Redbird’s Advance to FCS Football Semifinals with 42-31 Win over UC Davis

Image courtesy of Illinois State Athletics. 

NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State Redbird football team delivered its most impressive and complete game of the season Saturday night. They knocked off No. 8-ranked UC Davis 42-31 at UC Davis Health Stadium to earn a spot in the FCS semifinals for the first time since 2014. The Redbirds absorbed early scores, seized offensive momentum before halftime, and ultimately pulled away with physical offense and extremely timely defensive plays. The win capped another impressive road showing for an Illinois State team that has made a habit of thriving away from home this season.

The opening quarter was fast. UC Davis struck first with a 52-yard pass on the opening snap to set up a 35-yard Hunter Ridley field goal, but the lead lasted just seconds. Returner, Chris Taylor fielded the ensuing kickoff and took it all the way home for 91 yards to the end zone, flipping the score. The Aggies responded with a 75-yard drive capped by running back Jordan Fisher’s 23-yard touchdown run, setting the tone for a wild first 15 minutes.

Illinois State countered quickly behind quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse. He found Dylan Lord for a 37-yard touchdown to regain the lead. Moments later, a failed UC Davis fake field goal proved costly. Rittenhouse took advantage of the momentum on the very next snap, connecting with wide receiver and ISU record holder Daniel Sobkowicz for a 93-yard strike. That explosive play pushed the Redbirds ahead 21-10. UC Davis trimmed the deficit late in the quarter on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Caden Pinnick to Stacey Dobbins. Illinois State went into the second quarter with a narrow 21-17 edge.

The second quarter brought a sudden shift in tempo, as both defenses stayed firm. Illinois State leaned on its defensive front to limit explosive plays, while the Aggies struggled to sustain drives against disciplined coverage by the Redbird linebackers and secondary.  Illinois State marched 75 yards on its opening drive of the third quarter, fueled by several runs from Victor Dawson. Seth Glatz finished the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 28-17. The Redbird defense followed with a Shadwell Nkuba II forced fumble, setting up another scoring drive. Rittenhouse capped off the possession with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Sobkowicz, pushing the lead to 35-17 late in the third.

Illinois State put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter after converting a fake punt to keep a drive alive. Seth Glatz broke free for a 58-yard touchdown run, stretching the score to 42-17. UC Davis scored twice in the final minutes on short touchdown passes from Pinnick. The Redbirds recovered the final onside kick and kneeled out the clock to secure the victory.

It was Sobkowicz’s night; the senior from Arlington Heights, Illinois, caught two touchdowns and finished with 150 receiving yards, setting a new Illinois State single-season record with 16 touchdown receptions. He also tied the school’s career receptions mark with 250, further cementing his place in program history. Dawson added 148 rushing yards to surpass 1,000 for the season, marking back-to-back years with a 1,000-yard rusher for the Redbirds. Defensively, Solomon Oduma and Patrick Bauer led the way with seven tackles apiece, while CJ Richard Jr. recorded the first interception of his career.

With the win, Illinois State advanced to its third FCS semifinal appearance and continued an impressive stretch of road success, having won eight straight road games against FCS opponents this season. The Redbirds will now travel to Philadelphia to face No. 12 Villanova in the semifinals, with a trip to the national championship game on the line. After conquering one of the toughest environments in the Missouri Valley Football Conference at North Dakota State University, Illinois State heads east with still much to prove Saturday, December 20, with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. CT.

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