 After taking a 10-7 lead with 12:02 to play in the opening half,
Illinois State allowed 34 unanswered points by the Bears and
committed a season-high five turnovers. The Redbird offense tallied
a season-low 214 yards of total offense, including just 46 rushing
yards on 31 carries.
Blake Winkler made his second career start and finished 14 for 28
for 168 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Jared Barnett
entered the game in the fourth quarter, and his only play from
scrimmage resulted in an interception. Phil Dudley had a team-best
four receptions, and James O'Shaughnessy led with 36 receiving
yards. Defensively, Alex Donnelly led Illinois State with 10
tackles, and Tevin Allen registered his first career interception
and recovered a fumble.
Missouri State posted season highs in total offense (337) and was
a perfect 5 for 5 in the red zone. Quarterback Kierra Harris went 7
for 17 for 103 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and
added 51 rushing yards with one score.
Illinois State went three-and-out to open the game, but a 50-yard
punt from C.J. Laros pinned Missouri State at their own 15-yard
line. On third-and-6, Allen intercepted Harris' pass, putting the
Redbirds on the MSU 19-yard line. It marked the first interception
for Illinois State this season. Nick Aussieker's 22-yard field goal
attempt was blocked, keeping the game scoreless with 9:10 to play in
the first quarter.
Missouri State responded with a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive.
After a highlight 33-yard run from Cooper-Falls, the Bears scored on
a 3-yard touchdown pass from Harris to Matt Swan, giving the Bears a
7-0 advantage with 4:42 to play in the opening quarter.
The Redbirds bounced back with their first scoring drive of the
game. Winkler guided the offense on a 74-yard, 14-play drive that
was capped by a 22-yard field goal from Aussieker. Aussieker's field
goal, which improved him to 3 for 4 on the season, dropped the
Redbird deficit to 7-3 with 13:03 to go in the second quarter.
[to top of second column] |
Two plays into MSU's next possession, Illinois State forced
its second takeaway of the game. Vernon Scott carried the ball 7
yards before he was stripped from behind by Brandon Westphal.
Allen recovered the loose ball and carried it to the MSU 4-yard
line. Three plays later, Collin Keoshian leaped over the
defensive line for a touchdown, giving Illinois State a 10-7
lead. It was Keoshian's fifth touchdown of the season, four of
which have come from within 3 yards.
With five minutes to play in the opening half, Laros launched a
career-best 63-yard field goal, pinning Missouri State at their own
3-yard line. The Bears picked up two quick first downs before Harris
found Dorian Beauford for a season-best 73-yard touchdown
completion, as the Bears led 14-10 going into halftime.
Heavy rain moved in as play resumed to open the third quarter.
After a pair of defensive stops resulted in MSU punts, Illinois
State took over on their own 2-yard line, trailing 14-10 with 10:06
to play in the third quarter. Winkler fumbled the first snap from
scrimmage, ISU's third fumble of the half, and Missouri State
recovered the ball. Harris needed one play to scramble in to the end
zone for a 3-yard touchdown, giving Missouri State a 21-10 lead with
9:57 to go in the third quarter.
Following ISU's fourth fumble of the second half, Missouri State
rallied into the red zone and settled for a field goal. The Bears
added touchdowns with 9:32 and 4:17 to go in the fourth quarter to
secure the win before 8,507 fans at Plaster Field.
The Redbirds return home Saturday for their homecoming game
versus Western Illinois. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. at the newly
renovated Hancock Stadium.
___
ISU vs. MSU:
Final
stats |
Notes (PDFs)
[Text from
news release received from
Illinois State University] |
