Thompson, Stewart claim league honors    

[OCT. 17, 2005]  ST. LOUIS -- When a team racks up 61 points against the nation's No. 1 team, it is inevitable to have some stellar individual performances. That was exactly the case for Illinois State as the Redbirds rolled over No. 1 Southern Illinois 61-35, and as a result both Brian Thompson and Kye Stewart were honored Sunday by the Gateway Football Conference as the offensive and defensive players of the week.

Thompson was instrumental for the Redbird offense, as ISU dismantled the league's top rushing defense. Thompson rushed for a season-high 165 yards on 21 carries and added four touchdowns. Thompson averaged 7.2 yards per carry against a defense that came into the game allowing only 72.6 yards rushing per game. His four touchdowns tied Illinois State's individual best performance for a Gateway game, while adding to the Redbirds' 61 points -- a new high for ISU in league games.

Stewart continues to be a playmaker for the Redbird defense. On Saturday, he set the stage for the 61-35 win over No. 1 Southern Illinois. On SIU's first possession, Stewart picked up a fumble forced by Jesse Caesar and scampered 19 yards to the SIU 25-yard line. Two plays later, the Redbirds scored and took a lead they would never relinquish. Stewart tallied a game-high 11 tackles, including eight solo stops, while also collecting a sack and tackle for loss.

Stewart won the weekly honor for the second time this season, while the Redbirds have collected eight weekly league honors on the year. Illinois State returns to action on Saturday for Family Day at Hancock Stadium and will host No. 14 Northern Iowa.

[Illinois State University news release] 

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