Illinois State Pulls Away from Murray State 35-14
At 21-14 entering the fourth quarter, Murray State was a touchdown from tying it. Illinois State then scored twice in about three minutes of game time and the thing was done, 35-14.
The Redbirds got there with a balanced attack: 248 passing yards and 229 rushing, 477 in all, against 304 for Murray State. Victor Dawson opened the scoring with an 11-yard run with 9:55 left in the first quarter. Jawaun Northington answered with a 42-yard run at 13:20 of the second to tie it 7-7, which is the only time the Racers were level. Seth Glatz scored from a yard out with 1:33 left in the half to make it 14-7.
Beckham Pellant threw the third-quarter dagger, a 50-yard touchdown to Ethan Loss with 12:26 left. Baxter Wright answered with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Trey Firestone at 7:49 to cut it to 21-14, and that was the last Murray State score. Pellant found Dylan Lord from 5 yards with 10:42 to go in the fourth, and Dawson's 14-yard run with 7:44 left finished it.
Murray State threw two interceptions to Illinois State's one and ran for only 96 yards. Its passing game put up 208 yards, and that bought it a one-score game going into the fourth quarter and nothing after. The margin lived in that interception gap and in 173 more total yards for the Redbirds, which is about as simple as these things get.
Illinois State is 5-2 now. Murray State is 1-6, and Jaxon Potter's 131 receiving yards did not change that.