INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL WEEKLY RELEASE
NORTH DAKOTA STATE FOOTBALL WEEKLY RELEASE
MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE WEEKLY RELEASE
LISTEN TO THE GAME LIVE
LIVE GAME STATISTICS
Game 11: NORTH DAKOTA STATE (2-7, 1-5) at INDIANA STATE (1-9, 1-6)
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009 • Terre Haute, Ind. • Memorial Stadium • 12:05 p.m. ET • Radio: ESPN 1130/1300 AM
Setting The Stage
Indiana State concludes year two of the Trent Miles Era on Saturday, November 14, as the Sycamores host North Dakota State. Saturday's game is set for a 12:05 p.m. (ET) kickoff at Memorial Stadium (12,704). The game will also be carried live on ESPN Radio (1130 and 1300 AM), with Brian Fritz and Dave Sabaini calling the action for the Nelligan Sports Marketing Radio Network. Action can be heard live worldwide on ESPNSportsRadio.com, and live stats are available at GoSycamores.com. The game is also available on a pay-per-view basis on GoSycamores.com, for the cost of $6.95.
The Indiana State Head Coach
Indiana State is led by head coach Trent Miles, a 1987 ISU graduate and Terre Haute native. Miles made his head coaching debut last season against Eastern Michigan and carries a record of 1-21 into Saturday. Miles previously spent three seasons (2005-07) as the running backs coach at Washington and three years at Notre Dame (2002-04) as the wide receivers coach. Miles is 0-1 against the Bison, and is 1-14 against members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference after this season's 17-14 victory over Western Illinois.
The North Dakota State Head Coach
Craig Bohl is the head coach of North Dakota State. He is 51-24 in seven seasons at the helm of the Bison programs. Bohl is 1-0 all-time against Indiana State.
Scouting North Dakota State
North Dakota State is a member of the NCAA FCS Subdivision and competes in the MVFC. The Bison are 2-7 on the season, including a record of 1-6 in the MVFC. NDSU's lone win in conference play is over Western Illinois, just as Indiana State stands heading into the season finale.
A Little History
This marks the 105th season of football at Indiana State, dating 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 339-464-22 and is competing for the 24th consecutive season as a member of the MVFC.
What's Transpired
Indiana State opened the season with a 26-20 overtime loss against Quincy at Memorial Stadium. The game drew regional attention, as 7,216 fans were in attendance. The Sycamores bounced out to a quick 17-0 lead in the first quarter against the Hawks - ISU's largest lead over an opponent since 2004 -- but Quincy came back to knot the score at 20 with 43 seconds left in regulation. Darrius Gates paced the Sycamores with 102 yards on the ground and also threw a 75-yard touchdown pass as the offense showed spark early in the game.
ISU enjoyed its closest game against a member of the NCAA Division I FBS Subdivision since 2003 with a 30-10 loss at Louisville. Santino Davis recorded a pair of interceptions in falling to the BIG EAST opponent.
The Sycamores were shut out in their third contest of the season against Eastern Illinois by a 31-0 count. It marked the first time ISU was shut out by the Panthers since 1962 and their 95 yards of total offense was the Sycamores' lowest total since the 2003 campaign.
Indiana State battled tough at No. 18 South Dakota State in the first half, but it wasn't enough, as the Jackrabbits took it to the Sycamores late in the second quarter en route to a 41-0 win over ISU. ISU trailed just 3-0 in the waning moments of the first half, but a blocked punt and a touchdown with less than a minute remaining helped SDSU to the game's momentum and the eventual victory. Senior Donye McCleskey recorded a season-best 15 tackles in defeat, plus his first interception of the season. ISU was shutout in back-to-back games for the first time since the 1999 season.
The Sycamores were shutout for the third consecutive game, falling 28-0 to Youngstown State. The Penguins owned just a 7-0 lead in the fourth quarter as the Sycamores held YSU without a score for nine consecutive possessions and did not allow a first down to Youngstown in third stanza. Indiana State went over the 100-yard mark in total offense, but were not able to reach pay dirt, falling to 0-2 in league play.
