Redbirds Begin MVFC Play At Missouri State

SETTING THE SCENE
Date: Sept. 29, 2018
Time: 2 p.m. CT
Site: Springfield, Missouri
Stadium: Robert W. Plaster Stadium
Capacity: 17,500
Series: Illinois State leads 21-16-1
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: WJBC AM 1230 / 93.7 FM / TuneIn

THE GAME
The non-conference portion of the schedule is over for Illinois State, and now its time for the Redbirds to turn their focus to conference play when they open MVFC action at Missouri State. ISU (3-0) is coming off a big win over FBS foe Colorado State, while the Bears (2-1) had a bye week following a victory over Northern Arizona.

THE SERIES
The Redbirds and the Bears will meet for the 39th time on the gridiron, with ISU leading the all-time series 21-16-1. The 'Birds have won the last four meetings overall against the Bears and seven of nine under the leadership of head coach Brock Spack. The Redbirds have won their previous two contests at Plaster Stadium, breaking a previous two-game losing streak in Springfield.

THE COACHES
Illinois State: Brock Spack (Purdue, 1983) is in his 10th season as the head coach at Illinois State (71-40). Spack has led the Redbirds to four FCS playoff appearances, including three-straight from 2014-16 and guided the Redbirds to back-to-back shares of the MVFC title in 2014-15. His 2014 team advanced to the NCAA FCS National Championship game, the first in the program's history.

Missouri State: Dave Steckel (Kutztown, 1982) is in his fourth season as the Missouri State head coach (10-26). Last year, the Bears registered dramatic signs of improvement, particularly on the offensive side of the football. MSU's ground attack, led by dual-threat quarterback Peyton Huslig, led the MVFC in rushing during league play throughout most of the Valley season.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT

• Missouri University is located in Springfield, Missouri, and has an enrollment of 26,216 students. The Bears are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
• The Bears return 36 letterwinners and 15 starters from last year's team that finished 3-8 overall and 2-6 in MVFC play.
• Missouri State rode a shutdown effort from its defense to extend its non-conference home win streak with a convincing 40-8 victory over No. 20 Northern Arizona on Sept. 15 to improve to 2-1 on the season.
• With the victory, the Bears improved to 58-20 all-time against non-conference foes at Plaster Stadium and the win represented the Bears' highest against a ranked opponent (NAU was No. 20) since an Oct. 19, 2013, win over No. 15 South Dakota State, which also marked MSU's last home win over a ranked opponent.
• Running back Jason Randall eclipsed a personal-high with 181 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the second 100-yard rushing performance of his career, while the Bears defense forced six NAU turnovers and limited the Lumberjacks to 3-of-15 third-down conversions in the big non-conference win.
• After the game, linebacker Tyler Lovelace was named MVFC Defensive Player of the Week, after he accounted for two of the Bears' six takeaways in the win over NAU. 

LAST TIME VS. THE BEARS (9/23/17)
After playing to a 6-6 tie at halftime, No. 12 Illinois State scored 28 points in the third quarter to pull away from Missouri State at Robert W. Plaster Stadium in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both squads. ISU quarterback Jake Kolbe was consistent throughout the game, completing 24-of-32 pass attempts for a career-high 312 yards with a touchdown and he also added a rushing score in the victory for the Redbirds.

REDBIRDS RANK AMONG THE BEST
Illinois State is just one of 14 team still undefeated in 2018, and the 3-0 start to the season is the second in a row for the Redbirds and the fourth since 2012.  ISU boasts the sixth-best scoring defense in the country (9.7 ppg) and currently ranks ninth in the FCS in scoring offense (43.0 ppg) and total offense (496 ypg). The Redbirds also sit in the top ten in the FCS at No. 2 in tackles-for-loss per game (2.33) and No. 7 in team passing efficiency defense (89.37).

FEAR THE BIRDS
Heading into the game at Colorado State, six other FCS teams had picked up wins over FBS opponents in 2018. With the hashtag #FearTheFCS at the ready, Illinois State increased that number to seven with a big 35-19 win over the Rams at Canvas Stadium. The victory was the second-straight for the Redbirds against a FBS foe, following a 9-7 win at Northwestern in 2016, and the third for the Redbirds since a 2012 win at Eastern Michigan. Overall, the victory was the sixth over a FBS foe for the Redbirds in program history.

