By Bryan Bloodworth
BLOOMINGTON – Illinois State football coach Brock Spack didn’t watch Sunday’s Football Championship Series Selection Show.
He was walking the dogs.
“I was walking my daughter’s dog and our new puppy, Reggie,” said the Redbirds’ coach. “I couldn’t watch it. I was so mad because all the Internet chatter was that we were out and that really angered me because I thought it was so unfair.”
But when he turned the corner on his way home, he knew the Redbirds had received one of 14 at-large berths in the 24-team playoffs for a school-record third straight year.
“Coming around the corner I hear my house erupt,” he continued. “I hear my wife, my daughter and Brent screaming. I heard them all the way out by the street, so we hustled in. It was great and I’m so excited. This team deserves to be in.”
ISU, winners of three straight, will take its 6-5 record to Conway, Ark., for a 2 p.m.. game Saturday against Central Arkansas. The game will be televised on espn3.
The Bears have a 9-2 record and play in the Southland Conference. The winner plays at Eastern Washington the following week.
ISU was the last name to go up on the board during the show and ISU senior linebacker Brent Spack admitted there were a few anxious moments at the end.
“My heart was pounding,” he said. “In the back of my mind – I mean – you saw all the teams on there that we had been tracking that if they got in it was likely we weren’t going to get in, so there was a lot of doubt, but still a lot of hope at the same time. Finally you hear those words Illinois State. I haven’t been that excited in a long time.”
ISU senior center Mark Spelman said he couldn’t be prouder of the team for rebounding for three straight wins at the end of the season when it had its back against the wall with a 3-5 record.
“It was a difficult season and we had to overcome a lot of obstacles,” he continued. “But all those things made us better without a doubt and we learned and grew from them. We were fortunate enough to have a great last three games and make a statement for the FCS.”
ISU, which is making its seventh playoff appearance overall, was among four Missouri Valley Conference teams to make the playoffs.
Others were four-time defending national champion and No. 1 overall seed North Dakota State, Valley champion South Dakota State and Youngstown State.
Joining North Dakota State as top seeds – two through eight – were Eastern Washington, Jacksonville State, James Madison, Sam Houston State, The Citadel, North Dakota and South Dakota State.
Bryan Bloodworth can be reached at lefty@wjbc.com