Indiana State defensive tackle turned fullback Rod Hardy got the Sycamores on the board in the third quarter of the Northern Iowa contest to break a 17-quarter streak without scoring a touchdown. The Sycamores fell to No. 3 nationally-ranked Panthers on Oct. 3 by the score of 62-7.
ISU put on its best offensive performance of the season on the road against Illinois State as they scored a season-high 21 points versus the Redbirds, but the Sycamores fell 38-21. Ryan Roberts found the end zone twice for Indiana State and the Sycamores rolled up 354 yards of total offense, including a 37-yard scoring pass from Roberts to Bryant Kent in the final two minutes of the game. Antoine Brown recorded 102 yards on the ground to become just the Sycamores' second rusher to top the century mark this season.
The Indiana State Sycamores ended the nation's longest losing streak with a 17-14 victory over Western Illinois. ISU had dropped each of its previous 33 games prior to its Homecoming victory against the Fighting Leathernecks. The Sycamores last victory prior to Saturday's was in a Homecoming contest against Missouri State in 2006. ISU improved to a perfect 6-0 all-time against Western Illinois when playing them on Homecoming at Memorial Stadium.
The Sycamores then fell to No.3 Southern Illinois by the score of 33-0. Indiana State mustered just 90 yards of total offense against SIU.
Last week, Indiana State fell 31-7 at Missouri State. The Sycamores scored on a one-yard touchdown run by Chris Stutzriem and churned out over 300 yards of total offense on the road against the Bears.
Sycamores Have Three Of Top Six Tacklers In The League
Redshirt freshman linebacker Aaron Archie ranks third in the MVFC with a 10.1 tackles per game average, which leads the Sycamores and ranks 23rd nationally. He heads up a group of three Sycamore defensive starters who rank in the top six league-wide for tackles per game and are in the top 64 nationally. Behind Archie is Donye McCleskey, who averages 8.8 stops per contest and is fifth in the league and 48th in the country. Alex Sewall is sixth with an 8.4 tackles per game average, which ties for 64th in all of FCS schools.
Twice (In One Year) Would Be Nice!
Indiana State won its first MVFC contest of the season on Oct. 24 in a 17-14 Homecoming victory over Western Illinois. The Sycamores host North Dakota State this week to conclude the season. If the Sycamores earn a victory, ISU will finish the season with multiple wins for the first time since the 2004 campaign and with multiple league victories for the first time since 2002.
Millington Grabs Academic Honors
Senior defensive end Daniel Millington has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V First Team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced. With his selection to the all-district first team, Millington advances to the national ballot for ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America awards. A graduate of Terre Haute North Vigo High School, Millington carries a 3.91 grade-point average in exercise science. He was named to the league honor rolls by the Gateway Conference and Missouri Valley Football Conference the past two seasons. In addition, Millington earned the Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award in 2008-09.
Silver Anniversary Team Honored
Four former Indiana State football players were named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference's Silver Anniversary Team, the league office has announced. Sycamore honorees included David Wright (1992-95), Dan Brandenburg (1992-95), Shannon Jackson (1996-99) and Kyle Mitchell (2002-05). Founded in 1985 as the Gateway Football Conference, the MVFC is celebrating its 25th season of FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) competition during the 2009 season. As part of a season-long celebration, the conference is paying tribute to its all-time greats by selecting the Silver Anniversary Team.
Ryan Roberts Named MVFC Offensive Player of the Week
Sophomore quarterback Ryan Roberts was named the MVFC's Offensive Player Of The Week following his superb showing in the victory over Western Illinois. Roberts rushed for 160 yards on the day -- the fourth-most in program history for a quarterback -- and recorded a school-record 91-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Additionally, Roberts scored in the final five minutes of the victory from four yards out to secure the win. He was the first Sycamore since Jake Shields in to score multiple touchdowns in consecutive weeks, as he also had a pair of rushing touchdowns at Illinois State on Oct. 17. Below is a list of the top five single-game rushing totals by a quarterback.
