CARBONDALE, Ill. – A 75-yard opening scoring drive resulted in a quick lead for No. 13 Illinois State (4-2, 1-1 MVFC) against Southern Illinois (2-4, 0-2 MVFC) and the Redbirds never looked back, as they picked up a tough 21-7 road win in Carbondale Saturday night.
How It Happened:
• The Redbirds wasted little time taking the lead, as they proceeded to march 75 yards down the field in five plays for a touchdown as James Robinson bowled his way in from two yards out to give ISU a 7-0 lead.
• A 2-yard touchdown pass from Brady Davis to Austin Nagel made it a two-score lead for the Redbirds, as Nagel's first career touchdown grab made the score 14-0 with 7:46 left in the second quarter.
• The Salukis took advantage of a missed field goal by the Redbirds, as Romeir Elliott broke loose for a 74-yard run down the sideline to cut the Redbird lead in half at 14-7 early in the third quarter.
• The Redbirds took advantage of a Saluki turnover and drove 95 yards down the field to extend the lead to 21-7 on a 6-yard touchdown run by Davis with 4:40 left in the quarter.
• Neither team would score in the fourth quarter, as the Redbirds held on for the road victory in Carbondale.
Game Notes:
• Defensive lineman Jason Lewan recorded his first two sacks of the season in the contest and finished the game with seven solo tackles.
• Tuvone Clark and Luther Kirk each led the way with eight tackles for the Redbird defense, with Clark also recording a pair of sacks against the Salukis.
• Romeo McKnight also tallied a pair of sacks in the game to up his team-leading total to seven on the season.
• Tight end/fullback Jacob Carl recorded his first career reception in the game, as he was one of six players to haul in a pass from Davis against SIU.
• Braxton Haley came into the game with five catches on the season, but matched that effort with five receptions for 72 yards for the Redbirds Saturday night
• The 2-yard touchdown reception by Austin Nagel in the second quarter was the first of his career at ISU.
• Robinson finished the game with 150 yards and a touchdown, marking his third 100-plus yard effort of the season and fifth 90-plus yard performance through six games.
• The Redbird defense accumulated 9 sacks and 12 TFLs in a dominant defensive effort.
Up Next:
The Redbirds continue their two-game in-state road swing next Saturday, when they travel to Macomb to face Western Illinois (0-6, 0-2 MVFC) at Hanson Field. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.
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