# 2018 Illinois State Redbirds football team

The 2018 Illinois State Redbirds football team represented Illinois State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by tenth-year head coach Brock Spack, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for sixth in the MVFC. Illinois State played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.

## Preseason
### Preseason MVFC poll

The MVFC released their preseason poll on July 29, 2018, with the Redbirds predicted to finish in fifth place.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | North Dakota State | 390 (39) |
| 2 | South Dakota State | 270 |
| 3 | Northern Iowa | 258 |
| 4 | Youngstown State | 248 |
| 5 | Illinois State | 248 |
| 6 | South Dakota | 206 |
| 7 | Western Illinois | 163 |
| 8 | Southern Illinois | 139 |
| 9 | Missouri State | 90 |
| 10 | Indiana State | 41 |

### Preseason All-MVFC Teams

The Redbirds placed five players on the preseason all-MVFC teams.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 6:30 p.m. | Saint Xavier* | No. 21 | Hancock StadiumNormal, IL | NBCS CHIC+, ESPN+ | W 46–0 | 9,157 |
| September 8 | 6:30 p.m. | Eastern Illinois* | No. 19 | Hancock StadiumNormal, IL (Mid-America Classic) | NBCS CHIC+, ESPN+ | W 48–10 | 8,914 |
| September 22 | 2:00 p.m. | at Colorado State* | No. 16 | Canvas StadiumFort Collins, CO | ATTSN | W 35–19 | 26,259 |
| September 29 | 2:00 p.m. | at Missouri State | No. 9 | Robert W. Plaster StadiumSpringfield, MO | ESPN+ | L 21–24 | 12,224 |
| October 6 | 2:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | No. 15 | Hancock StadiumNormal, IL | NBCS CHIC, ESPN+ | W 33–16 | 8,516 |
| October 13 | 2:00 p.m. | Southern Illinois | No. 12 | Hancock StadiumNormal, IL | ESPN3 | W 51–3 | 11,247 |
| October 20 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 1 North Dakota State | No. 8 | FargodomeFargo, ND | ESPN+ | L 14–28 | 18,553 |
| October 27 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 7 South Dakota State | No. 11 | Hancock StadiumNormal, IL | ESPN3 | L 28–38 | 12,144 |
| November 3 | 1:00 p.m. | at Northern Iowa | No. 14 | UNI-DomeCedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | L 16–26 | 10,838 |
| November 10 | 12:00 p.m. | at Indiana State | No. 23 | Memorial StadiumTerre Haute, IN | ESPN3 | L 23–28 | 4,016 |
| November 17 | 12:00 p.m. | Youngstown State | | Hancock StadiumNormal, IL | NBCS CHIC, ESPN+ | W 35–28 | 6,072 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Saint Xavier

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 21 Redbirds | 14 | 10 | 14 | 8 | 46 |

### Eastern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 19 Redbirds | 7 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 48 |

### At Colorado State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Redbirds | 0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Rams | 6 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 19 |

### At Missouri State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 9 Redbirds | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
| Bears | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |

### Western Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 6 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| No. 15 Redbirds | 2 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 33 |

### Southern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Salukis | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 12 Redbirds | 7 | 24 | 7 | 13 | 51 |

### At North Dakota State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Redbirds | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| No. 1 Bison | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |

### South Dakota State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 7 Jackrabbits | 7 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 38 |
| No. 11 Redbirds | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 28 |

### At Northern Iowa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Redbirds | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 16 |
| Panthers | 3 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 26 |

### At Indiana State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 23 Redbirds | 10 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
| Sycamores | 0 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 28 |

### Youngstown State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Penguins | 3 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 28 |
| Redbirds | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 21 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 9 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 23 | RV | RV | |
| Coaches | 20 | 19 | 18–T | 15 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 22 | RV | RV | |