McLean County Times

Illinois State University will travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, this weekend to face the University of Northern Iowa in a crucial Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup. The game is scheduled for November 9, 2024, at 1 p.m. CT at the UNI-Dome.

The Redbirds (6-3, 3-2 MVFC) are seeking a win against the Panthers (2-7, 0-5 MVFC) to boost their playoff prospects. Historically, Northern Iowa leads the series with a 23-16 record since their first meeting in 1972. However, Illinois State has won two of the last three encounters between the teams.

Brock Spack, head coach of Illinois State since 1983 and leading his team for the 16th season with a record of 107-73, has guided the Redbirds to five playoff appearances and became the program's all-time wins leader in 2021. His counterpart at Northern Iowa is Mark Farley who has been coaching for 24 seasons with an overall record of 182-110.

Northern Iowa started their season strong with victories over Valparaiso and St. Thomas but have struggled since then with seven consecutive losses. Last week they faced North Dakota State and were defeated by a score of 42-19.

In their last meeting on October 28, 2023, Northern Iowa narrowly defeated Illinois State with a final score of 24-21. During that game, ISU quarterback Zack Annexstad threw for a career-best performance while tight end Cam Grandy made significant contributions.

Key players for Illinois State include running back Wenkers Wright who recently surpassed the century mark in rushing yards against Youngstown State after being held below it in previous games. Additionally, linebacker Amir Abdullah returned from injury to make an impact on defense against Youngstown State.

The offensive unit of Illinois State has shown remarkable performance this year by exceeding over 500 yards in total offense twice already during this season's eight games played so far. Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse and wide receiver Xavier Loyd were recognized by MVFC for their outstanding performances against Murray State earlier this month.

Coach Brock Spack continues making strides as he climbs up coaching ranks within both his own program history as well as within conference records achieving milestones such as becoming one out only four coaches reaching over hundred wins at member schools across Missouri Valley Football Conference teams.