THE SERIES
Saturday's game renews the oldest football rivalry in the State of Illinois and the 13th-oldest at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. ISU and EIU have played 98 times, with the first game being played in 1901. ISU has won six of the last eight games against the Panthers and leads the series, 50-39-9.

THE COACHES
Illinois State: Brock Spack (Purdue, 1983) is in his second season as the head coach of the Illinois State Redbirds (11-10). After starting the 2009 season with a 1-3 record, with losses at Illinois and to nationally-ranked South Dakota State, the Redbirds won five of their last seven games to finish the season with 6-5 record and the team's first winning campaign since 2006.

Head Coach Brock Spack | ISU Coaching Staff

Eastern Illinois: Bob Spoo (Purdue, 1960) is in his 23rd season as the head coach at Eastern Illinois (142-121-1). Last season, Spoo was named OVC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career and one of five finalists for the Liberty Mutual FCS Coach of the Year. In his 23 years at EIU, Spoo has coached the Panthers to nine NCAA FCS playoff berths and eleven Top 25 national rankings.

THE PROGRAM

  • Illinois State was home to the Missouri Valley Football Conference's Defensive Player of the Year each season from 2002-06.
  • The Redbirds had at least one player selected in the NFL Draft each year from 2005-07.
  • In each of the past four years, ISU student-athletes have contributed more than 2,000 hours of community service to the Bloomington-Normal area, including a school-record 3,500 hours in 2009-10.
  • Redbird student-athletes matched a record with a department-wide 3.13 grade-point average during the fall 2009 semester, while posting a 3.0 mark in six of the last seven semesters.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT

  • Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Ill., and has an enrollment of 11,966 students. The Panthers are members of the Ohio Valley Conference and play their home games at the O'Brien Stadium (10,000).
  • The Panthers return 41 letterwinners and 17 starters from last year's team that finished with an 8-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in OVC play, which earned the Panthers a conference title and an automatic berth into the FCS Playoffs.
  • Eastern Illinois ended its ten game losing streak with a 28-10 win over Austin Peay on Oct. 30. The streak had started last year against Tennessee State and carried over to an 0-8 start in 2010. The Panthers head into this weekend's game on a two-game winning streak, after defeating Tennessee State 31-28 in overtime last weekend in Nashville.
  • Eastern Illinois wide receiver Chris Wright was key in the Panthers come-from-behind win over Tennessee State and was named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. Wright hauled in five catches for 217 yards with touchdown receptions of 15, 65 and 81 yards, as he became just the fourth EIU player with 200 or more receiving yards in a game.
  • The Panthers have been led on offense by freshman quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo put together a third straight strong start, finishing 20-for-33 for 331 yards, with 259 yards coming in the second half against Tennessee State last week. Garoppolo connected with wide receiver Chris Wright on scoring passes of 15, 65 and 81 yards to lead the Panthers to their second-straight win.
  • The EIU defense is led by senior linebacker Nick Nasti. The Plano, Ill. native has recorded 101 tackles on the season for the Panthers and posted 3.5 tackles-for-loss to go along with a interception.
     

TIES WITH THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT

  • Illinois State head coach Brock Spack spent time as an assistant coach at Eastern Illinois under current head coach Bob Spoo. From 1987-90, Spack roamed the sidelines in Charleston for Spoo, a fellow Purdue alum, before moving on to become an assistant coach at his alma mater in 1991.
  • Eastern Illinois assistant coach Forrest Jackson (linebackers) lettered at Illinois State in 1998 before transferring to West Georgia. He was the last Redbird to start on the ISU defense as a true freshman, before Tom Nelson duplicated the effort in 2005.
  • Former ISU basketball star Chad Altadonna is an assistant coach for the EIU men's basketball team, while Mary Wallace, EIU's assistant athletics director/senior woman administrator, used to be the throws coach at Illinois State.
  • Secondary coach Bobby Babich, who is in his fourth season on the sidelines for the Panthers, was a four-year letterwinner with one of the Valley Football Conference's newest members, North Dakota State. His father, Bob, is an assistant coach for the Chicago Bears and served on the same coaching staff under head coach Lovies Smith as Harry Hiestand, the father of ISU linebacker Mike Hiestand.

     

DEJA VU FOR THE REDBIRDS
In the 2009 conference finale for Illinois State, the Redbirds defeated No. 9 Northern Iowa on a last-second touchdown pass with under a second remaining. It seemed like time was repeating itself Saturday, as the Redbirds once again came from behind to earn a thrilling win in their 2010 MVFC finale against Youngstown State. Quarterback Matt Brown led the team on a three-play, 69-yard scoring drive with just 22 seconds on the clock to pick up the 41-39 win over the Penguins. Brown was sacked for a four-yard loss on the first play and then found Marvon Sanders for a 33-yard catch that put the ball at the YSU 40 yards line with just eight second left. Following a timeout, Brown aired out a 40-yard strike that found Tyrone Walker in the end zone for the game winner with less than a second left on the clock.

