Illinois State will look to send their seniors out on a high note against Indiana State, as the Redbirds (4-6, 2-5 MVFC) return home for their final game of the regular season to host the Sycamores (4-6, 2-5 MVFC) on Senior Day at Hancock Stadium.

Illinois State freshman running back Cole Mueller heads into the final game of the 2021 season with 878 yards and is just 122 yards rushing away from the 1,000 mark. If he were to eclipse that plateau, Mueller would become just the 16th player in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season and would crack the Top 20 single season rushing marks in program history. With a big game, he could also eclipse the freshman single-season rushing record set by Cameron Smith in 1993 of  1,016 yards. 

In a year that has seen several young Redbird players get their first game experience, those young players have often stepped up in big ways for the Redbirds and make big contributions in year one. That held true at North Dakota, as freshmen Joshua Wright and J'Kalon Carter started for the first time in their young careers on offense and each played well. Freshman tight end Brett Spaulding also showed up in a big way, as he broke free for a 28-yard touchdown catch from fellow freshman Jackson Waring to tie the game in the fourth quarter. It was Spaulding's first career touchdown, as ISU has now had five newcomers score touchdowns this season.

Game time is noon Saturday at Hancock Stadium in Normal.