INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL Week five NOTES Football Contact: Tim McCaughan • Phone: (812) 237-4159 • Email: [email protected] Indiana State Sycamores vs No. 21 Northern Iowa Panthers Thurs., Sept. 27, 2018 | 7 p.m. ET | Memorial Stadium (12,754) | Terre Haute, Ind. Video: ESPN 3/MVFC // Radio: WIBQ 97.9 // 1230 AM // GoSycamores.com // Live Stats: GoSycamores.com // Twitter: @IndStFB on the air TV Online ESPN 3/MVFC Talent Scott Warmann (Play-By-Play) Danan Hughes (Color) Kelly Burke (Sideline) Radio Station WIBQ 97.9 FM // 1230 AM Online GoSycamores.com/Watch INDIANA STATE No. 21 NORTHERN IOWA Play-By-Play Luke Martin 2-1 Overall; 0-0 MVFC 1-2 Overall; 0-0 MVFC Analysis Brian Fritz Head Coach Curt Mallory Head Coach Mark Farley SERIES HISTORY Alma Mater Michigan (1992) Alma Mater Northern Iowa (1987, ‘94) All-time Series Northern Iowa leads 27-5 Record at Indiana State 2-12 (2nd Season) At School 142-72 (18th Season) In Terre Haute 4-12 Career Record Same Career Record Same In Cedar Falls 1-15 First Meeting 1983 (W, 26-0, Home) QUICK HITS Last Meeting 2017 (L, 41-3, Away) • Indiana State opens Missouri Valley Football Conference action Thursday night as No. 21 Northern Iowa comes to town. Current Streak UNI - W3 Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET. at Memorial Stadium. Schedule • Thursday’s game will be the MVFC Game of the Week and will air on ESPN3. Scott Warmann will handle the play-by-play Date Opponent Time/Result duties while Danan Hughes will serve as the color commentator. Kelly Burke will serve as the sideline reporter. Aug. 30 vs. Quincy W, 49-0 Sept. 8 at Louisville L, 31-7 • Sycamore fans can listen live on the radio on WIBQ 97.9 FM (1230 AM) locally or online at GoSycamores.com/Watch free-of- Sept. 15 at Eastern Illinois W, 55-41 charge with Luke Martin (play-by-play) and Brian Fritz (color). Sept. 27 vs. No. 21 Northern Iowa 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at South Dakota State 7 p.m. • Northern Iowa holds a 27-5 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1983 and has won three-straight dating back Oct. 13 vs. Missouri State (HC) 2 p.m. to the 2015 season. Over that span, UNI has outscored the Sycamores 139-22, including a 41-3 meeting a year ago in Cedar Oct. 20 at Southern Illinois 3 p.m. Falls. The Sycamores last win came in 2014 with a 20-19 victory at Memorial Stadium. Oct. 27 at Youngstown State 2 p.m. Nov. 3 vs. South Dakota 1 p.m. • The Sycamores’ season opening win against Quincy snapped a 14-game losing streak for the Sycamore football program Nov. 10 vs. Illinois State 1 p.m. dating back to the 2016 season (1 year, 10 months, eight days). ISU’s last victory before the opener was a 22-14 win at Nov. 17 at Western Illinois 2 p.m. Southern Illinois. The victory also marked the first win for head coach Curt Mallory and his staff since taking over the program TABLE OF CONTENTS in January of 2017. Game Notes 1-7 • Two weeks later, the Sycamores picked up their first Division I victory since the 2016 season when the team traveled to Media Info 2 regional foe Eastern Illinois and defeated the Panthers, 55-41. National Polls 3 Roster & Pronunciation 8-9 • Indiana State returns 13 starters from a year ago, including six on the offensive side of the ball and seven on defense. The Head Coach Curt Mallory 10-11 Sycamores’ top returners include RB Ja’Quan Keys (208 yards rushing, two touchdowns); LB Jonas Griffith (107 tackles, 5.5 Depth Chart & Starters 12-13 sacks); LB Katrell Moss (101 tackles, nine tackles for loss); DB Rondell Green (66 tackles, two interceptions). ISU also brings MVFC Standings/Trends/Quick Facts 14 back five offensive linemen with game experience. Statistics 15-40 The Last Time 41-42 • Full position previews from fall camp can be found at sycamor.es/YouTube #marchon | #ALLIN • ISU lost its top rusher in LeMonte Booker as well as its top all-purpose man and receiver from a year ago in Bob Pugh. No 2018 Sycamore Football Staff quarterback on the current roster threw a pass for the Sycamores in 2017. Head Coach Curt Mallory Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Mark Smith • The Sycamore defense was pushed to its limit last season, allowing 45 points per game. That may not be a great Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Jeff Hecklinski indicator of how good ISU’s defense was as the unit was on the field nearly 10 minutes more than its counterparts Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Brad Wilson on average due to a struggling offense. The Sycamore offense managed to put up just 90 points over 11 games Special Teams Coordinator Kevin Abrams and were held scoreless twice. In all, the Sycamores converted