NORMAL, Il. — Almost exactly one year ago, Illinois State rolled into Butler with a new coach and a new team. Expectations for the new season was a tempered optimism most revolving around breaking .500 for the first time in school history. Four nightmarish quarters later the Redbirds left on the receiving end of a 100-23 drubbing. They would drift through Season 2 listlessly, winning their lone conference game against South Dakota when a tornado froze the score after 2 quarters. With mounting costs and tepid support from the community, the school appeared ready to shutter the program after a mere 20 games in FFCS.

The western campus center complete with a the “Redbird Overpass” leading to the stadium

Enter Mr. Smith, the new Illinois State dual football coach and Athletic Director. Unwavered by the seemingly impossible odds of creating a competitive team in Normal, he took control of the program from top-to-bottom. Only time will tell whether Mr. Smith’s dedication will pay off, but we might still see a positive future for Redbird football. One where Illinois State is no longer the black sheep, but a dominant force in the Metro.

Meeting Mr. Smith

Hailing from the Bay Area, Smith first caught wind of the FFCS through the maligned ad on r/sports. With options low after the influx of D2 coaches, he settled on the school in Illinois because:

“… by the time I’d found out there were few spots left. Illinois State were my top choice because they were reputable sounding”

Though the campus may not be as beautiful as Butler’s, the town not as fanatical as Cedar Falls, or the team as talented as Eastern Illinois’, it’s a school with one of biggest student bodies and a town with the means to support a football program. Smith’s presence has already brought an air of respectability around this once dreary campus. Even the aging Hancock Stadium received a renovation which is to be unveiled this week against Presbyterian. Most importantly, Mr. Smith secured a lucrative contract to play in the Colosseum in Rome. Mr. Smith’s first regular season game as a head coach, against Morgan State’s newcomer Coach Ryland, had its ups and downs in the beautiful Italian countryside. Defensive highlights abound with true Freshman Artie McGill forcing a fumble and Senior Captain Alexander Nicolette recording 6 tackles and a sack. Ultimately the offense could not close the deal as they fell on a failed two-point conversion 29-27.

Smith’s post-game comments contained no hint of despair or defeatism which characterized so many of his predecessors:

“[the best part was] probably just the feeling of the possibility of turning it around at the end of the 4th quarter — although I lost 29-27, it certainly felt winnable”

He even went ahead and scheduled a scrimmage with fellow Season 3 rookie, Coach Hal Jenny, at Southeastern Louisiana after his defeat. Unfortunately cameras and reporters were not allowed at this event, but piecemeal reports from players and the following statement from Smith indicate a wild game with the same defensive gusto as the Pro Bowl:

“The scrimmage between week 1 and week 2 was also generally fun all around — it was my first volatile game (the week 1 game was boring by FCS standards) and it really introduced me to the madness of fake FCS”

After a pair of exciting matches with no results yet to speak of, Smith enters week 2 with the hopes of defeating a one-time playoff team, Coach Kory Bahlman, and the Presbyterian Blue Hose.

Matchday with Mr. Smith

Twenty minutes before kickoff and Hancock Stadium is beginning to fill to capacity. Though not as full as the opener against Morgan State, it appears that the Illinois State fans are pulling their weight. Only a fraction of the fans in the sea of red and black are sporting the Presbyterian blue and white. The Redbirds race onto the field after each player taps the bronzed mascot while the Illinois State students chant the lyrics to “Radioactive”, the anthem of the team.

Pregame Tradition: each player races onto the field after touching the Redbird bust

The coin toss shows tails and Coach Bahlman defers, challenging the defensive-minded Smith to score first. A strong start is essential for a coach looking for his first ever win and Smith knows it. On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Michael Greene looks for his running back Shamar Scott on a simple wheel, but corner Jerron Washburn jumps the route! With a clean path to the endzone Washburn launches like an Olympic sprinter showcasing that 4.4 speed. Only one problem, he outruns his hands and the ball falls harmlessly to the grass. As the Presbyterian defensive back is licking his wounds, Greene and the Redbirds move to the Blue Hose 49. Faced with a 4th and 3, Smith gambles and sends his offense back out, only for Scott to suffer from butterfingers as he too drops an easy score.

Smith looks rightfully angry after the botched conversion while Coach Bahlman looks ecstatic as his offense assumes control of the ball. Within seconds however, it’s his turn to be frustrated as the Blue Hose end the drive unceremoniously gaining 3 yards. Illinois State starts from their own 20 and quickly faces their second 4th down of the quarter. No hesitation from Smith as he calls a hurry up stretch play allowing Scott to get loose for 17. Once again it’s for naught, as Junior Chris Delaney punts it away 5 plays later.

