The 2015 Illinois State Redbirds football team represented Illinois State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Brock Spack, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, sharing the MVFC title with North Dakota State for the second consecutive season. Illinois State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs. After a first-round bye, the Redbirds defeated Western Illinois in the second round, before losing to Richmond in the quarterfinals. The team played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|
September 5 | 11:00 am | at Iowa* | No. 2 | | BTN | L 14–31 | 59,450 |
September 12 | 6:30 pm | Morgan State* | No. 4 | | CSN+/ESPN3 | W 67–14 | 13,391 |
September 19 | 6:00 pm | at Eastern Illinois* | No. 5 | | WMBD | W 34–31 OT | 8,104 |
October 3 | 12:00 pm | No. 7 Northern Iowa | No. 4 | - Hancock Stadium
- Normal, IL
| MVC TV/ESPN3 | W 21–13 | 13,391 |
October 10 | 6:00 pm | at No. 9 Youngstown State | No. 4 | | ESPN3 | W 31–29 | 17,715 |
October 17 | 2:00 pm | at Missouri State | No. 4 | | ESPN3 | W 38–2 | 14,212 |
October 24 | 2:00 pm | No. 20 Western Illinois | No. 3 | - Hancock Stadium
- Normal, IL
| CSNC/ESPN3 | W 48–28 | 13,391 |
October 31 | 12:00 pm | No. 21 Indiana State | No. 3 | - Hancock Stadium
- Normal, IL
| CSNC/ESPN3 | W 27–24 | 7,498 |
November 7 | 2:00 pm | at No. 11 South Dakota State | No. 2 | | ESPN3 | L 20–25 | 9,081 |
November 14 | 2:00 pm | at Southern Illinois | No. 6 | | MVC TV/ESPN3 | W 42–21 | 6,388 |
November 21 | 12:00 pm | South Dakota | No. 6 | - Hancock Stadium
- Normal, IL
| CSNC/ESPN3 | W 46–0 | 5,210 |
December 5 | 1:00 pm | Western Illinois* | No. 4 | | ESPN3 | W 36–19 | 6,124 |
December 11 | 6:30 pm | No. 12 Richmond* | No. 4 | - Hancock Stadium
- Normal, IL (NCAA Division I Quarterfinal)
| ESPN3 | L 27–39 | 5,356 |
|
[1][2]
Game summaries
@ Iowa
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
#2 Redbirds
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
14 |
14 |
Hawkeyes
|
7
|
10
|
7
|
7 |
31 |
Morgan State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Bears
|
0
|
7
|
7
|
0 |
14 |
#4 Redbirds
|
22
|
14
|
21
|
10 |
67 |
@ Eastern Illinois
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 | OT |
Total |
#5 Redbirds
|
10
|
14
|
0
|
7 | 3 |
34 |
Panthers
|
14
|
7
|
0
|
10 | 0 |
31 |
Northern Iowa
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
#7 Panthers
|
0
|
7
|
3
|
3 |
13 |
#4 Redbirds
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
14 |
21 |
@ Youngstown State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
#4 Redbirds
|
7
|
7
|
3
|
14 |
31 |
#9 Penguins
|
6
|
3
|
3
|
17 |
29 |
@ Missouri State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
#4 Redbirds
|
14
|
17
|
7
|
0 |
38 |
Bears
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2 |
2 |
Western Illinois
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
#20 Leathernecks
|
7
|
14
|
7
|
0 |
28 |
#3 Redbirds
|
14
|
7
|
14
|
13 |
48 |
Indiana State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
#21 Sycamores
|
0
|
21
|
3
|
0 |
24 |
#3 Redbirds
|
2
|
7
|
7
|
11 |
27 |
@ South Dakota State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
#2 Redbirds
|
7
|
0
|
7
|
6 |
20 |
#11 Jackrabbits
|
0
|
13
|
6
|
6 |
25 |
@ Southern Illinois
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
#6 Redbirds
|
0
|
14
|
21
|
7 |
42 |
Salukis
|
0
|
21
|
0
|
0 |
21 |
South Dakota
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Coyotes
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
0 |
#6 Redbirds
|
3
|
20
|
13
|
10 |
46 |
Western Illinois—NCAA Division I Second Round
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Leathernecks
|
3
|
3
|
6
|
7 |
19 |
#4 Redbirds
|
7
|
0
|
8
|
21 |
36 |
Richmond—NCAA Division I Quarterfinal
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
#12 Spiders
|
10
|
9
|
6
|
14 |
39 |
#4 Redbirds
|
0
|
7
|
7
|
13 |
27 |
Ranking movements
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes | Week |
---|
Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
---|
STATS FCS | 2 (3) | 4 (20) | 5 (6) | 4 (2) | 4 (2) | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 3 (6) | 3 (3) | 2 (18) | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
---|
Coaches | 2 | 5 (6) | 6 (1) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 (2) | 3 (20) | 2 (3) | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
---|
References
|
---|
Venues | |
---|
Bowls & rivalries | |
---|
Culture & lore | |
---|
People | |
---|
Seasons | |
---|
|
---|
|
National championships in bold |