VILLANOVA, PA — Illinois State’s comfort away from home has hit the ridiculous stage. The Redbirds have had to hit the road for four straight FCS playoff games. And they haven’t yet suffered from the slightest bit of homesickness.
At least Illinois State will be comforted to know that its next game will be on a neutral field.
With wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz continuing his postseason dominance, unseeded Illinois State defeated No. 12 seed Villanova, 30-14, in an FCS semifinal bout.
Illinois State (12-4) has now won all four of its FCS playoff games away from Normal. The Redbirds will face No. 2-seeded Montana State in the FCS championship game on Jan. 5 in Nashville. It will be the second championship appearance for Illinois State, which lost 29-27 to North Dakota State in the 2014 title game.
How dominating have the Redbirds been on the road this year?
This year, they are 9-0 against FCS opponents away from home.
In the playoffs, the Redbirds began with a 31-3 win at No. 16-seeded Southeastern Louisiana. Then came a 29-28 stunner at No. 1 and defending champion North Dakota State. A 42-31 win at No. 8 UC Davis earned the Redbirds their semifinal berth.
“It really shows our toughness,” said running back Victor Dawson about winning on the road. “We were the last four in, and to be the final two left is a testimony to our toughness and everything we worked for.”
Villanova, which was seeking its first championship appearance since winning the national title in 2009, saw its 11-game win streak snapped and finished 12-3.
Wildcats coach Mark Ferrante was hoping that the Redbirds would suffer from their month-long jet lag, but his wish obviously wasn’t granted.
“I was hoping they were going to run out of a little gas and look a little sluggish, and it almost looked like the opposite today, for whatever reason,” Ferrante said. “Again, give them all the credit in the world. That is not easy to do.”
A Receiver Who Caused Plenty of Problems
Sobkowicz had seven receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns. In his last three playoff games, he has 21 receptions for 314 yards and seven touchdowns.
Calling him just a postseason phenom will surely be shortchanging the 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior. He owns the school record for receptions (257) and receiving touchdowns (40).
Not bad for a former walk-on.
Besides his play on the field, his loyalty to the team was cited by coach Brock Spack.
“He made some big plays, and he does that just about every game,” Spack said. “And Dan Sobkowicz turned down a lot of money last off-season. I know the number, and it’s staggering he stayed, and because that’s what college football is becoming now, and college athletics.”
Sobkowicz got the Redbirds on the board with a 53-yard touchdown reception from Tommy Rittenhouse with 2:36 left in the first quarter. Running a go-route, he separated at the last second from tight coverage to make the catch.
“I felt they were a super physical group, their DBs were, so I knew we had to get separation sometime, and that was kind of the perfect play call,” Rittenhouse said. “Just get Dan with some room on the sideline with the go-ball, and my job is to just put it up there and let him make a play on it.”
In the second quarter, Illinois State went up 14-3 on Dawson’s 1-yard run, capping a 13-play, 65-yard drive.
Following a second field goal by Villanova’s Jack Barnum, Illinois State increased its lead to 21-6 when Sobkowicz caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Rittenhouse on a slant pattern with 3:49 left in the half. That was his 18th touchdown reception of the season.
The score was set up two plays earlier when Seth Glatz caught a swing pass from Rittenhouse and dashed 68 yards to the Villanova 8-yard line.
In the third quarter, Sobkowicz drew a pass interference call that helped set up a field goal.
Spack feels that Sobkowicz will be playing football well past the FCS championship game.
When asked if there has been NFL interest in Sobkowicz, Spack replied, “I think every NFL team has been through our place at least three times. And, yeah, they are high on him. He’s going to get an opportunity to play pro football.”
Workmanlike second half
Illinois State relied more on its ground game and specifically Dawson to eat plenty of clock in the final two quarters. For the game, Dawson rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries, but he had 20 carries for 104 yards in the second half. In the third quarter alone, the Redbirds held a 12:18 to 2:42 edge in time of possession.
During the second half, Michael Cosentino kicked three field goals, the third from 30 yards out that extended the lead to 30-6 with 5:10 left.
On the other side of the ball, Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide, a Nicholls transfer who enjoyed a good season, faced plenty of pressure from the Redbirds even though he was only sacked twice. McQuaide completed 13-of-30 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He threw for 125 yards in the fourth quarter when Illinois State had the game in hand.
The highlight for the Villanova offense was a spectacular one-handed 16-yard touchdown catch by Antonio Johnson in the end zone on fourth down. Freshman Braden Reed then caught the two-point conversion from McQuaide to make it 30-14 with 3:18 left.
Some tough numbers
The numbers didn’t lie when discussing the defensive effort by Illinois State. Villanova was just 1-for-10 on third down conversions, while the Redbirds were 11-for-20. Illinois State owned a 39:43 to 20:17 time of possession.
“I didn’t think it would be 40 to 20 (time of possession),” Ferrante said. “So again, I tip my hat to the opponent.”
Illinois State linebacker Solomon Oduma led the way with six tackles, including half a sack. Fellow linebackers Tye Niekamp and Reese Edwards each added five tackles.
Now, Illinois State is looking to finish the deal, and the Redbirds seem energized by all the time on the road.
“This group has been a special group. We’ve been through a lot and had some adversity, and that is why they are so tough on the road,” Spack said. “In order to be a championship team, you have to win on the road.”
