SETTING THE SCENE
Date: September 26, 2026
Time: 4 p.m. CT
Site: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Facility: UNI-Dome
Capacity: 16,324
Series: UNI leads 23-18
Last: ISU won 31-16 (Nov. 1, 2025)
Watch/Stream: ESPN+
Listen: WJBC 1230 AM / 102.1 FM / 98.9 FM WJEZ/ The Varsity Network
THE GAME
A successful 4-0 start to the season in non-conference action for Illinois State has propelled them into conference play with a lot of momentum. The start of Missouri Valley Football Conference play officially begins this weekend, when the Redbirds (4-0) head to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take on the UNI Panthers (1-2) at the UNI-Dome.
THE SERIES
Illinois State and Northern Iowa will meet for the 42nd time in program history, with the Panthers leading the all-time series 23-18. ISU has owned the series of late, winning four out of the last five games overall including two-straight at the UNI-Dome. The Redbirds are 9-7 against the Panthers under the leadership of head coach Brock Spack, and are 3-4 against UNI on their home turf during his tenure.
THE COACHES
Illinois State: Brock Spack (Purdue, 1983) is in his 18th season as the head coach at Illinois State (127-79). Spack guided the Redbirds to back-to-back shares of the MVFC title in 2014-15 and a pair of FCS Championship game appearances (2014, 2025). He has led the ISU to seven playoff appearances overall and became the program's all-time wins leader in 2021.
Northern Iowa: Todd Stepsis (Ashland, 1998) is in his second season as the head coach at UNI (4-11) and his eighth as a collegiate head coach (33-42), following a six-year stint as the head coach at Drake. The 2025 season saw the Panthers pick up three wins, all inside the UNI-Dome, in Sepsis' first year at the helm of the program.
THE REDBIRD FOOTBALL PROGRAM
- 10 FCS playoff appearances (1998, 1999, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2024, 2025)
- 7-time FCS quarterfinalists (1999, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2025)
- 3-time FCS semifinalists (1999, 2014, 2025)
- 2-time FCS Championship game participant (2014, 2025)
- ISU is 16-1 against FCS opponents on the road the past three seasons; have won 11 straight games on the road overall (longest current streak in the country)
- The team is 72-27 in 18 seasons at home under Spack's guidance
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
- The University of Northern Iowa is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and has an enrollment of 9,366. The Panthers are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and play their home games at the UNI-Dome (16,324).
- The Panthers are off to a 1-2 start to the season, after suffering a 55-0 defeat at the hands of in-state rival No. 18 Iowa last Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.
- UNI picked up its only win of the season the week previous against Drake, where UNI head coach Todd Stepsis served as head coach for six seasons.
- The Panthers scored 28 points in each half against the Bulldogs, while the UNI defense pitched a shutout in the second half to claim a 56-14 victory in the home opener. Quarterback Jaxon Dailey passed for 242 yards and three touchdowns against Drake, with Brady McCullough hauling in all three touchdown receptions. Caleb Kamara led the running backs with 49 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
- Dailey is completing 60.2 percent of his passes on the season and is averaging 206 passing yards per game, with three touchdown passes on the year. He has also run for three touchdowns on the ground to lead the team in that category.
- John Powers is the leading tackler for the Panthers with 22 on the year and he has added one of three interceptions on the season. Calvin Jaworski has also been solid, with 17 stops and a pick six in the win over Drake. Kolben Miller has been the biggest disrupter, with 16 stops to go along with 2.0 sacks and 4.0 tackles-for-loss.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE PANTHERS (NOV. 1, 2025)
A return home treated No. 17 Illinois State well against Northern Iowa, as the Redbirds scored 14 first-quarter points and never looked back in a 31-16 victory over the Panthers in front of 7,756 fans at Jay and Lori Bergman Field at Hancock Stadium. The Redbird offense racked up 430 yards of total offense in a balanced effort, that features 202 yards rushing and 228 yards passing. Running back finished the game with a season-best 101 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown and Garret Steffen had a big day for the Redbird defense, as he tied for the team lead with seven tackles and added two sacks in the win for the Redbirds.
