Playoff Push on the Line as Illinois State Battles No. 21 South Dakota

Image courtesy of Illinois State Football

NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State Redbirds will look to avenge one top 25 matchup loss with this week’s matchup against number 21-ranked South Dakota. Number 18th-ranked Illinois state travels into the Dakota Dome in Vermillion, South Dakota, looking to crawl their way back into a playoff position. Their most recent 40-35 loss to Youngstown State on homecoming left much to be desired for the Redbirds, and now, a sense of urgency must be acknowledged if they want to push for a playoff appearance.

The 11th meeting between South Dakota and Illinois State will take place; the Redbirds have an 8-2 series lead going back to 2011. The teams haven’t played since ISU defeated them 12–10 at Hancock Stadium in 2022. Head coach Brock Spack has an 8-2 record against the Coyotes, and the Redbirds are 3-1 all-time in Vermillion, with their lone defeat occurring in 2016.

With a 5-3 overall record and a 3-1 MVFC record, South Dakota comes into the game ranked No. 21. Zeke Mata’s school-record 58-yard field goal helped the Coyotes defeat UNI 20-17 during their most recent two-week road trip. With 986 rushing yards, running back L.J. Phillips Jr. leads Division I football, and quarterback Aidan Bouman has recorded several games with 200 yards or more this season.

For the Redbirds, defensive struggles in the secondary have been a problem all year, and teams with excellent passing games have been able to take advantage of that weakness. ISU will also be down star wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz in this game after a hard fall in the loss to Youngstown State. Coach Brock Spack also announced Tuesday that offensive tackle Brandon Smith would be out for the season after a leg injury on homecoming.

The offense will need to see large steps in quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse, who had a less-than-desirable two interceptions in his last game, and offensive production by the likes of receivers Luke Mailander and Eddie Kasper. On the defensive side of the ball, run containment must be better with South Dakota’s offense running through their star L.J. Phillips Jr. The Redbirds let up over 500 yards of total offence last week, and must be more cohesive as a defensive unit.

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