Suburban connection sends Illinois State soaring to massive playoff upset
Receiver Daniel Sobkowicz and quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse didn't know each other before arriving at Illinois State as freshmen in the fall of 2021.
They built a connection quickly and four years later became the talk of college football.
Sobkowicz, from Rolling Meadows, caught 3 touchdowns, including two in the final 2:45 as the Redbirds pulled off a stunning 29-28 upset of No. 1-ranked North Dakota State last Saturday. Rittenhouse, from St. Francis High School, bounced back from throwing 5 interceptions to lead the dramatic comeback.
North Dakota State has won 10 of the last 14 FCS championships and was 38-1 in playoff games at the FargoDome. Illinois State had also lost 14 straight to its Missouri Valley Conference rival.
After the win the players arrived back in Bloomington-Normal in time to celebrate with fans during a men's basketball game at Redbird Arena.
“I can't even really express words of how much that meant to this team and to me,” Sobkowicz said in a phone interview.
The 6-foot-3 receiver began college as a walk-on and is now the school's all-time leader in receiving touchdowns with 36. If he gets 7 catches on Saturday at UC-Davis, he'll take the lead in receptions. He's second in receiving yards.
Sobkowicz was at the center of the drama in Fargo. Things looked hopeless for Illinois State when it failed on fourth down at the NDSU 4-yard line, trailing 28-14 with 6:14 remaining.
The Redbirds got the ball right back, and Sobkowicz made a leaping catch at the sideline, barely getting a foot down in bounds for an 8-yard touchdown that made it a one-score game with 2:45 remaining.
“It was definitely a good catch,” he said. “At the end of the day, I feel like I can make that catch every single time. It's just one of those things I think I excel at.”
Illinois State got the ball back in plus territory after a strip sack and fumble recovery by Jake Anderson. On fourth-and-goal at the 6, Rittenhouse scrambled to his right and knew exactly where to find Sobkowicz, running across the back of the end zone. A 2-point pass to fullback Scott Presson flipped the lead with a minute left.
On Monday, Illinois State coach Brock Spack credited Rittenhouse's ability to bounce back from a frustrating start.
“Not too many quarterbacks I've been around could ever do what he did,” Spack said. “The first three interceptions he threw were all tipped (at the line of scrimmage). That's tough, and one of them was a tipped pick-6.
“He has a really uncanny ability to get himself out of a tailspin. I'd take him any fight. He's very competitive.”
Last year the Redbirds played at UC-Davis in the second round and lost 42-10. The No. 8 seed Aggies piled up 553 yards of total offense in a 47-26 win over Rhode Island last Saturday.
“We didn't come out the way we wanted to last year,” Sobkowicz said. “I think it was one of those games that we knew we could have played a lot better. I think we're going to be a lot better prepared. Playing in warm weather again is something I will not complain about.”
Double dose
Two local teams will compete in the Division III quarterfinals this weekend. No. 1 North Central will host Bethel (Minnesota) in Naperville at noon. The Royals (12-0) have had just a single one-score game this season, a 17-10 win over St. John's.
Wheaton will try to win its third road game in a row at Wisconsin-River Falls at 2 p.m. Both games are available on ESPN+. River Falls (11-1) lost to Wisconsin-Oshkosh but otherwise rolled through the stacked Wisconsin conference, blowing out LaCrosse and Whitewater late in the season.
Kings of MAC
Western Michigan's Jalen Buckley (Batavia) opened the MAC title game with a 67-yard touchdown run and finished with 193 yards on 19 carries as the Broncos beat Miami, Ohio 23-13.
Tight end Michael Brescia (Hinsdale Central), a former quarterback at Colgate, led WMU with 47 receiving yards.