TERRE HAUTE, Ind. ? The Indiana State Sycamores fell behind 20-0 to Eastern Illinois in the first quarter of Saturday (September 22) night's football contest between the two border rivals, but the Sycamores used a defensive score to move within a touchdown at 27-20 as time neared expiration in the first half. EIU posted a late first half score en route to scoring 27 unanswered points in taking a 54-20 victory over the Sycamores at Memorial Stadium in front of 4,079 fans. ISU falls to 0-4 on the season while Eastern Illinois improved to 2-2.
Things started slowly for the Sycamores as a punt by Chris Johansen, which pinned Eastern Illinois deep in their own territory was wiped out due to an illegal formation flag. That penalty proved to be huge on the re-kick, as Johansen's second boot was blocked by EIU's Rashad Haynes and the ball was scooped by Quinten Ponius at the 14-yard line and returned for a touchdown. The extra point attempt was no good as EIU raced out to a 6-0 lead with 11:11 left in the first quarter on the special teams mistake by the Sycamores.
After a three-and-out for Indiana State, EIU used an eight-play, 70-yard drive to score on a two-yard rush by Chip Keys for a 13-0 lead. EIU made it 20-0 on a 12-play, 47-yard drive that ended with a one-yard scoring run by Keys with 1:49 left in the first period.
The Sycamores got into the swing of things on their next drive as redshirt freshman Charles Dowdell was inserted into the game in the place of senior Reilly Murphy. Dowdell led a seven-play, 67-yard drive that ended with 14:55 left in the second quarter on a 25-yard scoring pass from Dowdell to senior Jerimy Robinson. The scoring strike cut the EIU advantage down to 20-7 as the second period got underway.
Following a sack by ISU's Nate Brown to open the Panther's next drive, EIU quarterback Bodie Reeder connected on four consecutive passes to move the ball down to the Sycamore 30-yard line. Keys took the next rush and got down to the 19-yard line when Darrius Middlebrooks and Mike Woods converged and wrestled the ball free from Keys. Woods scooped the ball at the 19-yard line and raced 81 yards to cut the EIU lead down to 20-13 with 12:09 left before the half. The fumble return for a touchdown represented the first such score for the Sycamores since Ben Tompkins did it at Missouri State in 2003.
A nine-yard scoring rush by Travorus Bess with 9:49 left before intermission extended EIU's lead out to 27-13. ISU came right back with another scoring drive of its own to cut the EIU advantage down to 27-20. The Sycamores used a 10-play, 64-yard drive which was capped by a two-yard TD from Robert Barcliff for ISU's final score of the evening.
Eastern Illinois took possession of the ball with 1:13 left before the half and scored in just three plays and 31 seconds on a four-yard scoring rush by Bess with 42 seconds left before the half to take a 34-20 lead into the locker room.
Eastern went on to score on each of its first three possessions of the second half in taking a 54-20 lead with 10:59 left in the game. EIU's final drive ended with nine seconds left on the clock after the Panthers took four consecutive kneel downs to yield their lone drive of the second half in which they did not score.
The two teams combined for 74 points ? the most scored in the 81-game series. The previous high came in 2000, a 42-24 EIU victory. That game marked the first career collegiate start for current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Eastern Illinois has won each of the last three meetings in the series.
Bryan McCulley led all rushers in the game with a career-high 94 yards on 13 carries. Barcliff added 25 yards on six carries.
In limited action, Murphy was 1-of-4 passing for minus three yards while Dowdell finished 4-of-7 for 62 yards and a touchdown. Brian Jackson led the team with two pass receptions for 23 yards while Robinson caught the one TD pass for 25 yards. Alex Thomas and McCulley caught the other two pass completions in the game.
Redshirt freshman Quinton Scott recorded nine solo stops and eight assists for 17 total tackles, a career-high. Freshman Brandon Pence added 11 tackles, including one for a loss. Nate Brown posted a pair of tackles in the game, both of which were for a loss, including his career quarterback sack. Ryan Patrick as well as Woods posted fumble recoveries while Middlebrooks, Chris Mobley and DeAndre Lott each forced fumbles.
Eastern Illinois rolled up 609 yards of total offense in the game while ISU posted 216. EIU netted 311 yards on the ground, compared to ISU's 157 while the Panthers recorded 298 passing yards to the Sycamores' 59.
Indiana State finished plus one in the turnover battle, forcing a pair of Eastern Illinois fumbles while surrendering just the one Murphy interception in the first quarter.
With the loss to the No. 20 nationally-ranked Panthers, ISU falls to 8-53 all-time against the nation's top ranked FCS programs. The Sycamores have not defeated a nationally-ranked opponent since downing No. 19 Western Illinois in 1999.
The Sycamores open up Gateway Football Conference play next Saturday, September 29 when ISU hosts the 4-0 and Top Ten nationally-ranked Southern Illinois Salukis in a game that will be televised live nationally on Fox College Sports Atlantic. Kick-off is slated for 12:07 p.m. (ET).
