Dayton routed by Illinois State in opener

“We played a really good football team today,” UD coach Rick Chamberlin said. “We played a team that was faster, stronger and bigger than us, and that executed very well. “

Illinois State gained 510 yards of offense while holding Dayton’s to 163 yards. The Redbirds also converted 32 first downs while UD managed only eight.

Chamberlin said much of UD’s defensive struggles stemmed from the big offensive line of Illinois State. Every starter on the Illinois State offensive line weighs over 300 pounds.

“We knew that going in,” Chamberlin said. “Over 300 pounds all across. I was very pleased with our play up front, especially early on. … We were in positions to make a play and their running backs were big, strong kids who would run through some tackles, but we couldn’t get pressure on [ISU quarterback Matt] Brown when we needed it.”

The scoring was early and often for Illinois State. The Redbirds started the game’s opening drive from their own 26-yard line and proceeded on a 13-play, 77-yard drive that ended on a 2-yard touchdown run by Darrelynn Dunn with 9:15 to go in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Illinois State (1-0) jumped out to a 21-0 lead when Brown threw touchdown passes on back-to-back drives.

Brown’s counterpart, UD’s redshirt sophomore quarterback Will Bardo, was under relentless pressure from the Redbirds. Bardo was sacked twice and hurried eight times. Bardo finished the game 7-for-21 for 96 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

“They weren’t doing anything we hadn’t seen before,” Bardo said of the Illinois State defense. “It was a very simple defense. They just didn’t make mistakes. They were always in the right spots, so it was hard for us to make plays sometimes.”

Junior wide receiver Gary Hunter returned a punt 77 yards for touchdown in the second quarter to deny ISU the shutout and make it a 21-7 game. Hunter also caught a 42-yard pass from Bardo in third quarter, Dayton’s longest offensive play of the game.

It was 42-7 UD put together a seven-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a 17-yard touchdown pass Bardo to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Branden Johnson with 1:33 left in the third quarter.