207, Julian Reese, INS vs. Illinois St., 11/03/01
170, Sheaton Fox, INS vs. Murray State, 11/21/98
162, Sheraton Fox, INS vs. Missouri State, 11/20/99
160, Ryan Roberts, INS vs. Western Illinois, 10/24/09
140, Sheraton Fox, INS vs. Southern Illinois, 10/24/98
Roberts' Rules of Order
Ryan Roberts had 160 yards and two touchdowns against Western Illinois. The 160 rushing yards are the fourth-most in program history for an ISU quarterback, behind recordholder Julian Reese (207 in 2001). The 160-yard game is the third-best in the past 10 seasons for an MVFC QB (13 have rushed for 100+ yards since 2000). Here are the eight rushing performances by a league QB since the 2000 campaign.
245, Donte Pimpleton, WKU vs. Illinois St., 11/3/01
207, Julian Reese, INS vs. Illinois State, 11/10/01
160, Ryan Roberts, INS vs. W. Illinois, 10/24/09
152, Matt Rycraft, YSU vs. W. Illinois, 10/11/03
150, Jason Johnson, WKU vs. W. Illinois, 8/30/01
129, Joel Sambursky, SIU vs. E. Michigan, 9/28/02
125, Jeff Ryan, YSU vs. Hofstra, 11/4/000
115, Julian Reese, INS vs. Eastern Illinois, 9/21/02
Trey Interceptions
The Sycamores recorded three interceptions against Western Illinois, including the first in the young careers of Andrew Blackmon and CJ Cook. Donye McCleskey also added in a pick as well, as the Sycamore defense stood tall in the 17-14 victory over Western Illinois. Indiana State had just four interceptions on the season prior to Saturday's three picks against the Fighting Leathernecks, including the game clincher by Blackmon as time expired.
They Don't Call It A Streak ... Now
The Sycamores ended the nation's longest losing streak with a 17-14 victory over Western Illinois. ISU had dropped each of its previous 33 games prior to its Homecoming victory against the Fighting Leathernecks. The Sycamores last victory prior to Saturday's was in a Homecoming contest against Missouri State in 2006. ISU improved to a perfect 6-0 all-time against Western Illinois when playing on Homecoming at Memorial Stadium. The 33-game skid was the fourth-longest in college football history behind Prairie View (80 games), Columbia (54) and Northwestern (34) and was the third all-time in FCS football.
We Are Mostly...Young
Of the 84 players on the current Indiana State roster, a total of 65 student-athletes are underclassmen -- or just over 76 percent. There are 38 true or redshirt freshmen on the roster currently. A total of 19 student-athletes have seen their first collegiate action this season, including 18 true or redshirt freshmen.
We Are Mostly...Young (PART 2)
In research conducted nationally, it was determined that Indiana State has played 13 true freshmen this season, which is the second most in the nation behind Northwestern State. Included in that number is a nation-leading nine true freshmen who have started at least one contest during 2009.
Facing the Nation's Best
The Sycamores are 8-69 all-time against FCS nationally-ranked opponents, including a mark of 6-50 against league members that are nationally ranked.
Sycamores Against the MFVC
Indiana State is in its 24th season as a member of the MVFC. ISU's first season as a league member came in 1986 when it went 1-5 through a six-game league schedule. The Sycamores are 40-111 in MVFC contests and had lost each of their last 21 league matchups before downing Western Illinois earlier this season.
Return To Sender
Indiana State has been solid in special teams, as the punt return squad ranks 56th nationally with an 7.8 yards-per-return average. That mark is good enough for sixth in the MVFC. Individually, Darrius Gates averages 27.21 yards per kickoff return which is second in the league and eighth-best nationally. As a team, the Sycamores average 20.42 yards per kick return, which is 51st nationally and in a league which boasts some of the best special teams in all of the FCS Subdivision, is fourth in the MVFC.
Barrelling In
ISU debuted a new jumbo package against No. 3 Northern Iowa in the Sycamores' last game before the open week, and the benefactor was Rod Hardy, who has started every game this season at defensive tackle. Hardy, who recovered a UNI fumble to give the Sycamores a short field offensively, plunged into the end zone to give ISU its first offensive points since the second game of the season at Louisville. Hardy was the first ISU player since 2005 to score an offensive touchdown despite starting the game on defense, as Andy Jones scored on a pass reception that season against Western Kentucky in a game in which he also started at linebacker.
