McLean County Times

With the FCS playoffs approaching, Illinois State University’s football team, ranked No. 13 nationally, will travel to face No. 15 South Dakota State in a key Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup on November 15. The game is set for 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

Illinois State (7-3 overall, 4-2 MVFC) enters the contest with momentum after winning three straight games and four of their last five. South Dakota State (7-3 overall, 3-3 MVFC), meanwhile, is looking to halt a three-game conference losing streak.

The two teams have met 12 times previously, with South Dakota State holding a 7-5 edge in the series. Under head coach Brock Spack, who is in his 17th season leading Illinois State and became the program's all-time wins leader in 2021, the Redbirds are 5-6 against the Jackrabbits. Spack has guided Illinois State to six playoff appearances and led them to back-to-back shares of the conference title in 2014 and 2015 as well as an appearance in the FCS Championship game in 2014.

South Dakota State’s new head coach Dan Jackson is overseeing his first season at the helm after previous roles as recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator for the Jackrabbits.

Illinois State’s offense has been productive this year, most recently scoring its highest point total since 2015 with a 52-20 win over Indiana State. The Redbirds posted a season-high 555 yards of total offense in that game—marking their third outing this year with more than 500 yards—and have scored at least 40 points four times this season. They rank third in the conference by averaging 32.5 points per game and sixth nationally for first downs gained.

Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse has led this offensive surge with consistent performances. He recorded his second game of over 300 passing yards against Indiana State and leads the conference with 25 touchdown passes this season while ranking fourth nationally among FCS quarterbacks in that category.

On defense, players like Garret Steffen have made significant contributions; Steffen tied for the team lead with seven tackles and had two sacks during a recent win over Northern Iowa after missing last season due to injury.

Running backs Victor Dawson and Wenkers Wright have also played pivotal roles for Illinois State. Dawson was named MVFC Newcomer of the Week after rushing for a career-high 116 yards against Indiana State, while Wright surpassed the milestone of 2,500 career rushing yards—becoming just the eighth player in school history to do so.

Wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz moved into second place on Illinois State’s all-time receiving yards list following his performance against Indiana State.

Illinois State has found success away from home as well: Over the past two seasons, they hold a road record of 10-3 (with two losses coming against FBS opponents). Only Oregon, Montana State, and North Dakota State have better records over their last ten combined FBS/FCS road games.

South Dakota State started its current campaign strong but has dropped its last three games—including defeats to North Dakota State, Indiana State, and South Dakota—falling to fifth place in league standings. Despite these setbacks, since beginning their run of consecutive playoff appearances in 2012, SDSU holds an .837 winning percentage during regular-season November games.

Last year’s meeting between these teams saw South Dakota State build an early lead en route to a decisive victory over Illinois State by a score of 40-21.