NORMAL, Ill. — Wenkers Wright showcased an impressive performance, accumulating 118 rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns as the 13th-ranked Illinois State team triumphed over North Dakota with a decisive score of 35-13 in their regular season finale on Saturday.
With this victory, the Redbirds improved their record to 9-2 (6-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference) and are now aiming to secure a spot in the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2019. This would mark the sixth playoff appearance in Brock Spack’s tenure as head coach, spanning over 16 seasons.
Illinois State kicked off the game with a crafty play. Eddie Kasper executed a fleaflicker, connecting with Xavier Loyd on a 30-yard touchdown pass, concluding a well-executed seven-play drive that covered 70 yards.
North Dakota responded with their sole touchdown of the match when Simon Romfo threw a 20-yard pass to Nate DeMontagnac. This tied the game momentarily before Wright pushed through from the 10-yard line, putting Illinois State ahead 14-7 at the end of the first quarter. Midway through the second quarter, C.J. Elrichs added a 20-yard field goal for North Dakota, narrowing the gap to 14-10 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Wright extended the lead by scoring from 18 yards out, and shortly after, Mitch Bartol caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Rittenhouse, pushing the score to 28-10. To further solidify their lead, Seth Glatz scored on a 13-yard touchdown run, bringing the score to 35-10. Elrichs eventually added a 37-yard field goal for the Fighting Hawks, concluding the game’s scoring.
Rittenhouse had an efficient day, completing 21 of 33 passes for a total of 187 yards, while Lloyd stood out with eight receptions for 121 yards. For North Dakota, Romfo managed to complete 11 of 26 passes, tallying 135 yards and one touchdown, but also threw an interception. This matchup marked just the fourth time Illinois State faced North Dakota, and it was the third encounter between the teams as members of the Missouri Valley Conference, with the Redbirds having lost all three previous matchups.