HOME SWEET HOME
There's something to playing at Hancock Stadium in front of a crowd of Redbird fans that has the Illinois State football team rolling at home. Under head coach Brock Spack, the Redbirds have posted an 8-2 record at Hancock Stadium, including a 4-1 record at home in 2010 after last week's thrilling come-from-behind victory over Youngstown State in the Missouri Valley Football Conference finale. The Redbirds are averaging 38 points, 288 passing yards, 157 rushing yards and 445 yards of total offense at home this season and have picked up wins over Central Missouri, Missouri State, No. 14 North Dakota State and Youngstown State.

DOWNING THE OVC
As of late, the Redbirds have been "naughty by nature" when facing members of the Ohio Valley Conference. Illinois State has won 12 of its last 14 games against members of the OVC, including five-straight wins against Murray State and six out the eight versus Eastern Illinois, this week's opponent. Last season, the Redbirds went 1-1 against teams from the OVC with a loss to Eastern Illinois in the season opener and a win over Austin Peay.

TEN TALES OF A 109-YEAR-OLD RIVALRY

  • Oct. 27, 1906 - Illinois State's six-hour bus drive to Charleston, Ill., only made worse by an 11-6 defeat.
  • Nov. 3, 1915 - Both teams fumbled inside each other's 10-yard line in this 0-0 game played at EIU.
  • Nov. 11, 1916 - EIU visits Normal, Ill., for the first ever Homecoming game on Illinois State's campus. ISU scored its only points on a 45-yard blocked punt by Ritter in a 24-7 loss.
  • Nov. 5, 1921 - ISU rolls to a 42-3 victory in its Homecoming game, which was the first of the annual tradition, as five different ISU players scored a touchdown (Brown, Stewart, Clark, Jensen, Frkyman).
  • Nov. 14, 1959 - Illinois State linemen wear gloves for the first time on a snowy, icy day, as Dave Babcock scores the only Illinois State touchdown in a 6-6 tie.
  • Sept. 30, 1961 - Illinois State's Keith Reiger's touchdown pass to Bill Monken "probably set an IIAC record for the shortest TD pass: 18 inches" in the Redbirds' 18-0 win.
  • Sept. 29, 1962 - Paul Whitmore's 91-yard punt return remains the longest in Illinois State history and it was the only score in this 6-0 Redbird victory.
  • Oct. 10, 1981 - ISU reserve Andy Fladung comes off the bench to intercept a school-record four passes in the Redbirds' 25-3 win.
  • Sept. 16, 2006 - First time in the history of the Illinois State-Eastern Illinois series where both teams are nationally ranked. Redbirds enter game No. 7 and Panthers are No. 18. ISU trailed, 10-0, after the first quarter, but a 23-point second quarter put the 'Birds in control of a 44-30 win. Pierre Jackson had a career-high 132 receiving yards on six catches.
  • Nov. 25, 2006 - Two months after facing each other in the regular season, ISU and EIU meet each other in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs. ISU's Jason Tate (41 yards) and Jesse Caesar (45 yards) each return interceptions for touchdowns in the 24-13 Redbird win.

RACKING UP THE HARDWARE
Not only did fans in the stands at Hancock Stadium take notice of sophomore wide receiver Tyrone Walker's performance against Youngstown State (Nov. 6), but so did organizations from around the country. Walker was named the The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS National Offensive Player of the Week and was also named the FCS Wide Receiver Performer of the Week by the Football Performance Awards (CFPA). Those added onto Walker's first Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week award made for an impressive week for the Indianapolis, Ind., native.

TYRONE'S ON A TEAR
Coming off back-to-back 100-plus yard receiving performances and new career highs set against Northern Iowa (Oct. 23) and Western Illinois (Oct. 30), a dropoff might have been expected for sophomore wideout Tyrone Walker against Youngstown State (Nov. 6). However, Walker once again upped the ante as he hauled in the game-winning 40-yard touchdown pass with less than a second remaining to cap off a career day against the Penguins. The Indianapolis, Ind., native finished the day with career-highs in catches (9), yards (206) and touchdowns (3) and recorded his third-consecutive game with over 100 yards receiving and fifth of the season overall. Walker's three touchdown catches tied for third in the ISU single-game record book and his 206 yards receiving marked the fifth-highest single-game total in school history.

