McLean County Times

Illinois State continued its successful run on the road by defeating Indiana State 31-19 at Memorial Stadium. The No. 16 ranked Redbirds have now won five consecutive away games, improving their record to 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC).

The game began with Indiana State's Sycamores taking an early lead. They executed a lengthy 17-play, 75-yard drive, ending with a quarterback sneak by Elijah Owens for a touchdown. This put them ahead 7-0 in the first quarter.

Illinois State responded in the second quarter when Tommy Rittenhouse threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Loyd, tying the game at 7-7. The Redbirds then took control of the match with an impressive one-handed catch and run by Daniel Sobkowicz for an 84-yard touchdown, pushing their lead to 14-7.

Before halftime, Ian Wagner added a field goal for Illinois State, extending their advantage to 17-7. In the second half, Rittenhouse found Sobkowicz again for another touchdown pass, increasing the score to 24-7. Wenkers Wright further extended their lead with a rushing touchdown.

Indiana State attempted a comeback late in the game with two touchdowns from Owens but failed on a two-point conversion attempt after one of those scores.

Sobkowicz was notable for his performance with eight receptions totaling 156 yards and two touchdowns. Loyd also had an impressive game with career-best catches totaling 94 yards and one touchdown. Wright surpassed 900 rushing yards this season after gaining another 64 yards during this match.

Rittenhouse completed his second game of over 300 passing yards this year, finishing with three touchdowns. Defensively, Tye Niekamp led Illinois State with twelve tackles while Lavoise-Deontae McCoy contributed eleven tackles and one sack.

Next week, Illinois State will face North Dakota at Hancock Stadium for Senior Day.