Strong Running Attack Leads No. 7 Illinois State To 24-7 Win Over Indiana State

NORMAL, Ill. – It certainly wasn't ideal conditions for the 2019 Homecoming game at Hancock Stadium Saturday afternoon, as No. 7 Illinois State and Indiana State had to battle cold temps and driving rain throughout the entire contest. The inclement conditions limited both squads to a heavy dose of the ground game, which proved to be beneficial for the Redbirds (6-2, 3-1 MVFC) as they totaled 287 yards rushing on way to a 24-7 win over the Sycamores (3-5, 1-3 MVFC).

How It Happened:
•    Neither team was able to get anything going in the first quarter and it wasn't until midway through the second quarter that either team put points on the scoreboard, when James Robinson capped off an 80-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run to give Illinois State the lead at 7-0 with 8:31 left in the half.
•    The Sycamores knotted things up just before halftime on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Kurtis Wilderman to Dante Hendrix which made it 7-7 at halftime.
•    A 38-yard field goal by Sam Fenlason midway through the third quarter gave the Redbirds the lead back at 10-7 with 8:37 remaining in the stanza.
•    Robinson then broke the game open at the 11:24 mark in the fourth quarter, as he slipped a tackle and raced 77 yards for his second touchdown of the game to make the score 17-7 after the Fenlason extra point.
•    On the ensuing kickoff, the Sycamores fumbled the ball and Clayton Isbell came up with the recovery to set up Jeff Proctor, who found his way into the end zone after a couple strong runs to cap off the score at 24-7 with 8:57 left in the game. 

Game Notes:    
•    With the win, the Redbirds have now won seven out of the last nine contests against the Sycamores and lead the all-time series 38-31-2.
•    The Redbirds have also won 9-of-11 Homecoming contests under the leadership of head coach Brock Spack, who picked up his 80th win at Illinois State … he is now just six wins shy of tying Edwin Struck for the most wins in program history.
•    Robinson finished the game with 180 yards and two touchdowns … the 100-yard effort was his fourth of the season and he has now scored multiple touchdowns in five contests for the Redbirds.
•    Proctor set a career high on the ground for the second week in a row, as he ran for 85 yards and scored his second touchdown of the season.
•    Senior middle linebacker Ty DeForest led the Redbirds with seven tackles on the day, including one for a loss to go along with a fumble recovery.
•    The Redbirds forced a pair of fumbles on the day, one each by John Ridgeway and Aaron Mends.
•    Romeo McKnight had six stops on the day as well, and Ridgeway finished with five.
•    Jason Lewan, Charles Woods, Steven Podkulski and Isbell each tallied a TFL for the Redbirds, who finished with five on the game.

Up Next:
The Redbirds continue their two-game homestand next Saturday, when they host the UNI Panthers (5-3, 3-1 MVFC) at noon at Hancock Stadium.

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App:  Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.