Redbirds Look to Build Momentum with Home Clash vs. Northern Iowa

NORMAL, Ill. -Illinois State football is desperate to add another win to its resume Saturday against Northern Iowa at Hancock Stadium. The Redbirds are coming off an impressive 21-13 win against South Dakota and look to keep the momentum going into the weekend. Star wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz is still out after suffering a shoulder injury in the Oct. 25 matchup against Youngstown State, but the Redbirds still look alive. Their goal is a playoff appearance, and a win against the Panthers could help secure it.

This game will mark the 41st meeting between the Missouri Valley Football Conference teams, with the Panthers holding a 23-17 series advantage. Head coach Brock Spack is 8-7 against UNI during his time at ISU, but first-year Panthers head coach Todd Stepsis looks to make a statement in the Football Championship Subdivision.

ISU enters the game 2-2 in conference play after a strong performance by wide receivers Dylan Lord and Rylan Crawford. Lord suffered an ACL injury last season, but with the absence of Sobkowicz, his comeback has meant that much more for the Redbirds. Lord had a game-high 82 receiving yards against South Dakota and helped quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse throw for 141 yards. Crawford had 44 yards in the game, but his experience helped lead the team to victory, according to Spack.

“I’ve been very happy with Rylan Crawford all year basically,” Spack said. “He’s a good tackler, he’s tough, he works hard, and he made some nice catches in the game. You can tell he’s more of an experienced player — he did a really nice job, I thought.”

Fullback Scotty Presson Jr. had two touchdowns for the Redbirds. As a senior, Presson holds a strong leadership position on the team.

“He’s playing a tight end position. He’s one of the better players, I think, from a skill standpoint at that position in our division,” Spack said. “He’s a really good route runner, he can catch, he’s got some toughness, and he’s smart, so I’ve been really happy with him.”

Spack said UNI is a good-looking football team and not one the Redbirds can overlook. The ISU offense will need to continue to impress, and younger players will need to step up. The major points for ISU will be to get the defense off the field on third down and to finish the game. Wide receiver Luke Mailander has 415 yards on the season, and even though he is just a redshirt freshman, he has a very active role on the Redbird offense.

Defensive back Shadwell Nkuba II leads the MVFC in interceptions and is a key component of ISU’s defensive success. The duo of Nkuba and linebacker Tye Niekamp is known to shake up offensive decisions by opposing teams, and that should be expected against UNI.

UNI enters the game 2-6 overall and 0-4 in the MVFC. The Panthers are last in the conference in scoring offense, averaging 14 points per game compared to ISU’s 30.25. UNI is coming off a 31-17 loss to Southern Illinois, where two quarterbacks saw the field. Jaxon Dailey threw for only 93 yards but had two touchdowns. Redshirt junior Matthew Schecklman is the starting quarterback for the Panthers and has 1,389 passing yards on the season, but ISU’s Rittenhouse surpasses him with 1,528.

The Panthers will need to step up offensively to succeed against the Redbirds. UNI ranks second to last in the MVFC in total rushing yards and passing efficiency, but the team rarely gives up penalties.

The UNI defense will be the difference-maker Saturday. The Panthers rank higher than ISU in total defense, allowing an average of 358.9 yards per game compared to the Redbirds’ 424. UNI ranks fourth in scoring defense, while ISU sits at the bottom of the table. Linebacker Ryan Crandall has 72 total tackles on the season, trailing ISU linebacker Tye Niekamp by five.

ISU looks to keep its playoff hopes alive with a win over UNI. Both teams have something to prove on the field this weekend — but who wants it more? The answer comes Saturday at 2 p.m. at Hancock Stadium.

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