NORMAL, Ill. – It was senior day at Hancock Stadium on Saturday and Illinois State was looking to send its 11 seniors out on a winning note against Murray State. Thanks to a dominant effort on the ground and over 500 yards of total offense, the Redbirds (6-4, 4-3 MVFC) slowed the down the Racers (2-8, 1-6 MVFC) in a 44-7 victory in the home finale for ISU.

How It Happened:
•    On the first drive of the game, the Redbirds wasted little time in driving the field in just four plays as Mason Blakemore broke away for a 33-yard touchdown run to make the score 7-0 just over a minute and a half into the contest.
•    ISU made it 2-for-2 in scoring drives on their next possession, as Blakemore again found paydirt this time scampering 35 yards for the touchdown to bring the score to 14-0 with 6:59 left in the first quarter.
•    Murray State then cut the Illinois State lead in half at 14-7, when Jawaun Northington scored from 12 yards out just before the end of the first quarter. 
•    The third Illinois State possession of the day also resulted in a touchdown, as quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse called his own number and ran it in from 15 yards out to complete an 11-play, 75-yard drive to make it 20-7 after the extra point attempt was missed with 11:31 left in the second quarter.
•    The score would stay there until the third quarter, when placekicker Ian Wagner connected on a 23-yard field to make the score 23-7 with 5:44 remaining. 
•    ISU would tack on another touchdown in the third quarter, after Lavoise-Deontae McCoy recorded his second interception in as many weeks to set up a 5-yard touchdown run by Blakemore, his third of the day, to extend the Redbirds' lead to 30-7.
•    Illinois State made it three scores in the third, when Rittenhouse found Daniel Sobkowicz for a 26-yard touchdown pass with just a 1:39 left before the final quarter to make the score 37-7.
•    Just seconds into the fourth quarter, the Redbirds got their third interception of the day this one from linebacker Jacob Bellizzi which set up a 58-yard touchdown run by Cole Mueller to make the score 44-7 in favor of the Redbirds. 

Game Notes:    
•    Illinois State's 510 yards of total offense marked the third time this season the Redbirds have eclipsed the 500 yard mark on the offensive side of the football.
•    The 345 yards of rushing was a season-high for the Redbirds and their most since 2019, when they ran for 340 yards in a playoff win at Southeast Missouri State.
•    Illinois State's three interceptions were its most since also recording three in the 2022 home opener against Valparaiso.
•    Blakemore finished with 169 yards on the ground, one yard short of his season high, and tied his career-best with three touchdowns in the victory for the Redbirds.
•    With his touchdown catch in the third quarter, Sobkowicz has now recorded at least 5 receptions and a touchdown in seven-straight games for the Redbirds.
•    Senior defensive end Josh Dinga had a career day, recording a career-best two sacks just one play apart and finished with a career-high three TFLs to go along with seven tackles.
•    Amir Abdullah led the way for the defense, recording nine tackles, a sack, 1.5 TFLs, and an interception in the victory for the Redbirds.

Next Up:
Illinois State wraps up the regular season next Saturday, when Redbirds travel to Grand Forks, North Dakota, to take on the North Dakota Fighting Hawks at the Alerus Center at 1 p.m.

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