NORMAL — Jackson Waring didn’t start Illinois State’s opening drive last Saturday against Eastern Illinois. He did, however, finish it.
That’s how quickly a college football game can change, and Waring being summoned to the field was a change the Redbirds dealt with on their way to a 31-24 victory over Eastern Illinois.
Waring was called upon when quarterback Bryce Jefferson suffered a shoulder injury, a sprain that will keep Jefferson out of Saturday’s 2 p.m. Missouri Valley Football Conference opener against Southern Illinois in Carbondale.
“When it happened it’s the mentality you’ve got to be the next man up and you’ve go to be ready to take on the situation,” Waring said.