INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL Week EIGHT GAME NOTES Football Contact: Tim McCaughan • Phone: (812) 237-4159 • Email: [email protected] Indiana State Sycamores at Southern Illinois Salukis Sat., Oct. 20, 2018 | 3 p.m. ET | Saluki Stadium (15,000) | Carbondale, Ill. Video: ESPN Plus // Radio: WIBQ 97.9 // 1230 AM // GoSycamores.com // Live Stats: GoSycamores.com // Twitter: @IndStFB on the air TV Online ESPN Plus Talent Mike Trude (Play-By-Play) Darren Kinnard (Color) Connor Onion (Sideline) Radio Station WIBQ 97.9 FM // 1230 AM Online GoSycamores.com/Watch INDIANA STATE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS Play-By-Play Luke Martin 2-4 Overall; 0-3 MVFC 1-5 Overall; 0-3 MVFC Analysis Brian Fritz Head Coach Curt Mallory Head Coach Nick Hill SERIES HISTORY Alma Mater Michigan (1992) Alma Mater Southern Illinois (2008) All-time Series Southern Illinois leads, 28-27 Record at Indiana State 2-15 (2nd Season) At School 9-19 (3rd Season) In Terre Haute 15-13 Career Record Same Career Record Same In Carbondale 12-15 First Meeting 1944 (W, 55-6, Home) QUICK HITS Last Meeting 2017 (L, 45-21, Home) Current Streak SIU - W1 SERIES HISTORY WITH THE SALUKIS Southern Illinois holds a slim 28-27 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1944. The Sycamores are 12-15 all-time Schedule in Carbondale, but have won the last three meetings with the SIU at Saluki Stadium. ISU has lost just one game to Southern Date Opponent Time/Result inside their new home with that loss coming during its first year in 2010. Since then, the Sycamores have won three-straight Aug. 30 vs. Quincy W, 49-0 on the road, outscoring the Salukis, 87-43 during the streak. Sept. 8 at Louisville L, 31-7 Sept. 15 at Eastern Illinois W, 55-41 WHAT A WIN WOULD MEAN BYE WEEK The Sycamores travel to Carbondale this weekend to take on Southern Illinois. An Indiana State win would end a streak of Sept. 27 vs. #21 Northern Iowa L, 33-0 14-straight Missouri Valley Football Conference losses. A win would also notch second-year head coach Curt Mallory’s first Oct. 6 at #3 South Dakota State L, 54-51 OT MVFC win. The last conference win for ISU came in 2016 when the Sycamores knocked off the Salukis, 22-14. Oct. 13 vs. Missouri State (HC) L, 29-26 Oct. 20 at Southern Illinois 3 p.m. RUSHING ATTACK STRONG FOR THE TREES Oct. 27 at Youngstown State 2 p.m. The offense for the Sycamores is night and day when compared to last year’s squad. The rushing attack is ranked 10th in the Nov. 3 vs. South Dakota 1 p.m. nation with 263.3 yards on the ground per game. Much of that total comes from Ja’Quan Keys who is third in the country with in rushing yards per game with 132. In total, Keys has 782 yards on the ground through six games and has scored 11 Nov. 10 vs. Illinois State 1 p.m. touchdowns. In 11 games in 2017, ISU totaled 1,185 yards and this season in just six games, the Sycamores have racked up Nov. 17 at Western Illinois 2 p.m. 1,580 yards. Freshen Christian Covington adds to the attack with 246 yards while quarterback Ryan Boyle (199) and Titus TABLE OF CONTENTS McCoy (180) each have over 150 yards on the ground. Notes 1-8 A HISTORIC OFFENSIVE DAY IN BROOKINGS Media Info 2 Indiana State amassed 569 yards of total offense against South Dakota State in week six. It was the highest output by the National Polls 3 Sycamores since putting up 671 yards against Quincy in 2013. ISU outgained the Jacks 276 to 229 in the air with rushing yards Roster & Pronunciation 9-10 dead even at 293 yards. Redshirt senior Ja’Quan Keys rushed for 159 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Ryan Boyle threw for Head Coach Curt Mallory 11-12 276 yard and ran for 60 yards while scoring a pair of touchdowns through the air while running in two scores as well en route Depth Chart & Starters 13-14 to MVFC Newcomer of the Week honors. Rontrez Morgan caught both touchdowns -- the first his career -- for the Sycamores MVFC Standings/Trends/Quick Facts 15 while going for 155 yard on nine catches. Statistics 16-42 The Last Time 43-44 RED ZONE SUCCESS One of the keys this season for the Sycamores has been their success when entering the red zone. ISU ranks sixth nationally #marchon | #ALLIN 2018 Sycamore Football Staff and has scored in the red zone 23-of-24 times for a 95.8 percentage. Last season, ISU entered the red zone just 19 Head Coach Curt Mallory times over 11 games with only nine touchdowns. This season, the Sycamores have 15 touchdowns and five made Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Mark Smith field goals in just five games. Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Jeff Hecklinski Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Brad Wilson DEFENSE PUSHED TO ITS LIMIT IN 2017 Special Teams Coordinator Kevin Abrams The Sycamore defense was pushed to its limit last season, allowing 45 points per game. That may not be a great Cornerbacks Deon Broomfield indicator of how good ISU’s defense was as the unit was on the field nearly 10 minutes more than its counterparts Tight Ends Tyler Funk on average due to a struggling offense. The Sycamores managed to put up just 90 points over 11 games and were Wide Receivers Joe Hastings Linebackers Grant Olson held scoreless twice. In all, the Sycamores converted just 25 third downs on the year and held the worst third-down Running Backs Sam Sewell conversion rate (25-of-110) in the country. Offensive Line Michael Switzer Student Asst./Defensive Line/Special Teams Weston Painter A CHANGE ON THIRD DOWN Director of Player Personnel Adam Dennison This season, Indiana State ranks 46th in FCS with a 39.6 percent conversion rate (34-of-86) on third downs, an Director of Operations Craig Smith improvement from a year ago. The team is also moving the ball at a much higher rating, with 125 first downs in six games. GoSycamores.com The official online home of Sycamore Athletics, WHAT’S BACK FOR THE SYCAMORES ISU Athletics and Sycamore Football information can Indiana State returns 13 starters from a year ago, including six on the offensive side of the ball and seven on be accessed online at all times. Complete statistics, defense. The Sycamores’ top returners include RB Ja’Quan Keys (208 yards rushing, two touchdowns); LB Jonas notes, recaps, features, video and more are available at Griffith (107 tackles, 5.5 sacks); LB Katrell Moss (101 tackles, nine tackles for loss); DB Rondell Green (66 tackles, GoSycamores.com. two interceptions). ISU also brings back five offensive linemen with game experience. Social Media ENDING THE STREAK Indiana State football information can be found on The Sycamores’ season opening win against Quincy snapped a 14-game losing streak for the Sycamore football Facebook.com/SycamoreFootball as well as on Twitter (@ program dating back to the 2016 season (1 year, 10 months, eight days). ISU’s last victory before the opener was IndStFB) and Instagram (@IndStFB). a 22-14 win at Southern Illinois in 2016. The victory against Quincy also marked the first win for head coach Curt Mallory and his staff since taking over the program in January of 2017. Two weeks later, the Sycamores picked Interview Availability up their first Division I victory since the 2016 season when the team traveled to regional foe Eastern Illinois and ISU players are available during game week following defeated the Panthers, 55-41. practices at Memorial Stadium. Head Coach Curt Mallory will also be available at this time or upon prior arrangements OFFENSIVE NOTES with the ISU Athletic Communications Office. Please contact Director of Athletic Communications Ace Hunt or Assistant RUNNING THE BALL STRONG Director of Athletic Communications Tim McCaughan The rushing attack -- it has been one of the best parts of ISU’s game this season. Indiana State has run the ball for to confirm practice times or schedule an interview with 1,580 yards on the ground in six games, averaging 263.3 yards per contest. Ja’Quan Keys holds nearly half the total Coach Mallory or Sycamore student-athletes throughout rushing yards for the Sycamores with 792 while Christian Covington (246) and Titus McCoy (180) each have tallied the week. All interviews are to be coordinated through the more than 150 yards on the ground each. Athletic Communications office. Media are not permitted to contact student-athletes on their own at any time. THE KEY TO SUCCESS Ja’Quan Keys entered 2018 with 519 yards’ career rushing yards in two seasons, and with 792 yards after six weeks, Live Weekly Press Conference the Hammond, Louisiana native has surpassed the 1,000-career rushing mark. Keys has averaged 132 yards per Indiana State’s Digital Media Coordinator and football play- game this season. by-play announcer Luke Martin will host a weekly press conference with head coach Curt Mallory each Monday at Keys finished off Indiana State’s victory at Eastern Illinois with a career-high 234 yards rushing on 34 attempts, 11 a.m. ET, and will air it live on Facebook (Facebook.com/ including four trips to the end zone. It was the sixth-highest single-game rushing total in program history. He has SycamoreFootball) and YouTube (Indiana State Athletics). now eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in in four games this season.