McLean County Times

Illinois State University secured a decisive victory over North Dakota, finishing the game with a 35-13 win at Hancock Stadium. The Redbirds, ranked No. 13, improved their record to 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). The Fighting Hawks ended their season with a record of 5-7 and 2-6 in the MVFC.

The game began with North Dakota returning the opening kickoff for 68 yards but failing to capitalize on the opportunity when they missed a field goal attempt. Illinois State responded quickly with a scoring drive capped by Eddie Kasper's touchdown pass to Xavier Loyd. North Dakota tied the score shortly after with Simon Romfo's touchdown pass to Nate DeMontagnac.

Wenkers Wright contributed significantly to Illinois State's lead, scoring two touchdowns during the game. His efforts helped extend ISU’s advantage to 21-10 by the third quarter. Tommy Rittenhouse connected with Mitch Bartol for another Redbird touchdown before Seth Glatz added one more score in the fourth quarter.

C.J. Elrichs kicked two field goals for North Dakota, including one late in the game that set the final score at 35-13.

Before kickoff, Illinois State honored its senior players in their last regular-season home game. The Redbirds concluded their regular season on a high note, winning five consecutive games and six of their last seven matches.

Wright achieved his sixth game of over 100 rushing yards this season, reaching a total of 1,035 yards for the year. Loyd recorded his second performance exceeding 100 receiving yards this season.

Defensively, Keondre Jackson made nine tackles and forced two fumbles while Tye Niekamp led with ten tackles and three pass breakups. Paul Omodia also marked his first career interception during this match.

The Redbirds now await their placement in the upcoming FCS Playoffs, which will be announced on Sunday morning on ESPN.

GoRedbirds.com remains a resource for fans seeking information about tickets and merchandise related to Illinois State sports events.