Redbirds Picked Second In Preseason MVFC Poll

ST. LOUIS – Coming off a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title and an appearance in the FCS National Championship, the Illinois State football team was picked to finish second in the 2015 Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll, announced Monday by the league office. Four-time defending national champion North Dakota State was selected first in the annual poll voted on by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media.

A total of four Redbird standouts and STATS preseason All-Americans were also selected for the 2015 MVFC Preseason Team. The reigning MVFC Offensive Player of the Year Marshaun Coprich and Newcomer of the Year Tre Roberson were both selected to the squad, as well as 2014 All-MVFC First-Team selections Pat Meehan and Teddy Corwin.

In the past four seasons, NDSU has produced four NCAA Division I Football titles, four-straight MVFC titles (two outright,
two shared) and an overall record of 58-3. This year, NDSU earned 32 of a possible 40 first-place votes, and 389 total points in the annual poll. The Redbirds received the other eight first-place tallies and amassed a total of 366 points to take the No. 2 spot. Illinois State lost the FCS title game, 29-27, to NDSU last year, marking the only time in FCS history two teams from the same league played for the crown.

UNI, South Dakota State and Indiana State each earned a playoff spot in 2014, and each won a post-season game. They are slated third, fifth, and sixth, respectively. Youngstown State, one of two league schools with a new head coach - Missouri State the other - is picked fourth in the poll. Southern Illinois (No. 7), Western Illinois (No. 8), Missouri State (No. 9) and South Dakota (No. 10) round out the list in 2015.

Coprich led the FCS in rushing yards (2,274) and rushing touchdowns (27) last season, and was second in rushing yards per game (151.6).  A First-Team All-America selection, Coprich was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year and an All-MVFC First-Team pick while finishing fifth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award.

In his first season at Illinois State, Roberson was named the MVFC Newcomer of the Year and an All-MVFC First-Team selection at quarterback, while leading the Redbirds to the FCS title game and a school-record 13 wins. Roberson set single-season records for passing touchdowns (30), passing efficiency (155.3), total offense yards (4,250), and also set a school single-season record for rushing yards in a season by a quarterback, with 1,029, becoming the only quarterback in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards. 

Meehan was an All-MVFC First-Team selection at middle linebacker and led the team with 115 tackles, which ranked No. 10 in the MVFC, with an average of 7.7 tackles per game. Meehan added three sacks, six tackles-for-loss and four pass breakups to his defensive totals, and also recorded an interception and recovered a fumble. 

Corwin rounds out the ISU preseason MVFC selections, following a breakout season on the defensive line for the Redbirds. An All-MVFC First-Team selection at defensive end, Corwin ranked second on the team with a career-high 98 tackles, and led the team with 12.5 tackles-for-loss. He also finished third on the team with 7.5 sacks and tied for the team lead with three interceptions in 2014.  

Illinois State will begin its defense of the MVFC title and its quest for a return to the FCS title game on Aug. 6, when the Redbirds start fall training camp at Hancock Stadium. ISU opens the 2015 season against FBS foe Iowa on Sept. 5 at Kinnick Stadium.

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