Presbyterian struggles through a second 3 and out in the face of staunch Illinois pressure. A third drive yields better results when Presbyterian cleanly makes a 46 yard field goal. A special teams mix up for the Blue Hose allows Sophomore Ronnie Reynolds to bring Illinois State to the 50. Three plays later Shamar Scott dances in the endzone after the game’s maiden touchdown, a forty yard showcase of speed and agility. After a quarter of slow play, we finally have a ballgame.

Running Back Shamar Scott had an electric day with 50+ rushing and receiving and a pair of scores

Presbyterian responds with a touchdown of their own, Junior Miles Bannister catching his third touchdown of the year from the starter Chris Mallory. Smith sees the Presbyterian defenders keying on Scott and calls a play-action quick slant (otherwise known as Pass 1212 in the Redbird playbook). It catches both linebackers out of position and tight end Jason Tate scrambles for 50 yards inside the 5. Scott finds paydirt three plays later and it’ll be Illinois State 14-10.

Another round of defensive stops and Illinois State gets the ball back before the half. After a few short gains, Greene fails to recognize a blitzing safety and short arms an ill-advised throw right to Washburn. This time the Blue Hose corner silences the crowd, returning the interception 41 yards for a much needed 6 points. Unfortunately for Coach Bahlman, the senior sprained his ankle on the return and would not rejoin the game. Immediately Greene picks on the freshman replacement and receiver Erik Ochoa brings the sixth lead change to bear on a 75-yard catch and run.

At halftime Smith seems a little flustered, but more than happy with his team’s 4-point lead:

“The last few plays were turnover-td for [Presbyterian], PAT, kickoff, td for me, PAT, so my mind was mostly focused on that madness and what on earth to make of it — I spent so long thinking about this that Q3 had started with me barely noticing”

All that remains between Smith and his first win is two quarters of football against a desperate Presbyterian team. Bahlman calls three haymakers to start the half, but none of them find Presbyterian receivers and they are forced to punt for the third time. The two teams trade punts and Illinois State kicks off their seventh drive with a 9-play 71-yard effort highlighted by Jason Tate’s 35-yard reception and Scott’s second touchdown from 19 yards out to give Illinois State a commanding 28-17 lead. Following a fifth Presbyterian punt, it seems all but over as the game enters the fourth.

As stellar as the Redbird defense has been for the past three quarters, their time on the field is starting to show. When the offense can’t get anything going at the Presbyterian 46, the Blue Hose second stringer Mason Brzcyowicz commands a short drive setting up Bahlman’s offense on the seven. With some trickery, Brzcyowicz flips a pass to his right tackle and Presbyterian brings the game back to within one score.

A slow ungainly drive from Smith and Illinois State somehow ends with 3 points upping the lead to 7. Now the driving Presbyterian team gets the ball with 3 minutes left in the game. The Illinois State defense has been on the field all night, rising to each occasion, but now they’ll need to generate one more stop to keep this game in regulation. A sack from Nicolette and an incompletion leaves Presbyterian at the Redbird 42 with a 3rd and 13. Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Smith dials up a double safety blitz (the Cardinal 803 call). It could not have been more ill-timed, Brzcyowicz shrugs off the ineffective pressure and delivers a strike for 42 yards to set up the game-tying score. As the PAT goes in, Illinois State stadium seems oddly excited even though they watched their lead slip away. In a matter of moments we see why.

Smith was saving a trick play for the very end. With the game on the line and his coaching record in the balance, Greene takes the snap and immediately flips the ball to the lone running back Scott. With Scott sprinting towards the Blue Hose sideline, he gives the ball on a reverse to Dameon Hawkins! Hawkins sprints back the other way, narrowly avoiding the left end before stopping just shy of the line of scrimmage. The crowd realizes at the same time as the safeties; a wave of excitement erupts from the stands, “IT’S A PASS!” Greene has made his way downfield all alone and Hawkins’ throw loosely spirals into his outstretched arms. The 55-yard receiver to quarterback completion effectively ends the night for Presbyterian.

#9 Michael Greene would catch the deciding pass from #20 Dameon Hawkins

Sophomore kicker Freddy Blackmon nails the 26 yarder and its pandemonium at Hancock. This time it’s Smith who’s triumphantly celebrating with his players one week after Coach Ryland danced on the hearts of Redbird fans. For a fanbase who has endured so much torment over the past two years, for once they can celebrate an exciting victory. As the Redbird players revelled in their first victory, Smith kept his post-game speech short:

“We grinded out a win, it was a fight from Q1 on and we finally did it!”



Final: Illinois State 34, Presbyterian 31

This article is dedicated to Coach Purple of the Jacksonville Dolphins. One day you too will leave the winless-chat for good.