By Eric Stock

NORMAL – Illinois State football coach Brock Spack is grateful to finally see some cooler weather.

The ninth-year head coach said his team has had to scaled back practice time and intensity during the recent heat wave.

“You give a little bit up for not practicing, but you gain a little bit at the end… in the season and maybe at the end of the game,” Spack said. “It’s one thing to be tough, it’s another thing to be stupid. We don’t want to be stupid.”

The Redbirds also played their last two games with temperatures in the upper 80s. It should be much cooler this Saturday night with Indiana State comes to Hancock Stadium.

Daytime highs are predicted to reach 72 with an overnight low of 52.

The 8th-ranked Redbirds will face an 0-3 Sycamores’ team which lost by a combined three points to Eastern Illinois and FCS-ranked Liberty and fell to Tennessee, an FBS-ranked team.

Spack is warning against any letdown.

“It’s the Missouri Valley, every team is capable,” Spack said. “You can’t fall asleep at the switch or you are going to get beat.”

WJBC will have the game at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].