Box Score

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Indiana State football team gave No. 7 Illinois State all they wanted and more in the Sycamores’ final game of the regular season, but the Redbirds proved too strong in escaping Memorial Stadium with a 42-20 victory this afternoon (Nov. 11). ISU ends its season with a record of 1-10, 1-6 GFC, while the ‘Birds continue next week at UNI carrying a record of 8-2, 5-1 GFC.

“We showed some great senior leadership out on the field today, but some young guys stepped up and made the biggest plays for us,” head coach Lou West said. “Our guys never gave up and I could see the confidence building on the sidelines. I credit Illinois State, they made the plays that they needed to make in order to win.”

Things were close for most of the game as the Sycamores trailed just 21-20 heading into the game’s final period. But the Redbird defense answered the call and stymied an efficient ISU offense in the fourth quarter to claim victory and remain in the Gateway Football Conference championship hunt.

Illinois State etched points on their side of the scoreboard first in the contest when Redbird quarterback Luke Drone found Laurent Robinson wide open for a 90-yard catch-and-run with 7:05 left in the first quarter which gave the ‘Birds an early 7-0 lead. The scoring drive was one play, the long scoring toss to Robinson.

On the ensuing drive, the Sycamores evened things up when ISU quarterback Reilly Murphy found senior Carl Berman on a 41-yard scoring strike with 3:33 left in the opening stanza. The Berman TD reception capped an eight-play, 77-yard drive that consumed 3:20 off the clock.

The ‘Birds came back with a pair of scoring drives of their own to give them a 21-7 lead mid-way through the second quarter. Drone tossed his second of three first half touchdowns when he hit Pierre Jackson on a 52-yard pass, and then found Garin Harcar on a one-yard TD pass with 8:23 left in the second period.

“The effort was there today,” senior Carl Berman said. “A lot of the freshmen and sophomores played well, so the future for our program is bright. Ever since we won against Missouri State, this team has played with great confidence to finish out the season on a high note.”

Indiana State went on to perfectly execute the two-minute drill in their final possession of the half to get within 11 at the break, 21-10. Senior kicker Kyle Hooper drilled a 40-yard field goal into the wind with just one second showing on the clock to put ISU right back in the thick of things.

Following a three-and-out for Illinois State to open the second half, the Sycamores marched down the field and scored on another 40-yard field goal by Hooper to make the score 21-13. Hooper’s second field goal of the game came with 8:40 showing on the third quarter clock. The score capped a 12-play, 50-yard drive that consumed 4:35 of the clock.

Following another Redbird three-and-out, the Sycamores marched down the field and scored to inch closer, 21-20. Indiana State put together another monster drive, this one an 11-play, 62-yard dandy that ate up over five minutes of clock, and ended when Murphy rushed into the end zone from seven yards out with 1:23 left in the third period.

The Sycamore defense did not allow a single first down to Illinois State in third quarter, the first time this season ISU allowed zero first downs to an opponent over an entire period.

“After looking at the season, there were four or five games that could have went either way,” Murphy said. “Today, that was the case as well because poor execution at key times hurt us. But you have to tip your hat to Illinois State for the making the plays to get the win.”

Indiana State’s initial drive of the fourth quarter fell just one yard short of gaining a first down and forced a Sycamore punt. Chris Johansen’s punt was stymied by the wind and went out of bounds at the 50. From there it took just six plays for the ‘Birds to find pay dirt and take the 28-20 lead. With 11:29 left in the game, Drone connected on his fourth TD pass of the game when he found Jackson on a 12-yard scoring play.

Rafael Rice secured the game for the Illinois State with 5:21 showing on the clock when he scampered in from 18 yards out to make the score 35-20. The play was key not only because of the score, but because it came as the Sycamores were attempting to get the ball back for the offense deep in their own territory on fourth down, but allowed the score. Drone ran the ball in from four yards out with 2:17 left in the game to make the score 42-20.

For the Sycamores, Murphy connected on 26-of-46 passes for 279 yards with a passing TD as well as a rushing score. Tony West rushed the ball 22 times for 88 yards in the game, while senior Sam Logan caught six passes for 47 yards. Fellow senior Carl Berman hauled in five passes for 83 yards in his final game as a Sycamore.

Senior kicker Kyle Hooper booted a pair of 40-yard field goals in his final game at Memorial Stadium, He also was true on two point after touchdown attempts. Hooper’s eight points in the game gave him 220 for his career, an Indiana State record.

Logan finished his career with 196 catches for 2,388 yards – both career records for Indiana State.