Illinois State Football ranked 9th in preseason poll

Go Redbirds is the chant at Illinois State as the university is gearing up for the fall football season. This is the second straight year that Illinois State has been ranked in the top ten in a preseason poll by the College Sporting News. They are ranked 9th in the country in the 2007 NCAA Division I Championship Subdivision top 25 poll.Last year the Redbirds were 9-4 and they played in the FCS playoffs for the third time in school history. That team was led by Mt. Carmel’s Luke Drone at quarterback, who passed for 21 touchdowns in 2006.Other teams ranked in the top 25 from the Gateway Football Conference include Youngstown State, ranked number 4 while Northern Iowa is number 7 and Southern Illinois is ranked number 12. Other teams that ISU will face this fall that are ranked are North Dakota State at number 3, Eastern Illinois at 20 and South Dakota State at number 22. Both North and South Dakota will be added to the Gateway Conference in 2008. Last year’s defending national champion Appalachian State is the preseason number one pick.With high expectations for this year’s team, the Gateway Football Conference has tabbed the Redbirds to finish second behind Northern Iowa. The voting was very close with Northern Iowa getting 166 votes, ISU with 160 and Youngstown State was third with 159. The others followed with SIU-Carbondale fourth, then Western Illinois, Missouri State and Indiana State.Drone heads a group of six Redbird players to make the league’s all-conference preseason first team. Four other players made honorable mention. Drone last year lead the conference in yards passing with 228 per game, in total offense with 231.6 yards per game, while passing for 2,961 yards and 21 touchdowns. This is after a sensational year in 2005. Other first team players for the Redbirds include fullback Dave Mordis, offensive linemen Jonathan St. Pierre and Isaiah Wiggins, linebacker Kye Stewart and defensive back Tom Nelson.The players and coaches are all anxious for conditioning to begin and then practices in early August. They will be gearing up for their season opener against Drake University at home on August 30. Kick off is set for 6:30. Football fans, if you want to catch Drone in action close to home the Redbirds will be at Eastern Illinois on Sept. 15 and at SIU-Carbondale on Nov. 10.
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