RED HOT IN THE RED ZONE
Success in the Red Zone is key to any team's success and so far, the Redbirds have been perfect in their trips inside the 20-yard line. ISU is 13-for-13 in the Red Zone, with 11 touchdowns and two field goals accounting for 72 of the team's 129 points scored through three games this season.

ROBINSON AT THE READY
Heading into 2018, James Robinson was on many pre-season lists and was expected to be one of the better backs in the FCS. Through three games, he is proving that as his dominant effort helped the Redbirds pick up a big win over Colorado State.  The junior from Rockford, Illinois, averaged 8.4 yards per carry and totaled 184 on the ground with a pair of touchdowns vs. CSU. Also adding a first-down grab for 11 yards to show his versatility, Robinson finished the day with 195 all-purpose yards. The 100-plus yard effort was the second in a row for Robinson, who now has 382 yards rushing (8.3 per carry) and five touchdowns through three games for the Redbirds.

EDGAR BREAKS OUT
For the past two games, redshirt freshman Andrew Edgar has shown that he is someone to keep an eye on in the potent Redbird offense.  The Chicago native recorded his first touchdown in a Redbird uniform and finished with 82 yards in a win over Eastern Illinois. He followed that up with his first career 100-plus yard receiving effort with 111 yards on five receptions in the 35-19 win over Colorado State. Through three games, Edgar is averaging 19.5 yards per catch and is second on the team with 215 receiving yards.

ROMEO, ROMEO WHEREFORE ART THOU ROMEO?
Defensive end Romeo McKnight's performance at Colorado State was worthy of a Shakespearian sonnet. The Iowa transfer was a thorn in the side of the Rams' offense all day in a big 35-19 win for the Redbirds. McKnight recorded six tackles, two sacks, two TFLs and was credited with a quarterback hurry in the victory for ISU. His two sacks were the only ones for the Redbirds, who held a 538-391 advantage in total offense thanks to a stout effort up front by the Redbird defense.

PETKO PLAYING WITH A PURPOSE
Tight ends have to do a lot on the field as critical parts of not only the protection of the quarterback and as a blocker in the running game, but also as a receiver option in the passing game. For senior Tylor Petkovich, this weekend's game at Missouri State will be his 40th and he may be playing the best football of his career. Heading into the 2018 season, Petkovich had recorded 32 receptions and scored just one touchdown in three previous seasons. Through three games in 2018, he's already doubled his touchdown haul with two for the Redbirds on just three receptions. The two receiving touchdowns by a tight end are the most for the Redbirds since 2014, when current Jacksonville Jaguars tight end James O'Shaughnessy caught nine during ISU's run to the FCS National Championship game.

THE FIRST AXIOM OF WINNING
ISU head coach Brock Spack tells his team often that "the first axiom of winning is not beating yourself." Turning the football over is the easiest way to kill a game's momentum and send your team into a spiral in the loss column. So far, the Redbirds have heeded that warning and only turned the ball over once, while forcing seven takeaways on defense for a +6 mark in the turnover column and +2.0 turnover margin (No. 5 in the FCS).

SPREADING THE FOOTBALL AROUND
At the end of spring camp, the Redbirds had three healthy wide receivers and a lot of question marks at the position. Impressive performances during fall camp alleviated some of those worries, and performances through the first three contests have led head coach Brock Spack to call the position a strength. Led by senior Spencer Schnell (18 rec., 282 yds. 2 TD), the group also features redshirt freshman Andrew Edgar (11 rec., 215 yds., 1 TD) and transfer Braxton Haley (8 rec., 114 yds.) who have both played well in their first games as Redbirds.

TWO FOR TWO FOR DAVIS
For the second time in as many weeks, quarterback Brady Davis was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Week for his dominating performance in the team's victory over Eastern Illinois. The Memphis transfer completed 17-of-23 (74 percent) of his passes for a career-high 317 yards with four touchdowns through the air and another on the ground. He found Spencer Schnell for a 97-yard touchdown pass (2nd longest in school history) in the second quarter to headline a dominating offensive performance for the Redbirds that saw them rack up 582 yards of total offense. Through three games, Davis ranks No. 6 in the FCS in passing efficiency (177.2), yards per completion (16.53) and No. 7 in yards per pass attempt (10.01).