Ex-St. Francis star QB, Geneva native Tommy Rittenhouse set to lead Illinois State into FCS title game

St. Francis grad Tommy Rittenhouse came back from throwing five picks to throw two touchdown passes in the final three minutes and lead Illinois State in a colossal upset of No. 1 North Dakota State. Two wins later, Rittenhouse is set to lead the Redbirds into the FCS title game.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/friday-night-drive--3534096/support.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Next Saint Francis star QB. Geneva native Tommy Rittenhouse set
to lead Illinois State into FCS title game. This article
is being read by an automated voice brought to you
by Everlett. Five interceptions in a single contest is normally
a nightmare for any quarterback. The next order of business, understandably,

(00:25):
would be setting the game film on fire. For Geneva
native Tommy Rittenhouse. That happened in the biggest victory of
his career. The Saint Francis High School grad came back
from the five picks to throw two touchdown passes in
the final three minutes and lead Illinois State in a
colossal upset of number one North Dakota State in the
FCS playoffs. Two victories later, Writtenhouse is ready to lead

(00:49):
the Redbirds into the FCS title Game against Montana State
on Monday in Nashville. You can't change anything in the past.
You've got to keep moving forward and just take it
one place at a time, Writtenhouse set in a phone
interview that was all the mindset I had.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Hekervo like that, cam plenty of teammates, coaches, everyone coming
up to me saying we're going to get you the
opportunity at the end of this game to win it, and.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
That's exactly what happened. The first three interceptions were tipped
at the line of scrimmage, so there was some bad
luck involved. Fortunately for Illinois State, Rittenhouse befriended a walk
on wide receiver from Rolling Meadows named Daniel Sabkowitz when
both arrived as freshman in twenty twenty one. Subqluits has
been on fire during the FCS playoffs and caught both

(01:37):
late game TD passes against North Dakota State. The two
combined for four more touchdowns and ensuing victories over UC
Davis and Villanova. Not too many quarterbacks I've been around
could ever do what he did. Illinois State coach brocks
back set of Writtenhouse. He has a really uncanny ability
to get himself out of a tailspin. If the Redbirds

(01:58):
win Monday, suburban quarterback will have captured three of the
last four FCS titles. Mark Gronowski Oqua Valley one in
twenty twenty two and twenty three with South Dakota State
before transferring to Iowa this year. The high school class
of twenty one was loaded with area quarterbacks. JJ McCarthy
technically was in Florida by then, but spent his first
three years at Nazareth Academy and is now with the

(02:21):
Minnesota Vikings. Antiox Athan kliakmanis Minnesota Rutgers. Naperville Central's Sam
Jackson cal Oklahoma State, and former NIU starter Ethan Hampton
from Aurora Christian were also in that class. Rittenhouse got
off to a slower start. He was five foot seven
when he started high school and played on a freshman

(02:42):
team that finished one in eight, but he trained with
McCarthy under quarterback coach Greg Holcombe while also playing with
McCarthy and Gronowski on the Neaghborville based Midwest Boom seven
on seven program. I think that talent really pushes each
other to make guys better and I took a lot
from that, especially from JJ. Knowing where he is now,
Rittenhouse said, the state of Illinois produces a lot of

(03:02):
good quarterbacks, and I think that really pushed me to
become a better player. Now listed at five to eleven,
Rittenhouse's style is unconventional. He's a run threat, but that's
not a major part of his game. Being a fifth
year senior and second year starter, taught him to be
a winner. On the season, he's completed sixty four percent
of his passes with thirty six touchdowns and twelve interceptions.

(03:24):
It's been a wild journey, he said. Dan got a
shot a little earlier than I did. Started playing a
sophomore year. More of a waiting game for me, but
it gave me more time to develop into the player
I am now.