South Dakota State defeats Illinois State 31-14

Behind a pair of scoring passes from Josh Holst and a 31-yard pick-six by Myles Green, South Dakota State defeated Illinois State 31-14 on Saturday night in a showdown featuring a pair of elite Championship Subdivision squads.

South Dakota State Ground Game Overwhelms Redbirds

Holst completed 18 of 23 passes for 153 yards, orchestrating an offensive rhythm that kept the Illinois State defense on its heels. Josiah Johnson carried the ball 19 times for 131 yards, while teammate James Basinger added 90 yards on just seven rushing attempts.

South Dakota State wasted little time establishing control. After the tenth-ranked Redbirds turned the ball over on downs at their own 38-yard line to start the contest, Holst needed only three plays to find Lofton O’Groske for a 33-yard touchdown pass, opening a 7-0 lead. Illinois State responded when Dexter Niekamp sacked Holst, stripped the ball, and recovered the fumble at the Redbirds’ 36-yard line. That defensive stop fueled a 12-play drive that Chase Kwiatkowski finished with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Tristan Alvano answered for the Jackrabbits by kicking a 31-yard field goal on the final play of the first half, sending the visitors into the locker room ahead 10-7.

Green and Basinger Score Late to Seal Victory

Roy finished the night with 141 yards on 16-for-32 passing, throwing two interceptions that proved costly to the home side’s upset bid.

With 1:33 remaining in the third quarter, Holst capped a 10-play, 73-yard march by connecting with Greyton Gannon for a 7-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 17-7. Green then delivered the defensive dagger with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, intercepting Roy and racing 31 yards to the end zone.

Less than three minutes later, Basinger broke through several tackles on a 66-yard scoring run, stretching the margin to 31-7. Kwiatkowski managed a late short scoring run for Illinois State, but the deficit proved insurmountable.

South Dakota State Poised for Top Rank

South Dakota State entered the night ranked No. 2 in the Stats Perform poll. Following Idaho’s 35-34 upset of top-ranked and defending FCS champion Montana State on Friday night, the Jackrabbits are now in position to claim the number one ranking.

Illinois State slips to 4-2 overall and 0-2 in conference play following the home defeat. South Dakota State travels to face North Dakota on Oct. 17, while Illinois State looks to rebound on the same date against Southern Illinois.