Setting The Stage: The Indiana State Sycamores continue year three of the “Lou West Era” on Saturday, September 8, with the regular season home opener against Austin Peay. Saturday night's game is set for a 6:05 p.m. (ET) kick at Memorial Stadium (12,400). The game will be carried live on WSDM-FM (92.7). Brian Fritz and Pete Emmert will call the action once again for the WTWO NewsChannel 2 Radio Network. The game can be heard live world-wide on www.crock927.com and live stats can be found at www.gosycamores.com. The game will be televised live over the internet using the latest web stream technology on www.gosycamores.com. Cameras high atop Memorial Stadium will send digital images directly into Sycamore fan's homes while the call of Fritz and Emmert resonate in the background. The cost of this pay-per-view event is $6.95 and can be purchased directly on www.gosycamores.com
A Little History: This is the 103rd season of college football at Indiana State University, dating back to 1896. The university did not field teams from 1899-1900; 1908 or from 1910-1919. ISU owns an all-time record of 338 wins, 433 losses and 22 ties on the gridiron. Indiana State is competing for the 23rd consecutive season as a member of the Gateway Football Conference.
For Openers: With its 55-7 loss last Saturday at Indiana, the Sycamores are 42-45-7 in seasons openers, a .450 winning percentage. This week the Sycamores open the home portion of the schedule, and are an impressive 52-33-4 in home opening contests. ISU last won a home opener in 2004 with a 28-21 victory over Murray State.
Just Short Against The Big Ten: Indiana State fell to 0-8 all-time against members of the Big Ten Conference with its season opening 55-7 loss at Indiana on Saturday night. ISU is now 0-3 versus the Hoosiers, 0-3 against Purdue and 0-2 versus Minnesota. The game against Indiana marked the second consecutive season that Indiana State had opened its campaign against a member of the Big Ten, one year after falling 60-35 versus Purdue in the 2006 lid-lifter.
Ch-Ch-Changes: It proved to a busy off-season for the Indiana State coaching staff as the Sycamores' leading returning tackler, Rafael Price, started at wide receiver and its leading returning tackler for losses, Prenny Stokes, was the starting center along the offensive front. Price performed well by catching a team-high seven passes for 48 yards while Stokes led the offensive front from the center position.
The Indiana State Coach ? Indiana State head coach Lou West is 1-22 with the Sycamores as a collegiate head coach. He has never faced Austin Peay. Coach West is 0-4 against members of the Ohio Valley Conference, falling twice previously to Murray State and Eastern Illinois. Following Saturday's game against Austin Peay, the Sycamores will face off against two more members of the OVC in consecutive weeks. Next week ISU travels to Southeast Missouri State before then hosting Eastern Illinois before opening conference play. West picked up his first collegiate victory on October 21, 2006 ? a 28-22 victory on Homecoming over Missouri State.
The Austin Peay Head Coach ? Austin Peay is led by first-year head coach Rick Christophel, who took over the reigns of his alma mater this past summer. He is in his first season as a head coach and his first with the Governors. Christophel has never faced Indiana State.
The Sycamores Against The Governors ? Austin Peay is led by first-year head coach Rick Christophel, who took over the reigns of his alma mater this past summer. He is in his first season as a head coach and his first with the Governors. Christophel has never faced Indiana State.
The Last Time They Met ? 5,558 fans packed Memorial Stadium to watch the Sycamores and Hoosiers battle on September 16, 1989. ISU recovered from a loss the previous week against Missouri State to down Austin Peay 42-15.
The Sycamores scored on five of its first seven possessions and Coach Dennis Raetz used almost 80 players in the game.
Linebacker Darnell White intercepted a pass and ran 23 yards down the sideline for the first ISU score. Derrick Franklin and Shawn Young each scored twice as the Sycamores improved to 2-1 on the year.
The Sycamores outrushed the Governors 347-85, led by Young's 99 yards and Franklin's 95. Quarterback John Sahm completed 11-of-14 passes for 140 yards.
The Scouting Report ? Austin Peay is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference and play their home contests at Governors Stadium in Clarksville, Tenn. The Governors opened their season last week with a convincing 43-19 victory over Bethel (Tenn.).
What's Transpired ? Indiana State opened its season at Indiana and fell by the score of 55-7. ISU's lone touchdown in the game came late in the first quarter when Alex Thomas recovered a loose fumble near the goal line and rolled untouched into the end zone to cut the Hoosier advantage down to 14-7 with just over four minutes remaining.
Working Hard On The Field And In The Classroom ? Indiana State has captured the Gateway Football Conference All-Academic Award, as announced by the league office at Media Day on Tuesday, July 24.
The All-Academic Award was established in 2004 to help bring attention to institutional academic excellence. It is based on the average student-athlete grade-point average for the academic year. The GPA calculations are calculated for all student-athletes in the Gateway who compete, practice or receive athletic aid during the academic year. The award for Indiana State is based on accomplishments during the 2006-07 academic year. Southern Illinois and Western Illinois shared the initial award (for the 2004-05 academic season), while SIU earned the honor for the 2005-06 season.
Indiana State placed a league-high five student-athletes on the Gateway Football Conference's Academic All-Conference Team. Among the five honorees for Indiana State was first-team member Kyle Hooper, who makes his second consecutive appearance on the league's top academic squad. Representing the Sycamores on the second team were wide receiver Carl Berman; defensive back Bryan Jackson, quarterback/wide receiver Ben Schmidt and offensive lineman Fred Staugh. In addition, Jackson earned First Team Academic All-District Honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Preseason Selections ? The Indiana State Sycamore football team has been picked to finish seventh this fall in the Gateway Football Conference according to a preseason poll of league head coaches, sports information directors and a media panel. In addition, senior Shonda Faulkner was been named an honorable mention selection to the preseason all-conference squad. The preseason poll was released as part of the Gateway Football Media Day activities today (July 24).
Faulkner, a senior this fall for the Sycamores, is a linebacker. Last season, he played in nine games, posting 63 total tackles. He was credited with 27 solo stops, including six tackles for losses as well as a trio of sacks. Faulkner recorded a season-best 13 tackles at Western Illinois, while his three sacks finished the year ranked 11th-best in the Gateway. His 63 total stops were 17th-best in GFC play.
Northern Iowa garnered 11 first place votes in earning the league's preseason championship nod. Right behind the Panthers were Illinois State, Youngstown State and Southern Illinois. Rounding out the poll were Western Illinois, Missouri State and the Sycamores.
Murphy Named One Of League's Top Newcomers In 2006 ? Indiana State junior quarterback Reilly Murphy (San Diego, Calif./Grossmont JC) was named to the Gateway Football Conference's All-Newcomer Team last season.
Murphy, a seven-game starter at quarterback, completed 143-of-261 passes for 1,747 yards and eight touchdowns this year. He tossed a season-long 55-yard pass in the season opener at Purdue. An able bodied runner, Murphy rushed for 167 yards on 73 attempts with six touchdowns during the season.
His 212.7 yards of total offense per game were ranked second-best in the league and finished 27th in the nation. Murphy connected on 26-of-46 passes for 279 yards with a passing TD as well as a rushing score in the season finale against Illinois State.
Up Next ? Indiana State returns to action on Saturday, September 15 when the Sycamores travel to Southeast Missouri State. Kick-off is set for 6:00 p.m. (ET). The game can be heard live on WSDM-FM (92.7). ISU next plays at home on September 22 for the Border Battle with Eastern Illinois. Kick-off is set for 6:00 p.m. (ET).
