Illinois State Red Team edges White Team 23-20 in double overtime scrimmage

The Red Team’s 23-20 double-overtime win over the White Team was not a spring formality. It was a live audition, and Illinois State got enough of a battle at Jay and Lori Bergman Field at Hancock Stadium to learn something real about its backfield, its passing game and its defensive front.

Tyler Lofton was the headline. He opened the scoring with a 39-yard touchdown run on the White Team’s second drive, then finished with 22 carries for 119 yards and three touchdowns. His second score, a short catch from Chase Kwiatkowski, pushed White back in front 14-7 at halftime. His third came when White needed it most, a one-yard run on fourth-and-one in the second overtime that sealed the Red Team’s comeback. Anthony Hall gave Red a lift in between with a four-yard touchdown run after a 9-play, 51-yard drive in the second quarter, and he finished with 20 carries for 94 yards and a score of his own.

The kicking game mattered just as much in a tight scrimmage that stayed true to the scoreboard. Casey Roney connected from 42 yards to trim the deficit to 14-10, Michael Cosentino answered with a 25-yard field goal to force overtime, then drilled a 34-yarder to put White up 20-17 after a scoreless first extra session. Red had the final answer, and Lofton’s fourth-down finish made sure the spring ended with a competitive edge instead of a tidy split-team exhibition.

The quarterbacks also gave Illinois State a useful read on depth. Beckham Pellant went 17 of 23 for 125 yards, Gage Roy finished 15 of 22 for 131 yards, and Kwiatkowski threw for 103 yards and a touchdown while helping engineer White’s early lead. Ian Willis added eight catches for 71 yards, giving the Redbirds another spring data point at receiver.

There was more at stake around the field than just the result. Illinois State wrapped up 13 spring practices and a four-plus-week spring schedule with the showcase, which also included a Kids Football Fest before kickoff. Brock Spack, entering his 18th season in 2026 with a 123-79 record at Illinois State and seven FCS playoff trips, has built a program that expects September to feel heavy, not hollow. The Redbirds reached the 2025 FCS national championship game before losing 35-34 in overtime to Montana State, and Saturday’s finish suggested the standard remains the same: competition is not optional.

Defensively, Jamaricus Thomas made the loudest spring statement. He posted seven tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks, the kind of production that changes how a staff looks at its front seven when fall roles are on the line.