Redbirds Head into Bye Week With 3rd Consecutive Top 5 Ranking

NORMAL, Ill. -Illinois State was able to claw out a victory over the North Alabama Lions this past weekend in a 38-36 win. The game came down to the second overtime. This game also included 2 rain delays, and a total game time of 5 hours and 56 minutes. ISU will walk into a bye week at what might just be the perfect time.

Tommy Rittenhouse led the Redbirds in their 38-36 2-OT victory. Rittenhouse was the X-factor in both the run and pass game, as he would throw for 250 yards and 3 passing touchdowns, while adding 89 rushing yards (led team).

His favorite target, yet again, Senior Wide-Out Daniel Sobkowicz hauled in 10 catches for 150 yards and 2 of Rittenhouse’s touchdowns. Senior Running Back Wenkers Wright was able to add 79 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Illinois State is heading into a bye week this week, like most other FCS schools (3 schools play this week). The Redbird bye week comes at a perfect time as they are set to gear up against the #1-ranked Bison from North Dakota State.

A pivotal top 5 FCS matchup that could have huge implications later down the road. “Having a bye is never a bad thing,” Coach Spack said in his Tuesday press conference. He added, “This is a perfect time to do some self-scouting and try and fix a few things we have noticed over the first couple of weeks.”

With this week off, ISU will get a full extra week of practice before returning to the field on gameday. Redbird Football will be back in action on Saturday, October 4th, 2025, at Hancock Stadium at 6 pm. The game will be broadcasted on wznd.com and will start with a pregame show at 5:50 p.m.

For all things Redbird football, stay tuned to wznd.com.