Few Seniors
Indiana State has just 10 players on its roster who are seniors. Of those, Mike Woods and Elliott Thomas are fifth-year seniors, while Donye McCleskey, Jeramie Gray, Jerry Calvert, Dan Millington, Pat Burke, and Bill McGrath are in their fourth year. Antoine Brown and Gabe Mullane transferred into the Sycamore program and are in their final season as well. Indiana State has the fourth-fewest seniors on a 2009 roster nationally.
Working Overtime
The Sycamores have played in 11 overtime contests since the rule was established for regular season games in the NCAA FCS Subdivision in 1996. The Sycamores are 6-5 in games that have used an extra period, including a 33-30 overtime win over Eastern Illinois in 2004.
The Last Time Against North Dakota State ... Nov. 1, 2008
FARGO, N.D. -Indiana State out-gained No. 24 North Dakota State by 34 yards in the first half, but the Bison (5-4, 3-3 MVFC) found their ground attack in the second half en route to a 34-7 victory over the Sycamores (0-9, 0-5 MVFC) on Saturday night in the 35th annual Harvest Bowl in front of 16,211 fans at the Fargodome.
The Bison scored the first points of the game when they took over on the Sycamore 24-yard line after a personal foul call. Three plays later, Tyler Roehl went untouched from five yards out to make it 7-0 in favor of NDSU with 11:34 remaining in the first quarter.
After the Sycamore defense forced three straight incomplete passes, NDSU punted and the Sycamores went on an impressive scoring drive, thanks mostly to running back Antoine Brown and freshman quarterback Ryan Roberts. Roberts had a run of 16 yards after a personal foul call on the Bison and then Brown took over, with a run of 17 yards, breaking a couple of tackles. The Sycamores then went right back to Brown, who rumbled 19 yards up the middle for the touchdown to cap off a six-play, 60-yard drive. Following a Braulio Martinez extra point, the score was tied at 7-7 with 4:28 left in the first quarter.
The score remained that way going into the 2nd quarter. After another personal foul call against ISU and a 33 yard return by D.J. McNorton, the Bisons got runs of 13, four and three yards by Roehl to set up a 37-yard field goal by Shawn Bibeau to make it 10-7 in favor NDSU with 13:28 left in the half.
Neither team could muster anything until the end of the first half when Roberts, who'd been pressured much of the half, was picked off by Cyrus Lemon and returned it 41 yards to the ISU 30. Four plays later, quarterback Nick Mertens found Alex Belquist in the corner of the end zone for a 15-yard score to make it 17-7 with 1:06 left in the half.
The Sycamores were trying to run out the clock, but after gaining a first down Brown fumbled the football setting up a Bibeau 39-yard field goal to make it 20-7 at the break.
NDSU's first drive of the second half set the tone, as the Bison went 73 yards in 14 plays to take a 27-7 lead. Jordan Schultenover capped off the drive on a reverse from five yards out with 7:05 remaining in the third quarter. On ISU's next possession, the Sycamores gave the ball back on downs and the Bison needed just six plays to score on a four-yard TD pass from Mertens to Taylor Jangula to bring the score to 34-7 with 14:56 remaining in the game. That is where the score would stay for the rest of the game as the Bison picked up their fifth win of the season and third in conference play.
As a team, ISU finished with 143 yards in total offense while the Bisons had just 247 total yards, which is 191 yards below what the Sycamores had been allowing this season. In addition, ISU won the time of possession battle, 33:08 to 25:47.
Brown finished with a career-high 70 yards on the ground on 11 carries to lead the way for the Sycamores. Roberts, making his second collegiate start, finished with 42 yards on 17 carries and was 9-for-15 for 40 yards in the air with one interception. The Bison rushed for 149 yards in the game, 79 coming in the second half. Roehl carried the ball 20 times for 102 yards and a touchdown, while Mertens went 9-for-20 for 82 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
ISU returns to action next weekend, when the team travels to Youngstown, Ohio, to face off against the Youngstown State Penguins.
