Redbirds ranked No. 20 in FCS Preseason Top 25

Posted on August 7, 2017
Illinois State Big Red Marching Machine
Illinois State football returns 14 starters from last year’s FCS playoff team. (Photo courtesy GoRedbirds.com)

By ISU Sports Information

CHICAGO – The Illinois State football team was ranked No. 20 in the STATS FCS Preseason Top 25 announced Monday.

Illinois State advanced to the FCS Playoffs for the third-consecutive season in 2016, marking the first such streak in program history. The Redbirds return 14 starters in 2017, including eight on defense, as they look to extend the playoff streak to four seasons in a row. ISU is led by head coach Brock Spack, who begins his ninth season at the helm of the program (62-35) and has guided the ‘Birds to eight winning seasons and four total playoff appearances in his tenure.

The 2017 squad returns 14 starters (six offense, eight defense) from last year’s team and features five players who were selected to the MVFC preseason team. Included in the group are 2017 STATS FCS preseason All-American and Buck Buchanan Award Watch List selection Davontae Harris and 2016 MVFC second-team selections Dalton Keene and Alec Kocour. 2016 MVFC All-Newcomer Team pick Spencer Schnell also returns to catch passes from second-year starter Jake Kolbe, and kicker Sean Slattery heads into his final season after being named a preseason honorable mention pick.

James Madison, which won the CAA Football title and only lost to North Carolina in a 14-1 season, collected 134 of the 163 first-place votes and 4,034 points in the national media poll. On the way to winning their second national title, the Dukes ended North Dakota State’s five-year championship run in the semifinals. NDSU was picked second in the preseason poll, followed in the Top 5 by Sam Houston State, South Dakota State and Eastern Washington.

The Missouri Valley Football Conference had a poll-high six teams and the CAA was second with five. Joining the Bison (No. 2), Jackrabbits (No. 4) from the MVFC in the top 10 is last year’s national runners-up Youngstown State (No. 9). UNI (No. 18) came in just ahead of the Redbirds (No. 20) in the initial poll, and Western Illinois squeaked (No. 25) to round out the Valley Football representatives.
The Top 25 will be released every Monday afternoon during the regular season, except for Sunday morning, Nov. 19, prior to the selection of the 24-team FCS playoff field. A final Top 25 will follow the FCS championship game, which will be held Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas.

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