Blaine Kinsey

GoSycamores.com

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - After being down by two touchdowns halfway through the fourth quarter, the Sycamores rallied back and won a 38-35 thriller in overtime at Memorial Stadium over the Bears of Missouri State.

In a game that saw both team score five touchdowns, it came down to an overtime field goal so seal the win for the Sycamores after losing their previous three games against the Bears.

The Sycamores got things started scoring on the opening drive of the game from a 36-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Ronnie Fouch to junior wide receiver Ednut Egberongbe.

The Bears answered back though at the end of the first quarter, tying the game at seven with a rushing touchdown from their quarterback Cody Kirby.

Luck then was on the Sycamores side as they were able to capitalize on one of the most rare plays in college football. The Sycamore lined up to punt, however, the punt was blocked by a Missouri State defender. Junior tight end Alex Jones then caught the ball and ran all the way down to the Missouri State four-yard line.

Senior running back Darrius Gates then began to make his presence known as he capitalized and scored his first of two touchdowns on the day at the start of the first quarter.

The Bears once again answered right back with a 59 yard touchdown pass before Gates's second touchdown of the day to give the Sycamores a 21-14 lead with just over a minute left in the half.

The Bears weren't finished however as they rushed down the field to score a touchdown as the clock struck zero to tie the game at 21 at halftime.

After halftime the game became a defensive battle with the Missouri State offense finally putting their team ahead after a 19-yard touchdown run to give the Bears a 28-21 lead, their first of the game.

Missouri State then extended its lead even further when Kirby rushed for a 12-yard touchdown to open the fourth quarter.

From that point on it was all Indiana State as Fouch connected with junior wide receiver Justin Hilton for two consecutive touchdowns to tie the game up at 35 all with 6:31 remaining in regulation.

Both teams attempted field goals but neither team could connect as the Bears missed from 48 yards and the Sycamores missed from 49 yards as time expired in regulation sending the game into overtime.

The Bears won the toss and elected to play defense first, putting the Sycamore offense on the field. The Sycamores were unable to put the ball in the end zone but freshman kicker Cory Little connected on a 32 yard field goal to put the Sycamores up 38-35.

When the Bears offense got on the field they moved the ball inside the ISU five yard before stalling on fourth down. The Bears lined up to go for it but were called for a false start penalty. They then lined up for a field goal that was pulled wide left to give the Sycamores the 38-35 win, their fourth win of the season and third straight.

The last time the Sycamores had a field goal win a game since the 2004 season at Eastern Illinois. The Sycamores four home wins are the most since 2002 which was the last time the team started 4-0 at home. The Sycamores have also won their third consecutive game for the first time since 2004.

With the win the Sycamores improve to 4-2 on the season and 2-1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bears meanwhile fall to 2-4 and 1-2.

The Sycamores racked up 508 yards of total offense with 311 coming in the air and 197 coming on the ground.

Fouch led the aerial attack for the Sycamores going 23-43 for 311 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. This marked the first time a Sycamore has attempted more than 30 passes in a single game since 2005.

Fouch also tied the school record with three consecutive games with 200 or more passing yards.

Hilton led the Sycamore receivers with eight catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns.

On the ground Gates led the Sycamores with 119 yards and two touchdowns.

The Sycamores will return to action next Saturday when they travel to North Dakota State. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m.