TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (Interstat) — Tommy Rittenhouse passed for four touchdowns and ran for another as Illinois State erupted for 28 second-quarter points, overwhelming Indiana State 52-20 in a Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

The Redbirds, who improved to 7-3 overall, flipped the script on a game that national prognosticators heavily favored the Sycamores, dominating in all phases after a competitive first quarter.

Illinois State set the tone on the game’s opening drive, marching 68 yards in 11 plays. The methodical series, which featured six consecutive runs by Victor Dawson, was capped by a 2-yard touchdown pass from Rittenhouse to tight end Max Ziebarth.

Indiana State answered late in the first quarter. Quarterback Keegan Patterson engineered a 75-yard drive, finishing it with a 25-yard scoring strike to Talan White-Hatch to tie the game at 7-7.

The second quarter belonged entirely to the Redbirds. Dawson plunged in from 6 yards out to complete another long drive and reclaim the lead. After the Sycamores responded with a 64-yard touchdown pass from Patterson to Rashad Rochelle to knot the score at 14-14, Illinois State’s offense shifted into a higher gear.

Rittenhouse connected with Dylan Lord on a 3-yard touchdown pass to cap a 12-play, 75-yard march. Following a defensive stop, the Redbirds struck again just before halftime. Rittenhouse hit Seth Glatz on a 20-yard screen pass for a score, and after an interception by Eddie Kasper, Rittenhouse scrambled for a 4-yard touchdown with 22 seconds left in the half to give Illinois State a commanding 35-14 lead at the break.

The onslaught continued after halftime. Rittenhouse found Daniel Sobkowicz for a 12-yard touchdown on the Redbirds’ first possession of the third quarter. Glatz then added his second touchdown of the day on a 2-yard run to extend the lead to 49-14.

Indiana State found the end zone once more in the third when Deion Brown broke free for a 33-yard touchdown run, though the extra point failed. Illinois State closed its scoring with a 49-yard field goal from Matt Maldonado late in the third quarter.

Rittenhouse, a quarterback from Geneva, Illinois, was surgical, completing 29 of 34 passes for 314 yards. Dawson anchored the ground game, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Lord was the primary receiving target, hauling in eight catches for 87 yards and a score.

For Indiana State, Patterson completed 16 of 26 passes for 202 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Rochelle was his top receiver, catching six passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.

The lopsided result defied the pregame expectations, where Indiana State was a 10.5-point favorite and Interstat’s game simulator had projected a narrow Sycamores victory. The combined score of 72 points easily surpassed the over/under line of 56.5.

Illinois State will look to build on its momentum next Saturday when it travels to face South Dakota State. Indiana State, which fell to 3-7, will try to regroup on the road at Youngstown State.