Brock Spack and the Redbirds get a week to rest up before facing North Dakota State. (Photo By Paul Morello/WJBC)

By Paul Morello

NORMAL - The Redbird football team will get some much-needed rest this week.

Illinois State has its bye on Saturday, before welcoming No. 1 North Dakota State to Hancock Stadium on Nov. 17.

"We need a rest," coach Brock Spack said Tuesday. "It's been a ten week grind. We've had a lot of adversity this season we've had to deal with with our team. Some more significant than others."

Spack said the Redbirds will have a bit of a lighter workload this week. They'll practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and have a light practice on Friday. Those practices will be shorter than usual.

"We'll do some things to keep ourselves fresh and sharp. Obviously, you've got to keep the quarterback and the passing game sharp," Spack said.

Illinois State would do well to keep themselves sharp, as the Bison are nothing to scoff at. NDSU is tied with South Dakota State for the league lead with a 5-1 mark. Those teams face off on Saturday.

The winner of that contest will secure at least a share of the league title. The Redbirds cannot win the conference title outright, but are still in a position to share the crown.

The Bison and Redbirds kick off at 12 p.m. Redbird Preview starts at 11 a.m. on WJBC AM 1230, FM 93.7 and WJBC.com.

Paul Morello can be reached at paul@wjbc.com.