THE TROPHY STAYS WHERE IT BELONGS
In what is usually a battle between Illinois State and Eastern Illinois in the annual Mid-America Classic, this year's matchup was lopsided in favor of the Redbirds as ISU held onto the trophy for the third-straight season and have now won eight of the last nine games overall against the Panthers. ISU won the game 49-13, which was the most points scored against EIU since 2012 when it scored 54 in a win at home, and the Redbird offense racked up 556 yards of total offense. The ISU defense was particulary stingy, allowing the Panthers just 66 yards on the groudn while holding EIU to just 216 yards of total offense in the contest.
LORD GOES THE DISTANCE
Not only is junior wide receiver Dylan Lord one of the most explosive receivers in the FCS, but he is also proving to be a big threat returning punts for the Redbirds. Lord is averaging 32.0 yards per return and became the first Redbird to return a punt for a touchdown since 2015, when Anthony Warrum returned one for a score, in the win over EIU. Lord tallied a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown in the win, while also leading the team with 77 yards on six receptions. That performance earned him MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
FINDING THE END ZONE FOR THE FIRST TIME
Coming off one of the most memorable years in program history in 2025, the Redbirds returned with several key returners and some new faces on the offense. Through four games this year, nine players have scored their first career touchdowns as Redbirds. Tyler Lofton has been the biggest contributor with four rushing touchdowns and one more through the air, while Chase Kwiatkowski, Anthony Hall, and Albert Gooden III have all scored on the ground. Transfer QB Gage Roy has been stellar as well, with eight TD passes in his first four games for ISU, with three of those to transfer tight end Alex Herrera.
ROY SETTLING IN
With much uncertainty at the quarterback position headed into the season and no quarterback tabbed to be the full-time starter, transfer quarterback Gage Roy has not let that affect him a bit. Not only has he helped lead ISU to a 4-0 record and a comeback win over FBS foe Northern Illinois, but he is also currently leading the FCS in completion percentage at 78.5 and ranks fifth in passing efficiency with a mark of 187.3. Despite still splitting time with Beckham Pellant, Roy seems to be settling in as great option behind center for the Redbirds.
HOMETOWN KID MAKES GOOD
Playing just across town at Normal Community High School, Mar'Quan Gary had his sights set on making big plays for the Redbirds someday. That day came against Eastern Illinois, as Gary caught the first touchdown pass of his career in the win over the Panthers. Quarterback Beckham Pellant found Gary wide open for a 37-yard TD against the Panthers, the first of what he hopes will be many in his career at Hancock Stadium for his hometown team.
ROAD WARRIORS
Over the past three seasons, Illinois State has been very comfortable going on the road picking up key victories away from home. In the past three years, ISU is 17-3 on the road with two of those losses coming to FBS foes Iowa (2024) and Oklahoma (2025). In 2024, the Redbirds won six-straight FCS road games before suffering a second-round playoff loss to UC Davis and in 2025, the Redbirds went 9-0 on the road against FCS foes. ISU's road winning streak moved to 11 in a row after the team's 28-24 road win at Northern Illinois in Week 3, extending the longest road winning streak in all of Division I football following Oregon's road loss at Oklahoma State.
ILLINOIS BRAGGING RIGHTS ON THE LINE
As Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary this year in towns all across the state of Illinois, the Redbirds will be looking to cement themselves as one of the top programs in the state in 2026. For the first time since 2019, the Redbirds will take on Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois in the same season. That year, the Redbirds went 3-1 against the teams with the lone loss coming to the Huskies of NIU. This year, the Redbirds are off to a 3-0 start with wins at Western Illinois and Northern Illinois and at home against Eastern Illinois, with the lone in-state rivalry game remaining at Southern Illinois on Oct. 17.
THE STREAK CONTINUES
Redbird teams have been very successful scoring on defense under the leadership of head coach Brock Spack. Thanks to a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jack Oliver in the road win at NIU, the Redbirds extended their streak to 18 straight seasons with at least one defensive touchdown scored.
