With two road games to start the season under its belt, No. 18 Illinois State will host its home openers on Saturday against longtime in-state rival Western Illinois.

Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse did it all for the Redbirds in their road win at North Alabama. The junior quarterback from Geneva, Illinois, rushed for a career-high 94 yards and accounted for 236 yards of total offense in the Redbirds' win over the Lions. Rittenhouse was also responsible for three touchdowns in the win, two coming on the ground and one through the air. 

Despite not having the services of preseason All-American and 2023 MVFC Newcomer of the Year Mason King due to injury, the Redbirds still managed to control the game on the ground in their 24-17 road win at North Alabama. ISU racked up 325 yards on the ground, its most since rushing for 345 yards in a win against Murray State late last season. 

The rushing attack was led by senior Wenkers Wright, who racked up 153 yards on the ground including a big 54 yard run late in the fourth quarter that helped put the game away. 

Rittenhouse also rushed for a career-best 94 yards in the contest, with two rushing scores including a 71-yard dash. 

Newcomer Seth Glatz also had a solid game with 51 yards and Josh Robinson added 37. Wide receiver Xavier Loyd also got in on the mix, picking up nine yards and a first down on an end-around run.

Coming off a week one tough assignment against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Redbird defense looked to get back to its standard of stopping the run against North Alabama. The usually stout rushing defense for the Redbirds was apparent once again, as they held the Lions to just 83 yards on the ground and racked up nine TFLs in the 24-17 victory. 

Joe Davis (Adrian, 2002) is in his first season as the head coach at Western Illinois (0-2). Davis became the 32nd Head Football Coach at Western Illinois in December 2023 after serving the last two years as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterback Coach at Eastern Illinois. Prior to EIU, Davis spent 2018-2021 as the Associate Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at UAlbany.

Western is off to an 0-2 start to the season, after dropping games to a pair of FBS foes in Northern Illinois (54-15) and Indiana (77-3). The Leathernecks come into the game looking to snap a 26-game losing streak. The last Western Illinois victory came on Saturday, October 30, 2021, against Illinois State. The last Leatherneck road win was at Youngstown State on September 25, 2021.

Game time is noon on Saturday.