NORMAL – The No. 3-ranked Illinois State football team took sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 48-28 win over No. 20 Western Illinois, Saturday afternoon, in front of a third-consecutive sellout crowd of 13,391.
The Redbirds have now won 16-straight contests at home to extend the longest home winning streak in all of FCS football. The ISU (6-1, 4-0 MVFC) was able to out-battle WIU (4-3, 3-1 MVFC) by taking advantage of a 65-yard touchdown from Tre Roberson to Anthony Warrum in the third quarter. The long pass knotted the score up at 28-28, just a few plays after Western Illinois took its first lead of the game. Warrum's six points were the first of 27 unanswered points for the 'Birds in the second half.
Roberson led the ISU offense with four total touchdowns, finishing 8-for-14 through the air with 211 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 89 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Warrum also exploded for an outstanding game to lead the receiving corps with 170 yards and two touchdowns on just four catches. The junior, who now has five receiving scores over the last two games and 10 on the season, also recovered a fumble in the end zone to tally three touchdowns on the day.
The ground game was led by All-American Marshaun Coprich, who once again shouldered a big workload with 29 carries for 206 yards and two touchdowns, including a career long 83-yard run to ice the game midway through the fourth quarter following an ISU defensive stand inside the red zone.
Early on it looked like ISU might take control of the game quickly when the defense forced a three-and-out and Roberson exploded for a 65-yard run on the Redbirds' second offensive play from scrimmage to ISU a 7-0 lead. However, the Leathernecks responded with a nine-play drive culminating in a five-yard touchdown pass from Trenton Norvell to Lance Lenoir.Â
Roberson's second rushing score of the day from nine yards out put ISU back on top, 14-7, before Nikko Watson plunged in from one yard out to knot it again at 14-14. The Redbirds and Leathernecks finished the half by trading touchdowns, when Warrum hauled in a 41-yarder for his first score of the afternoon, while Norvell connected with Stacey Smith to make it 21-21 heading into the locker room.
The Leathernecks then took control out of the second half by stalling the ISU offense before going on a nine-play, 81-yard drive capped off by a 10-yard run by Devon Moore to take a 28-21 advantage. The 'Birds quickly erased the deficit with the long connection from  Roberson to Warrum just three plays later.Â
From there, it was all ISU as the Redbirds tallied 27 unanswered points, starting with a 19-yard rushing score by Coprich. In the fourth quarter, Coprich fumbled while extending the ball over the goal line, but Warrum made a heads-up play by recovering the ball off a bounce in the end zone.Â
Coprich capped off the scoring with his 83-yard run up the left sideline, durhing which he busted through an open hole and sprinted up the left sideline, outrunning a defender on his way to the end zone. The ISU defense was led by several defenders who had outstanding games, including Alex Donnelly who picked up a career-best 14 tackles and David Perkins who picked up three tackles-for-loss, including two sacks and a forced fumble. Pat Meehan added 13 tackles with Alejandro Rivera (12) and DraShane Glass (10) also totaled double-digits in tackles.Â
The Redbirds now set their sights on a home tilt against nationally-ranked Indiana State (4-3, 2-2 MVFC) next Saturday, with kickoff slated for noon at Hancock Stadium on Halloween.
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