Illinois State Eyes Continued Playoff Success Against #5 UC Davis
Written by Kole Schipper on December 6, 2024
Image Courtesy of Redbird Athletics
NORMAL, Ill. – Coach Spack stepped up the microphone prior to a huge matchup in the second round of the FCS D1 Football Playoffs against the Aggies from UC Davis. The #5 seeded Aggies were off last week with a first-round playoff bye, but the Birds were in action against Southeast Missouri State in a game that came down to the end. The Redbirds would come out with the victory 35-27 as they would force 7 total turnovers, 5 of those being interceptions. Coach Spack touched on last week’s game while also talking about this week’s upcoming matchup.
The Redbirds have been on the winning side of their last 6 games, with another being added to win the column after a big playoff victory last week at Southeast Missouri State. Coach Spack talked about the number of turnovers the Redbird defense was able to force and how they were able to capitalize off them, “we took advantage of their turnovers offensively and capitalized.” A crucial factor to winning games nowadays, according to Spack, is “turnovers, those and explosive plays, those are what win games.”
The Redbirds’ win last week saw the pass defense in use a ton, with the SEMO QB throwing the ball 85 times on Saturday. This week will be a little different for the defense, with the Aggie’s “Swiss-Army Knife,” Senior Running Back Lan Larison, who leads UC Davis in both rushing and receiving yards, totaling over 2000 all-purpose yards this season. When Coach Spack was asked about the Aggies, he said, “They are good in the pass and through the run, a very balanced team… they are big and physical up front as well.”
UC Davis (10-2) comes into this round 2 playoff matchup as the #5 team in the FCS and is an opponent the Redbirds have never seen before. When Spack was asked about the challenge of playing a brand-new team, he applauded the MVFC saying, “The valley gets you ready for these types of games.” Illinois State will look to use its tough schedule to its advantage as it travels to Davis, California, where it will take on the Aggies from UC Davis. Kickoff is set for 3 pm.
