NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State football team prevailed, 55-54, in an offense shootout in its season-opener at Hancock Stadium on Thursday night. Junior Ashton Leggett converted on a two-point conversion with less than two minutes remaining to give the Redbirds the victory. The 108-point total was the most points scored by two teams at Hancock Stadium since ISU and Youngstown State combined for 98 in 2008.
It took just 14 seconds for the Redbirds to score their first points of the 2010 season. Sophomore Ben Ericksen returned the opening kick 85 yards for an Illinois State touchdown to set the tone early in the ballgame. It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown by an ISU player since Tom Nelson's 97-yard scamper against Western Illinois in 2008.
Sophomore Erik Smith set Illinois State up for its second touchdown after busting a 56-yard run over the left side to the Central Missouri four yard line. Sophomore Matt Brown found junior Casey Cline in the back of the end zone just two plays later, to give the Redbirds a 13-0 lead with 10:27 remaining in the opening quarter.
Central Missouri responded with a touchdown of their own on the very next drive, when quarterback Eric Czerniewski connected with DeMarco Cosby for a 32-yard scoring strike to trim the ISU lead to 13-7.
Illinois State scored its third first-quarter touchdown, after freshman Marcus Harris picked off a Czerniewski pass and returned it 42 yards to push the Redbird advantage to 20-3 with 2:48 on the clock. It was the second time in as many games that ISU returned an interception for a touchdown, as Chris Garrett scored on an interception in the 2009 season finale against Northern Iowa.
The Redbird defense made a goal line stand early in the second quarter, holding the Mules to a field goal after a pass interference call put UCM on the ISU six yard line. Aaron Jamieson's 21-yard kick pulled Central Missouri within 10 at 20-10 with 9:33 remaining in the first half.
Illinois State answered on its next drive, pushing the advantage back to 27-10, on Leggett's one-yard touchdown run, his first in a Redbird uniform. Central Missouri quickly countered, scoring just two plays later, when Czerniewski found Cosby once again, this time for a 17-yard touchdown pass.
Senior Steven Fetzer split the uprights on his first field goal attempt of 2010, connecting on a 26-yard try with 2:17 left in the opening half. A quick interception by junior Josh Howe, the first of his career, was followed by freshman Cameron Hunt's first-career touchdown run, a 7-yard rush, to give the Redbirds a 37-17 lead just before half.
After Czerniewski completed his third touchdown pass of the half, a 49-yard toss to Anthony Stewart, with just 23 seconds remaining in the half, Fetzer connected on a 33-yard attempt as time expired to give ISU a 40-24 lead heading into the locker room.
The Mules continued the offensive display in the second half, scoring on the second play from scrimmage on a double pass. Czerniewski took the snap, pitched the ball to Seth Mason, who tossed the ball downfield to a wide-open Jamorris Wilson for a 54-yard touchdown. UCM then converted the two-point conversion to move within one possession at 40-32.
Central Missouri took advantage of an ISU turnover to tie the game at 40-40 after a seven-play, 84-yard drive, capped by a 4-yard touchdown throw from Czerniewski to Wilson and a successful two-point conversion. The Redbirds regained the lead on the following drive, after Brown found a wide-open Cliffton Gordon, who broke a pair of tackles near the goal line to complete a 54-yard touchdown reception. Fetzer added the extra point to give ISU a seven-point lead with 4:57 remaining in the third quarter.
Once again, the Mules used a quick drive to tie the game with 14:39 left in the game. Czerniewski tallied his fifth touchdown pass, finding Brent Boehringer for a 19-yard completion. UCM's three-play scoring drive covered 53 yards in just 31 seconds.
Central Missouri took its first lead of the game late in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run by Anthony Stewart. Stewart received the handoff from Czerniewski and forced his way up the middle and across the goal line to give the Mules a 54-47 advantage with 4:15 remaining.
On the ensuing drive, the Redbirds used a six-play, 78-yard drive, capped by a 26-yard pass from Brown to sophomore Corey Shandrick in the center of the end zone. Head coach Brock Spack elected to go for two and the chance paid off as Leggett gave ISU a 55-54 lead with after converting from the one yard line, following an offside penalty on Central Missouri.
The Mules would have one final drive to pull the upset, but the Redbird defense held, forcing UCM to turn the ball over downs with 1:11 remaining. Brown took three knees and ran out the remainder of the clock to seal the victory for Illinois State.
Czerniewski broke his own school-record with 493 yards passing in defeat, eclipsing the 432-yard performance he put up last week in UCM's victory over Southwest Baptist. The Mules also broke a school-record for total passing yards in a game with 547.
Brown finished the evening with 303 yards through the air, completing 24 of his 31 pass attempts. Sanders hauled in eight passes for 113 yards to lead the Redbird receiving corps. Smith led the ISU rushing attack, finishing the contest with 96 yards on 13 carries, an average of 7.4 yards per attempt.
Illinois State will take a 1-0 record into next Saturday's contest at Northwestern, while the Mules fall to 1-1 on the campaign. The kick between the Redbirds and Wildcats is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill.
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