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Before a Homecoming crowd of 10,416, a 38-yard Kevin Mazur field
goal with 50 seconds left put ISU ahead 34-31, but Western Kentucky
converted a James field goal with no time remaining in regulation
and held the ‘Birds scoreless in the top session of overtime to set
up James’ game-winner.
Illinois State, 3-3, 0-2 in the Gateway, has lost four straight to
the Hilltoppers, 4-1, 2-0—the last three all by three points. The
Redbirds have lost two weeks in a row on late field goals, including
last week’s 20-17 loss at Youngstown State.
The Hilltoppers recovered a Redbird fumble on the opening play from
scrimmage and marched from the ISU 43 to the Redbird 19 yard line.
But a WKU penalty and a Justin Martindale sack pushed the Toppers
back and they had to settle James’ first field goal, a 45 yarder,
with 11:15 left in the first quarter.
Brian Thompson’s 35-yard kickoff return set up a responding drive by
Illinois State which covered 65 yard in 10 plays and was punctuated
by Rafael Rice’s five-yard run for the score with 6:49 left in the
opening quarter. It was Rice’s fifth straight game with a rushing
touchdown. ISU led 7-3.
Five plays after the ensuing kickoff, Cameron Siskowic made the hit
and James Temple picked up the fumble and sprinted 56 yards fpr a
touchdown to put Illinois State ahead 14-3 after Mazur’s second
extra point conversion. The Toppers answered with a seven-play,
76-yard march to score on a 36-yard pass completion from Justin
Haddix to Curtis Hamilton. The PAT cut ISU’s lead to 14-10 with 2:53
left in the opening period.
Following an early second-quarter Redbird punt, Lerron Moore’s
38-yard run was the centerpiece on a nine-play, 80-yard drive which
ended on a six-yard pass from Haddix to Maurice Perkins which gave
WKU a 17-10 lead. Moore led all rushers with 190 yards for the game.
After the kickoff, ISU dodged a bullet thanks to a pair of brilliant
defensive plays by senior defensive end Brent Hawkins. On the first
play after that kickoff, Jon Hedges intercepted an Illinois State
pass and set the Toppers up at the ISU 38. But Hawkins sacked Haddix
on first down and swatted away a screen pass attempt on third down
to force a Western Kentucky punt.
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The Redbirds ran the two-minute drill to tie the score, with the
help of a 16-yard Luke Drone to Laurént Robinson pass that set up a
Mazur 22-yard field goal with 21 seconds left in the half to knot
the score at 17 apiece at intermission. It was one of 12 Robinson
receptions for the day, good for 126 yards.
Brandon Fitzgerald’s 13-yard touchdown run just 3:41 into the third
quarter completed an eight-play, 80-yard Hilltopper drive for a
24-17 lead. The ‘Birds came back with an 11-play, 53-yard drive
which ended in Rice’s five-yard run on the final play of the third
quarter. The PAT tied the game again, 24-24.
Western Kentucky answered that score with a 16-yard pass from Haddix
to Chris Jackson for a 31-24 WKU lead with 10:32 left in the game. A
29-yard pass from Drone to Pierre Rembert got the ‘Birds in position
to score in the final six minutes. The ‘Birds were faced with a
fourth-down situation on the WKU nine, but Robinson’s catch and run
came up short, and Western Kentucky took over.
But the Redbird defense rose up again, as Kye Stewart picked off a
Haddix pass and scampered 21 yards to the end zone to tie the score
at 31-31 with 2:07 left. Just 27 seconds later, Siskowic pounced on
a Haddix fumble at the WKU 32 yard line, setting up a 38-yard Mazur
field goal to put the ‘Birds on top 34-31 with 43 seconds left. But
WKU answered just in time to push the game to overtime. A Bobby
Kelsey field goal at the end of the Redbirds’ overtime possession
was blocked, and James hit the game winner for Western Kentucky.
The Redbirds continue a three-game stretch of meeting
nationally-ranked teams when the ‘Birds meet No. 2 Southern Illinois
next Saturday in Carbondale.
[News release]
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