A SPECIAL EFFORT BY THE KING
Junior wide receiver Marcus King has been a versatile player for the Redbirds on offense and special teams throughout his career, but he has made his mark on the record books on special teams in 2010. In ISU's come-from-behind victory over Youngstown State (Nov. 6), King blocked his second punt of the year and teammate Jake Detmers returned it two yards for a touchdown. For his efforts, King was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for the first time in his career with the Redbirds. Against Southern Illinois, King blocked a punt that was returned 28 yards for a touchdown by linebacker Mike Hiestand. King has also recorded seven tackles on the kickoff coverage team, including one against the Penguins, and caught two touchdowns on three catches.

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
Sophomore quarterback Matt Brown has done it all in 21 games for the Redbirds in his two seasons in Normal, but his effort against Youngstown State (Nov. 6) set a new standard for the ISU signal-caller. Brown completed 29-of-37 pass attempts for 390 yards and a career-high five touchdown passes, including the game-winning 40-yarder to Tyrone Walker with less than a second left on the clock. Brown capped off the day with the three-play, 69-yard drive that last just 22 seconds to give the Redbirds a 41-39 victory over the Penguins. That effort earned Brown Division I FCS National Performer of the Week and FCS Quarterback Performer of the Week honors from the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA). Brown's five TD passes tie for the second-best effort in school history and his 390 yards rank as the sixth-best single-game effort in ISU history. In the process, Brown set new season career highs with his 2,427 yards passing and 22 touchdowns and moved into a tie for second on the single-season touchdown passing list and fifth on the single-season passing yardage list.

YOU CAN CALL ME CAL
Offensive linemen often go unnoticed for their work in the trenches on the football field, but ISU junior center Cal McCarthy has made an impression all season long for the Redbirds. McCarthy had an outstanding game against Youngstown State (Nov. 6) and for his efforts, he was named the MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week by the conference office. McCarthy graded out at over 90 percent, was credited with seven knockdowns and helped the Redbirds amass 488 yards of total offense against the Penguins. McCarthy and the rest of his teammates allowed just one sack late in the fourth quarter and protected quarterback Matt Brown, who completed 29-of-37 pass attempts for 390 yards and a career-high five touchdown passes, including the game-winning 40-yarder to Walker with less than a second left on the clock.

HOWE DOES HE DO IT?
Junior middle linebacker Josh Howe led all tacklers and set a new career-high with 16 tackles in Illinois State come-from-behind victory 41-39 victory over Youngstown State (Nov. 6) at Hancock Stadium. The Chicago Heights, Ill., native topped his previous career high of 14 tackles with his 16-stop effort against the Penguins and he also added a tackle-for-loss for the Redbirds. With that effort, Howe increased his season total to 106 and became the first Redbird defender to post 100-plus tackles in a season since Kye Stewart recorded 131 in 2006.

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE
Through the first five weeks of the season, junior wide receiver Marvon Sanders looked unstoppable with 40 catches for 483 yards and two touchdowns. However, over the next three games Sanders' numbers decrease significantly with just four catches for 30 yards. That three-game swoon has proven to be an aberration for Sanders, who has caught 23 passes for 193 yards in the last two games for the Redbirds. The Ypsilanti, Mich., native tied the school single-game record with 14 catches against Youngstown State (Nov. 6) and recorded his fourth 100-plus yard receiving performance of the year with 108 yards against the Penguins. Sanders leads all Redbird receivers with 67 catches and ranks second on the team with 706 yards receiving on the season.

BO KNOWS IMPROVEMENT
Senior safety Bo Flowers has steadily increased his playing time after joining the team in August and has found a spot in the starting lineup for the Redbirds. After starting the season slow and missing time due to a shoulder injury, the transfer from Illinois has improved his numbers in each of the last five games for the Redbirds. in the secondary. Flowers tallied a career-best 10 tackles, five of which were solo stops, against Youngstown State (Nov. 6), which topped his previous high of seven tackles set the week before at No. 24 Western Illinois (Oct. 30). The Maywood, Ill., native has recorded 31 of his 32 tackles over the last five games.

SCOOPING AND SCORING
When sophomore linebacker Mike Hiestand returned a blocked Kyle Dougherty punt 28 yards in the third quarter against Southern Illinois (Oct. 2), it marked the first blocked punt return for a touchdown by a Redbird player since Oct. 21, 2000, when Justin Frierson returned one 28 yards against Prairie View A&M. However, for a feat that hadn't happened in nearly 10 years, lightning struck twice this season for the Redbirds, as junior defensive end Jake Detmers returned a blocked Stephen Blose punt for a touchdown against Youngstown State (Nov. 6). The common denominator for both scores was junior wide receiver Marcus King, who blocked both punts.

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