2015 Illinois State Redbirds football team

{{short description|American college football season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 2015

| team = Illinois State Redbirds

| sport = football

| image = Illinois State Redbirds Wordmark.png

| image_size = 175

| conference = Missouri Valley Football Conference

| short_conf = MVFC

| STATSRank = 5

| FCSCoachRank = 5

| record = 10–3

| conf_record = 7–1

| head_coach = Brock Spack

| hc_year = 7th

| off_coach = Kurt Beathard

| oc_year = 2nd

| off_scheme =

| def_coach = Spence Nowinsky

| dc_year = 2nd

| def_scheme =

| mvp = Marshaun Coprich

| mvp2 = Pat Meehan

| mvp3 = Dalton Keene

| captain = Tre Roberson

| captain2 = Pat Meehan

| captain3 = Soniel Estime

| stadium = Hancock Stadium

| champion = MVFC co–champion

| bowl = NCAA Division I Quarterfinal

| bowl_result = L 27–39 vs. Richmond

}}

{{2015 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings}}

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

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 2015

| rankdivision = NCAA Division I FCS

| poll = STATS

| timezone = Central

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 5

| time = 11:00 am

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| rank = 2

| opponent = Iowa

| site_stadium = Kinnick Stadium

| site_cityst = Iowa City, IA

| tv = BTN

| score = 14–31

| attend = 59,450

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 12

| time = 6:30 pm

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| rank = 4

| opponent = Morgan State

| site_stadium = Hancock Stadium

| site_cityst = Normal, IL

| tv = CSN+/ESPN3

| score = 67–14

| attend = 13,391

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 19

| time = 6:00 pm

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| rank = 5

| opponent = Eastern Illinois

| site_stadium = O'Brien Stadium

| site_cityst = Charleston, IL

| gamename = Mid-America Classic

| tv = WMBD

| score = 34–31

| overtime = OT

| attend = 8,104

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 3

| time = 12:00 pm

| w/l = w

| rank = 4

| opponent = Northern Iowa

| opprank = 7

| site_stadium = Hancock Stadium

| site_cityst = Normal, IL

| tv = MVC TV/ESPN3

| score = 21–13

| attend = 13,391

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 10

| time = 6:00 pm

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 4

| opponent = Youngstown State

| opprank = 9

| site_stadium = Stambaugh Stadium

| site_cityst = Youngstown, OH

| tv = ESPN3

| score = 31–29

| attend = 17,715

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 17

| time = 2:00 pm

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 4

| opponent = Missouri State

| site_stadium = Plaster Sports Complex

| site_cityst = Springfield, MO

| tv = ESPN3

| score = 38–2

| attend = 14,212

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 24

| time = 2:00 pm

| w/l = w

| rank = 3

| opponent = Western Illinois

| opprank = 20

| site_stadium = Hancock Stadium

| site_cityst = Normal, IL

| tv = CSNC/ESPN3

| score = 48–28

| attend = 13,391

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 31

| time = 12:00 pm

| w/l = w

| rank = 3

| opponent = Indiana State

| opprank = 21

| site_stadium = Hancock Stadium

| site_cityst = Normal, IL

| tv = CSNC/ESPN3

| score = 27–24

| attend = 7,498

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 7

| time = 2:00 pm

| w/l = l

| away = y

| rank = 2

| opponent = South Dakota State

| opprank = 11

| site_stadium = Coughlin–Alumni Stadium

| site_cityst = Brookings, SD

| tv = ESPN3

| score = 20–25

| attend = 9,081

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 14

| time = 2:00 pm

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 6

| opponent = Southern Illinois

| site_stadium = Saluki Stadium

| site_cityst = Carbondale, IL

| tv = MVC TV/ESPN3

| score = 42–21

| attend = 6,388

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 21

| time = 12:00 pm

| w/l = w

| rank = 6

| opponent = South Dakota

| site_stadium = Hancock Stadium

| site_cityst = Normal, IL

| tv = CSNC/ESPN3

| score = 46–0

| attend = 5,210

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = December 5

| time = 1:00 pm

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| rank = 4

| opponent = Western Illinois

| site_stadium = Hancock Stadium

| site_cityst = Normal, IL

| gamename = NCAA Division I Second Round

| tv = ESPN3

| score = 36–19

| attend = 6,124

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = December 11

| time = 6:30 pm

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| rank = 4

| opponent = Richmond

| opprank = 12

| site_stadium = Hancock Stadium

| site_cityst = Normal, IL

| gamename = NCAA Division I Quarterfinal

| tv = ESPN3

| score = 27–39

| attend = 5,356

}}

}}

{{cite web |author= |title=Illinois State Redbirds Schedule 2015 |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/team/schedule/_/id/2287/season/2015 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=November 29, 2022 }}{{cite web |author= |title=2015 Football Schedule |url=https://goredbirds.com/sports/football/schedule/2015 |publisher=Illinois State University |access-date=November 29, 2022 }}

