1988 Illinois State Redbirds football team

1988 Illinois State Redbirds football
1988 Illinois State Redbirds football
Conference	Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference
Record	1–10 (0–7 GCAC)
Head coach	Jim Heacock (1st season);
Home stadium	Hancock Stadium
	Seasons ← 1987 1989 →

1988 Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
v t e	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 3 Western Illinois $^	6	–	0	–	0	10	–	2	–	0
Southwest Missouri State	4	–	2	–	0	5	–	5	–	0
Indiana State	4	–	2	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Northern Iowa	3	–	3	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Eastern Illinois	2	–	4	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Southern Illinois	2	–	4	–	0	4	–	7	–	0
Illinois State	0	–	6	–	0	1	–	10	–	0

$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1988 Illinois State Redbirds football team represented Illinois State University as a member of the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (GCAC) during the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their first year under head coach Jim Heacock, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 1–10, with a mark of 0–7 in conference play, and placed seventh in the GCAC. Illinois State played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 3	Eastern Illinois	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL (rivalry)	L 7–16	7,872	^[1]
September 10	at Wake Forest*	Groves Stadium Winston-Salem, NC	L 0–35	20,225	^[2]
September 17	at Western Michigan*	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	L 14–44	22,207	^[3]
September 24	Southern Illinois	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	L 23–24	8,259	^[4]
October 1	Missouri–Rolla*	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	W 20–0	9,271	^[5]
October 8	at No. 10 Western Kentucky*	L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	L 16–31	10,200	^[6]
October 15	Northern Iowa	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	L 7–34	7,709	^[7]
October 22	at Indiana State	Memorial Stadium Terre Haute, IN	L 18–26	12,758	^[8]
October 29	at No. 3 Western Illinois	Hanson Field Macomb, IL	L 10–13	13,833	^[9]
November 5	at Arkansas State*	Indian Stadium Jonesboro, AR	L 10–28		^[10]
November 12	Southwest Missouri State	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	L 10–21	9,125	^[11]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

^ "Eastern Illinois trips ISU". The Pantagraph. September 4, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Wake Forest blanks ISU, 35–0". The Pantagraph. September 11, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Broncos stay unbeaten with rout of Illinois State". Battle Creek Enquirer. September 18, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "SIU surges to sweet victory". The Southern Illinoisan. September 25, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Northern carries ISU to first win". The Pantagraph. October 2, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Arnold leads way as Western Kentucky beats Illinois State 31–16". The Courier-Journal. October 9, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "UNI breezes to 34–7 romp to end slide". The Des Moines Register. October 16, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Redbirds rally, but fall short at Indiana State". The Pantagraph. October 23, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Western Illinois rallies for 9th victory". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. October 30, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Arkansas State runs down ISU". The Pantagraph. November 6, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Bears hold on to gain win in '88 finale". The Springfield News-Leader. November 13, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

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