McLean County Times

Illinois State University’s football team, ranked 17th nationally, secured a 31-16 win over Northern Iowa on Saturday at Jay and Lori Bergman Field at Hancock Stadium. The Redbirds improved their season record to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC), while UNI dropped to 2-7 and remains winless in conference play.

The Redbirds started strong, scoring twice in the first quarter. Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse completed an 80-yard drive with a four-yard rushing touchdown. On the next possession, Rittenhouse connected with wide receiver Luke Mailander for a 42-yard gain, setting up Seth Glatz’s two-yard touchdown run.

Illinois State extended its lead after La'Shavion Brown made his first interception of the season. Rittenhouse threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Javon Charles, making it 21-0. UNI managed a late second-quarter field goal by Max Bartachek before halftime.

In the third quarter, Harrison Bey-Buie scored UNI's first touchdown on a short run, but Illinois State responded as Victor Dawson capped a long drive with a nine-yard rushing score. Early in the fourth quarter, Jaxon Dailey threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to JC Roque Jr., but UNI missed the extra point. Matt Maldonado added a late field goal for Illinois State, and Cam Wilson’s interception secured the victory.

Illinois State finished with 430 yards of total offense—202 rushing and 228 passing. Running back Wenkers Wright moved into seventh place on Illinois State’s all-time rushing list with his performance; he is now just four yards shy of sixth place.

Other notable performances included Victor Dawson’s season-best 101 yards on 17 carries and Garret Steffen tying for the team lead with seven tackles and recording two sacks. The Niekamp brothers contributed defensively: Tye had seven tackles and one-and-a-half tackles-for-loss (TFLs), while Dexter added three tackles, one sack, and one-and-a-half TFLs.

Wide receiver Lord caught ten passes for fifty yards—a career high for the second consecutive week.

Illinois State will play Indiana State next Saturday in Terre Haute at Memorial Stadium.