CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Illinois State football team (5-4, 2-4 MVFC) was outscored 16-0 in the second quarter by Northern Iowa (5-4, 4-2 MVFC), as the Panthers defeated the Redbirds by a final score of 26-16 inside the UNI Dome on Saturday afternoon.
How It Happened:
• Illinois State opened the game with a pooch kickoff that was recovered by Austin Nagel at the UNI 27-yard line. JT Bohlken would take advantage, as he connected on a 27-yard field goal to make the score 3-0 in favor of the Redbirds with 12:32 left in the first quarter.
• Northern Iowa kicker Austin Errthum would tie the game on a 30-yard field goal on the next possession with 8:34 left in the first quarter.
• Errthum would knock another field goal through from 30 yards to give UNI their first lead of the game, as the Panthers led the Redbirds 6-3 with 14:51 remaining in the first half.
• Errthum would add to the Panthers lead once agian, as he made a 26-yard field goal with 9:13 left in the first half as UNI led ISU by a score of 9-3.
• Errthum would add three more points with a 43-yard field goal with 3:16 remaining in the half, as Northern Iowa led Illinois State 12-3.
• UNI middle linebacker Duncan Ferch intercepted a pass on the ensuing ISU drive and returned it for a 31-yard pick six to give the Panthers a 19-3 lead at halftime.
• Panthers running back Marcus Weymiller then scored on a 14-yard rush to make the score 26-3 with 10:54 remaining in the third quarter.
• Jake Kolbe completed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Schnell to trim the UNI advantage to 26-10 midway through the fourth quarter.
• Kolbe went back to the air, as he connected with Braxton Haley on a 38-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion was no good making the score 26-16 with 3:43 remaining in the game, and that would be the final score.
Game Notes:
• Kolbe finished the game 21-of-27 for 180 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
• Haley and Schnell combined for 10 catches totaling 100 yards for both Redbird touchdowns.
• Defensively, Luther Kirk set a new career high with tackles (10), including six solo tackles.
• Ty Deforest tied a career-high in tackles on the day with eight.
• Devin Taylor intercepted a pass for the third time this season, tying him with Luther Kirk for the team lead in that category.
Up Next:
Illinois State will be on the road again next Saturday, as they travel to Terre Haute, Indiana, to face Indiana State (5-4, 3-3 MVFC). Kickoff is set for noon at Memorial Stadium, and fans can listen to the game on WJBC AM 1230, 93.7 FM and on the TuneIn app.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
