Gameday
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (12,764)
Sycamore Radio: ESPN Radio 1130/1300 AM
Play-By-Play: Brian Fritz
Analyst: Pete Emmert
Series Record: Northern Iowa leads 20-4
Last Meeting: ISU 14, UNI 68 (11/10/07 at UNI)
Last ISU Win: ISU 21, UNI 19 (11/02/02 at ISU)
Current Streak: Northern Iowa has won five straight games dating back to 2003 and 16 out of the last 17 games in the series overall. ISU's last win was on Nov. 2, 2002, at ISU (21-19).
Setting The Stage
After spending the last two weeks on the road, Indiana State (0-10, 0-6 MVFC) returns home to face off against conference foe Northern Iowa (8-2, 6-1 MVFC), who heads into the game as the #4 ranked team in FCS football. The Sycamores are coming off a 35-21 loss last Saturday at Youngstown State, in which they had a 21-7 lead at one point in the second quarter before YSU scored 28 unanswered points to earn the win. The Panthers have won six straight games heading into their match-up with the Sycamores and shut out Missouri State 42-0 at home last Saturday. UNI leads the all-time series 20-4, with the last ISU win coming in 2002 by a score of 21-19 at Memorial Stadium.
An Indiana State Win Over Northern Iowa Would ...
* Snap the Sycamores' 24-game losing streak, dating back to a 28-22 Homecoming victory over Missouri Valley Football Conference rival Missouri State in 2006.
* Give Indiana State its first home win since 2006, when the Sycamores defeated Missouri State, 28-22, on Homecoming in front of a big crowd at Memorial Stadium.
* Give Indiana State its first conference win since 2006, when the Sycamores defeated Missouri State, 28-22, on Homecoming in front of a big crowd at Memorial Stadium.
* Give the Sycamores their first win against Northern Iowa since 2002, when the Sycamores beat the Panthers at the UNI Dome, 21-19.
* Give Trent Miles his first collegiate head coaching victory.
The Indiana State Head Coach
Indiana State is led by first-head head coach Trent Miles, a 1987 graduate of ISU as well as a native of Terre Haute, Ind. Miles made his debut as a collegiate head football coach on against Eastern Michigan and will be looking for his first victory at Indiana State. Prior to coming to ISU, Miles spent three seasons (2005-07) as the running backs coach at Washington under head coach Tyrone Willingham and three years at Notre Dame (2002-04) as the wide receivers coach.
The Northern Iowa Head Coach
Mark Farley is in his eighth season at the helm of the Panther sideline. Farley has posted a mark of 71-27 in seven seasons, which includes four trips to the NCAA FCS playoffs. Farley earned the 2007 Eddie Robinson Award after guiding the Panthers to a perfect 11-0 regular season and No. 1 national ranking for the final six weeks of the regular season. In 2005, Farley guided the Panthers to the school's first national title game and was named the Northwest Region Coach of the Year by the Football Gazette.
Northern Iowa Scouting Report
The Panthers (8-2, 6-1 MVFC) enter Saturday's game against Indiana State in sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 6-1 league mark. Southern Illinois and South Dakota State are only 1/2 game behind the Panthers in the standings, as they both have 5-1 league records. With a victory Saturday at Indiana State, UNI can claim at least a share of its
14th Missouri Valley Football Conference championship and it would also mark the first back-to-back conference championships since 1995-96. The Panthers are led on offense by quarterback Pat Grace, who has completed 60.4 percent of his passes this season (90-for-149) while throwing for 1,245 yards and nine touchdowns. Grace has also rushed for nine touchdowns and 420 yards on the season. On defense, Josh Mahoney leads the way with 85 total tackles, including 5.0 tackles for loss.
The Last Time Out Against Northern Iowa
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Highlighted by a season-long pitch and catch from the arm of Charles Dowdell to the hands of Rafael Price, the Sycamores ended their 2007 season with a 68-14 loss at No. 1 nationally-ranked Northern Iowa in front of 16,624 fans at the UNI-Dome. ISU falls to 0-6 all-time against No. 1 ranked teams.
We'll Take That
Indiana State took advantage of a couple of mistakes made by Youngstown State last weekend, which helped the Sycamores take a 21-7 lead at one point in the second quarter. As YSU running back Kamryn Keys attempted to gain a first down for the Penguins, ISU linebacker Darrell Ricker forced a fumble and safety Donye McCleskey scooped the ball up and returned it 47 yards for the touchdown with 10:04 remaining in the half. The fumble return for a touchdown was ISU's first since 2007, when Mike Woods returned one against Eastern Illinois. In all, the Sycamores forced three fumbles during the game and recovered two of those miscues.
What's The Rush?
Indiana State featured the rushing game heavily against Youngstown State on Saturday, racking up a total of 211 yards on the ground. That performance was the second-highest effort of the season (218 yards vs. SEMO) but it accounted for nearly all the team's total offense yards of 238 against the Penguins. Darrius Gates led the way with 116 yards, a career-high.
Roberts Rules of Order
Since taking over at QB for the Sycamores, freshman Ryan Roberts has added a new dimension to the ISU offense. On Saturday at Youngstown State, Roberts controlled the offense and took advantage of his team's strong rushing game to score twice on the ground himself. Roberts' two touchdowns were the first of his career at ISU and were also the most by any ISU player in a game this season.
The Dynamic Duo
Indiana State linebackers Quinton Scott and Jayden Everett are quickly becoming a formidable duo in the middle of the ISU defense. The two rank first and second, respectively, in tackles for the Sycamores this season and both are making a mark on the national scene. Scott is tied for ninth place in FCS football in solo tackles per game with 5.6 and ranks 13th nationally in total tackles per game with 10.6 per contest. Everett is right behind in 16th place with 10.38 tackles per game, making them just one of two sets of teammates in the top 16 in the country in that category (St. Francis, Pa., players Scott Lewis and Matthew Parker are the others).
Return To Paydirt
The Sycamores picked up two points in an unconventional way against South Dakota State. Early in the fourth quarter, the Jackrabbits scored a touchdown on a six-yard pass to make the score 35-7 at that time. However, on the extra point attempt, senior Dan Millington leaped up and blocked the Kyle Harris kick which allowed Larry Carter to scoop the ball up and return it all the way for two points for the Sycamores.
