No. 4 Illinois State dominates Western Illinois 41-10 in 108th meeting
Written by Antoine Randle on September 6, 2026
Image courtesy of Illinois State Athletic
MACOMB, Ill. — Illinois State wasted little time taking control of its rivalry with Western Illinois on Saturday, jumping to a 17-0 first-quarter lead before cruising to a 41-10 victory at Hanson Field.
The No. 4 Redbirds scored on each of their first four drives and never allowed the Fighting Leathernecks to threaten their lead, improving to 2-0 on the season. Western Illinois fell to 1-1.
Illinois State’s offense finished with 496 total yards, including 239 rushing and 257 passing. The Redbirds also held Western Illinois to just 52 rushing yards and 315 total yards.
The win gave Illinois State the all-time series lead for the first time. The Redbirds now lead the 108-game series 53-52-3.
Illinois State opened the game with a 13-play, 62-yard drive that ended with Michael Cosentino’s 30-yard field goal. The Redbirds then found the end zone on their next possession when quarterback Beckham Pellant connected with Alex Herrera for a 23-yard touchdown.
Seth Glatz, a former Western Illinois player, added to the lead with a 2-yard touchdown run with 13 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Western Illinois finally got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter when Ronan Culkin converted a 22-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 17-3.
The Redbirds quickly answered.
Gage Roy, who split quarterback duties with Pellant, connected with Stevan Gavric for a 36-yard touchdown with 5:24 remaining in the half. Cosentino added another field goal before halftime, giving Illinois State a 27-3 advantage.
Illinois State continued to pull away after halftime.
Victor Dawson scored on a 1-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter before adding his second touchdown on a 6-yard run early in the fourth. Dawson finished with 73 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Western Illinois scored its lone touchdown with 7:06 remaining when Cason Carswell ran for 3 yards, but the Leathernecks could not mount a comeback.
Pellant finished 8-for-22 for 132 yards and a touchdown, while Roy completed 8 of 13 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Chase Kwiatkowski also provided a spark on the ground, rushing for 76 yards on four carries.
Illinois State’s defense held Western Illinois to 52 rushing yards while forcing one turnover. Dexter Niekamp recorded his second interception of the season, setting up Cosentino’s second field goal.
The Redbirds also controlled possession for 34:11 and converted 11 of 16 third-down attempts.
The victory marked Illinois State’s 10th consecutive FCS road win, the longest active streak in the FCS.
Illinois State will return to action Saturday when it travels to DeKalb to face Northern Illinois. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium.
For all things Redbird football, stay tuned to wznd.com.