REDBIRD DUO EARN WEEKLY HONORS
Not only did a pair of Redbirds earn weekly honors from the MVFC following the team's road win at NIU, but linebacker Tye Niekamp was also named the Stats Perform National FCS Defensive Player of the Week. He was joined as a weekly MVFC honoree by quarterback Gage Roy, who was named the league's Newcomer of the Week. Niekamp came up huge for the Redbirds, posting 11 tackles, two sacks and 3.0 tackles-for-loss in a win over NIU. Roy earned his first career start at ISU and completed 20-of-23 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the victory over the Huskies, including the game-winning touchdown throw late in the fourth quarter.
FEAR THE FCS
Illinois State is one of five FCS programs to record a win over an FBS foe so far this season, following their come-from-behind 28-24 road win at Northern Illinois. The win was the fourth for the Redbirds under the leadership of head coach Brock Spack and their first since 2018, when ISU earned a road win at Colorado State. The Redbirds also have FBS wins over Eastern Michigan (2012) and at Northwestern (2016) since 2009.
HERRERA COMES UP BIG
Just four games into his career at Illinois State following a transfer from Eastern Illinois, tight end Alex Herrera is already making an immediate impact for the Redbirds. Herrera caught his first touchdown in a Redbird uniform in the road win in Week 2 at Western Illinois, and then followed that up with the biggest catch of his ISU career to date in the road win at Northern Illinois. Down 24-21 with under two minutes to play, Herrera caught a pass in the flat and rumbled his way 16 yards into the end zone for what woudl be the winning score in an FBS win over the Huskies. He also added a TD catch against his former team Eastern Illinois in Week 4 to give him three on the year.
GAVRIC MAKING AN IMPACT
After redshirting as a true freshman last season, Stevan Gavric had the opportunity to learn from one of the best wide receivers in FCS football in Dan Sobkowicz and hone his skills alongside one of the best to ever do it at Illinois State. That experience seems to be paying off for Gavric early on in 2026, as he has recorded a touchdown in each of the first two wins for ISU. He caught the first of his career in the opener against St. Francis, and then followed that up with a 36-yard touchdown catch from Gage Roy in the road victory at Eastern Illinois. He's averaging 15.3 yards per catch on the year early on and has added another weapon to the passing game that already includes standouts Dylan Lord and Luke Mailander.
IMPRESSIVE START TO THE YEAR
The No. 4 team in the country certainly played like that in the season opener against St. Francis (Ill.), as the Redbirds scored 76 points on way to a shutout win over the Fighting Saints. The 76 points scored are the second-most in program history (80 vs. Eureka in 1937 is the record) and the most ever scored inside Hancock Stadium. ISU racked up 589 yards of total offense in the win, with 353 of those coming on the ground. The defense also forced an interception and held the Saints to just 14 yards rushing in the contest, as 13 different players caught passes in the victory for the Redbirds. The Redbirds also started the game scoring touchdowns on its first 10 possessions and scored TDs on 11 of the 13 total drives on the game.
FIVE REDBIRDS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
A quartet of Illinois State standouts were tabbed as preseason FCS All-Americans by Stats Perform. Senior linebacker Tye Niekamp was named a First-Team selection, senior running back Victor Dawson and senior running earned Second-Team honors, and senior offensive lineman Landon Woodard and senior safety La'Shavion Brown garnered Third-Team plaudits. In addition, wide receiver Luke Mailander was named a fourth-team preseason All-American by Phil Steele.
THE WATCH IS ON FOR NIEKAMP AND DAWSON
Already a three-time All-American in his career, Illinois State linebacker Tye Niekamp has earned a spot among the best defenders in the FCS, as he was named to the Stats Perform 30-player preseason watch list for the 2026 Buck Buchanan Award, presented annually to the national defensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football. Niekamp is one of five returning finalists from 2025 on this year's watch list, as he finished eighth in the Buck Buchanan Award voting following last season. Senior running back Victor Dawson has also earned a spot among the best offensive players in the country, as he was named to the Stats Perform 30-player preseason watch list for the iconic Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually to the national offensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football and is celebrating its 40th Anniversary season. Dawson was a 2025 MVFC All-Newcomer Team selection and ranked third in the MVFC in rushing yards with 1,377 yards.