Game summaries

=@ Iowa=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=#2 Redbirds

|R1= 0

|R2= 0

|R3= 0

|R4= 14

|Home=Hawkeyes

|H1= 7

|H2= 10

|H3= 7

|H4= 7

}}

{{see also|2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team}}

{{Clear}}

=Morgan State=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=Bears

|R1= 0

|R2= 7

|R3= 7

|R4= 0

|Home=#4 Redbirds

|H1= 22

|H2= 14

|H3= 21

|H4= 10

}}

{{see also|2015 Morgan State Bears football team}}

{{Clear}}

=@ Eastern Illinois=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=#5 Redbirds

|R1= 10

|R2= 14

|R3= 0

|R4= 7

|R5= 3

|Home=Panthers

|H1= 14

|H2= 7

|H3= 0

|H4= 10

|H5= 0

}}

{{see also|2015 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team|Mid-America Classic}}

{{Clear}}

=Northern Iowa=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=#7 Panthers

|R1= 0

|R2= 7

|R3= 3

|R4= 3

|Home=#4 Redbirds

|H1= 0

|H2= 0

|H3= 7

|H4= 14

}}

{{see also|2015 Northern Iowa Panthers football team}}

{{Clear}}

=@ Youngstown State=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=#4 Redbirds

|R1= 7

|R2= 7

|R3= 3

|R4= 14

|Home=#9 Penguins

|H1= 6

|H2= 3

|H3= 3

|H4= 17

}}

{{see also|2015 Youngstown State Penguins football team}}

{{Clear}}

=@ Missouri State=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=#4 Redbirds

|R1= 14

|R2= 17

|R3= 7

|R4= 0

|Home=Bears

|H1= 0

|H2= 0

|H3= 0

|H4= 2

}}

{{see also|2015 Missouri State Bears football team}}

{{Clear}}

=Western Illinois=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=#20 Leathernecks

|R1= 7

|R2= 14

|R3= 7

|R4= 0

|Home=#3 Redbirds

|H1= 14

|H2= 7

|H3= 14

|H4= 13

}}

{{see also|2015 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team}}

{{Clear}}

=Indiana State=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=#21 Sycamores

|R1= 0

|R2= 21

|R3= 3

|R4= 0

|Home=#3 Redbirds

|H1= 2

|H2= 7

|H3= 7

|H4= 11

}}

{{see also|2015 Indiana State Sycamores football team}}

{{Clear}}

=@ South Dakota State=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=#2 Redbirds

|R1= 7

|R2= 0

|R3= 7

|R4= 6

|Home=#11 Jackrabbits

|H1= 0

|H2= 13

|H3= 6

|H4= 6

}}

{{see also|2015 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team}}

{{Clear}}

=@ Southern Illinois=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=#6 Redbirds

|R1= 0

|R2= 14

|R3= 21

|R4= 7

|Home=Salukis

|H1= 0

|H2= 21

|H3= 0

|H4= 0

}}

{{see also|2015 Southern Illinois Salukis football team}}

{{Clear}}

=South Dakota=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=Coyotes

|R1= 0

|R2= 0

|R3= 0

|R4= 0

|Home=#6 Redbirds

|H1= 3

|H2= 20

|H3= 13

|H4= 10

}}

{{see also|2015 South Dakota Coyotes football team}}

{{Clear}}

=Western Illinois—NCAA Division I Second Round=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=Leathernecks

|R1= 3

|R2= 3

|R3= 6

|R4= 7

|Home=#4 Redbirds

|H1= 7

|H2= 0

|H3= 8

|H4= 21

}}

{{Clear}}

=Richmond—NCAA Division I Quarterfinal=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=#12 Spiders

|R1= 10

|R2= 9

|R3= 6

|R4= 14

|Home=#4 Redbirds

|H1= 0

|H2= 7

|H3= 7

|H4= 13

}}

{{see also|2015 Richmond Spiders football team}}

Ranking movements

{{Ranking movements

| poll1title = STATS FCS

| poll1firstweek = 0

| poll1lastweek = 13

| poll1_0=2 (3)

| poll1_1=4 (20)

| poll1_2=5 (6)

| poll1_3=4 (2)

| poll1_4=4 (2)

| poll1_5=4 (1)

| poll1_6=4 (1)

| poll1_7=3 (6)

| poll1_8=3 (3)

| poll1_9=2 (18)

| poll1_10=6

| poll1_11=6

| poll1_12=4

| poll1_13=5

| poll1_14=

| poll1_15=

| poll1_16=

| poll1_17=

| poll1_18=

| poll1_19=

| poll1_20=

| poll2title = Coaches

| poll2firstweek = 0

| poll2lastweek = 13

| poll2_0=2

| poll2_1=5 (6)

| poll2_2=6 (1)

| poll2_3=5

| poll2_4=4

| poll2_5=4

| poll2_6=4

| poll2_7=4 (2)

| poll2_8=3 (20)

| poll2_9=2 (3)

| poll2_10=6

| poll2_11=6

| poll2_12=4

| poll2_13=5

| poll2_14=

| poll2_15=

| poll2_16=

| poll2_17=

| poll2_18=

| poll2_19=

| poll2_20=

}}

References