1990 Illinois State Redbirds football team

1990 Illinois State Redbirds football
Conference	Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference
Record	5–6 (3–3 GCAC)
Head coach	Jim Heacock (3rd season)
Home stadium	Hancock Stadium

1990 Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 6 Southwest Missouri State +^	5	–	1	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
No. 11 Northern Iowa +^	5	–	1	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
Eastern Illinois	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Illinois State	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Western Illinois	3	–	3	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Indiana State	1	–	5	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Southern Illinois	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1990 Illinois State Redbirds football team represented Illinois State University as a member of the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (GCAC) during the 1990 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their third year under head coach Jim Heacock, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 5–6, with a mark of 3–3 in conference play, and finished tied for third in the GCAC. Illinois State played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 1	at Akron*	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	L 7–17	20,001	[1]
September 8	Ball State*	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	L 3–13	11,497	[2]
September 15	at Western Kentucky*	L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	L 9–19	14,500	[3]
September 22	Missouri–Rolla*	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	W 46–0	13,033	[4]
September 29	Eastern Illinois	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL (rivalry)	W 28–7	12,164	[5]
October 6	at No. 17 Northern Iowa	UNI-Dome Cedar Falls, IA	L 0–31	14,689	[6]
October 13	Southern Illinois	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	W 27–3	10,812	[7]
October 20	No. 2 Southwest Missouri State	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	L 30–45	11,936	[8]
October 27	Austin Peay*	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	W 13–9		[9]
November 3	Indiana State	Memorial Stadium Terre Haute, IN	W 28–24	3,622	[10]
November 10	at Western Illinois	Hanson Field Macomb, IL	L 7–21	8,176	[11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Zips win first with defense". The Akron Beacon Journal. September 2, 1990. Retrieved January 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Ball State a winner in opener". The South Bend Tribune. September 9, 1990. Retrieved January 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Western Kentucky tops Illinois St. 19–9". Lexington Herald-Leader. September 16, 1990. Retrieved January 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Illinois State 46, Missouri–Rolla 0". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 23, 1990. Retrieved January 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Busted play breaks Eastern's back". Herald and Review. September 30, 1990. Retrieved January 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Northern Iowa defense shuts down Illinois State". The Des Moines Register. October 7, 1990. Retrieved January 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Bloodworth, Bryan (October 14, 1990). "ISU fights back, drops SIU". The Pantagraph. p. D1. Retrieved January 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "ISU falls short against SW Missouri". The Pantagraph. October 21, 1990. Retrieved January 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Govs' Gallant effort not good enough". The Leaf-Chronicle. October 28, 1990. Retrieved January 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Late touchdown lifts Redbirds". The Pantagraph. November 4, 1990. Retrieved January 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "ISU closes out season with losing effort". The Pantagraph. November 11, 1990. Retrieved January 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.