just 25 third downs on the year and held the worst Cornerbacks Deon Broomfield Tight Ends Tyler Funk third-down conversion rate (25-of-110) in the country. Wide Receivers Joe Hastings Linebackers Grant Olson • This season, Indiana State ranks 24th in FCS with a 44.4 percent conversion rate (20-of-45) on third downs, a Running Backs Sam Sewell stark improvement from a year ago. The team is also moving the ball at a much higher rating, with 60 first downs Offensive Line Michael Switzer in three games. Student Asst./Defensive Line/Special Teams Weston Painter Director of Player Personnel Adam Dennison • Indiana State turned the ball over 29 times in 2017 and opponents converted those miscues into 103 points. Director of Operations Craig Smith The Sycamore defense forced 16 turnovers - nine fumbles and seven interceptions - which were converted into 23 points. GoSycamores.com The official online home of Sycamore Athletics, • The Sycamores have forced four turnovers (3 FF, 1 INT) in three games, but have turned the ball over just one time ISU Athletics and Sycamore Football information can -- a fumble against Quincy to open the season. be accessed online at all times. Complete statistics, notes, recaps, features, video and more are available at GoSycamores.com. • This marks the 114th season of football at Indiana State, which dates back to 1896. The University did not field teams from 1899 to 1900, 1908 or from 1910 to 1919. ISU owns an all-time record of 386-529-23 and is competing Social Media for the 33rd consecutive season as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. All-time, the Sycamores Indiana State football information can be found on are 61-156 in MVFC play. Facebook.com/SycamoreFootball as well as on Twitter (@ IndStFB) and Instagram (@IndStFB). OFFENSIVE NOTES • Indiana State made it clear from the start that running the football would be a major focus of the offense in 2018. Interview Availability So far this season the Sycamores have outgained its opponents 839 to 326 on the ground. Leading the charge in the ISU players are available during game week following backfield is senior running back Ja’Quan Keys with 414 yards on a 6.2 yards per carry average. The Perry Meridian practices at Memorial Stadium. Head Coach Curt Mallory High School product has six rushing touchdowns, including a four score, 232-yard performance at Eastern Illinois will also be available at this time or upon prior arrangements to cap off week three for the Sycamores. Freshman Christian Covington has added four rushing touchdowns and with the ISU Athletic Communications Office. Please contact 138 yards on the ground while sophomore Titus McCoy has gone for 119 yards and a pair of scores in three games. Director of Athletic Communications Ace Hunt or Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Tim McCaughan • Ryan Boyle made his first start of the season at Eastern Illinois, passing for 209 yards on 13 completions, including to confirm practice times or schedule an interview with a 50-yard pass to open the game. Boyle rushed for 30 yards in the game and ran in a three-yard touchdown in the Coach Mallory or Sycamore student-athletes throughout third quarter. the week. All interviews are to be coordinated through the Athletic Communications office. Media are not permitted to • Boyle spent three seasons at the University of Iowa before joining the team prior to training camp in August. He contact student-athletes on their own at any time. brings with him many high school accolades including the Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year his junior and senior seasons. He was named to the Des Moines All-State Elite team his senior season and earned All-State, All-District Live Weekly Press Conference and was tabbed Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year two times. Indiana State’s Digital Media Coordinator and football play- by-play announcer Luke Martin will host a weekly press • The Sycamores’ top rusher from a year ago returns in redshirt senior Ja’Quan Keys who ran for 208 yards on 68 conference with head coach Curt Mallory each Monday at attempts. He scored two touchdowns on the ground and caught six passes for 54 yards. The Hammond, Louisiana 11 a.m. ET, and will air it live on Facebook (Facebook.com/ SycamoreFootball) and YouTube (Indiana State Athletics). native recorded his longest run of the season (15 yards) against Western Illinois. Media are welcome to attend or request b-roll. For media that are interested in either option, please contact Assistant • Ja’Quan Keys finished off Indiana State’s victory at Eastern Illinois with a career-high 234 yards rushing on 34 Director of Athletic Communications Tim McCaughan.