TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — In an exciting matchup on Saturday, Illinois State secured a 31-19 victory over Indiana State, marking their fourth consecutive win of the season. Tommy Rittenhouse led the charge for the Redbirds with an impressive performance, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns.

The game began with Indiana State taking an early lead when Elijah Owens completed a lengthy opening drive that lasted 17 plays and covered 75 yards in 9 minutes and 19 seconds, punching it in from the 1-yard line.

Illinois State quickly responded, orchestrating a 72-yard drive through 16 plays, which lasted nearly six minutes. Rittenhouse connected with Xavier Lloyd on a 6-yard pass to even the score. The Redbirds gained the lead for good when Rittenhouse launched an 84-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Sobkowicz with just over ten minutes remaining in the first half. Ian Wagner capped off the half with a 26-yard field goal, sending Illinois State into the locker room with a 17-7 advantage.

The second half saw Rittenhouse continue to shine, throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Sobkowicz early in the third quarter. Later, Wenkers Wright added to the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 31-7. Sobkowicz had a standout performance, recording 156 receiving yards on eight receptions along with two touchdown catches.

In the final quarter, Indiana State fought back with Owens throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass to Zavion Taylor, followed by a 6-yard touchdown pass to Rashad Rochelle. Owens finished the game with 213 passing yards, two touchdown throws, and also contributed with 64 rushing yards and a score, but it wasn’t enough for the Sycamores (4-7, 3-4).