Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
SETTING THE STAGE
Indiana State continues year three of the Trent Miles Era on Saturday, Sept. 11, as the Sycamores take to the road to battle NCAA FBS foe Cincinnati, of the BIG EAST Conference. Saturday's game is set for a 12:05 p.m. (ET) kickoff at Nippert Stadium (35,097). The game will be carried live on ESPN Radio (1130 and 1300 AM), with Brian Fritz and Vaso Michels calling the action for the Nelligan Sports Marketing Radio Network. Action can be heard live worldwide on GoSycamores.com. The game will also be televised worldwide on ESPN3.com as well as on ESPN Gameplan on a pay-per-view basis. Michael Reghi, Artrell Hawkins and Brian Gisenschlag will call the action live. ISU will also be running a live blog on GoSycamores.com and will be providing regular updates at facebook.com/Sycamores as well as twitter.com/IndStAthletics.
THE CINCINNATI SERIES
Cincinnati leads the all-time series against Indiana State by a 3-1 ledger. The Bearcats are a perfect 2-0 against Indiana State in games played at Nippert Stadium. ISU took a 40-16 decision over Cincinnati at the Hoosier Dome on Nov. 7, 1987 in the only neutral field battle between the two schools. ISU and Cincinnati last faced each other on Nov. 12, 1988 in Cincinnati as the Bearcats walked away with 40-21 victory.
THE COACHES
INDIANA STATE: Trent Miles (Indiana State '87)
- Overall: 2-22 (3rd Season)
- at Indiana State: 2-22 (3rd Season)
- vs. Cincinnati: First Meeting
- vs. BIG EAST: 0-1
CINCINNATI: Butch Jones (Ferris State '90)
- Overall: 27-14 (Fourth Season)
- at Cincinnati: 0-1 (First Season)
- vs. Indiana State: First Meeting
- vs. MVFC: First Meeting
QUICK HITS
- Indiana State won its season opener for the first time since the 1996 season with a 57-7 victory over St. Joseph's (Ind.) on Sept. 4, 2010.
- Indiana State's 57 points in the season opener at St. Joseph's is the most a Sycamore team has ever scored in a lidlifter and the most scored in a game since 1999 versus Southern Illinois.
An Indiana State Win Over Cincinnati Would ...
• Give the Sycamores their first victory over a NCAA FBS Team since downing Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference 21-14 in 2001.
• Give Trent Miles his first career head coaching victory over a NCAA FBS Team.
• Give Indiana State its first back-to-back victories since winning three in a row (Eastern Illinois, Murray State, UT-Martin) in 2004.
• Improve ISU to 2-0 on the season for the first time since downing St. Cloud State and Missouri State to open the 1986 season.
• Give Indiana State its first road victory over Cincinnati.
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 in 2008 against Eastern Michigan and carries a record of 2-22 into Saturday. Miles has never faced the Bearcats, and is 0-1 against members of the BIG EAST Conference after falling to Louisville by a 30-10 count last season.
The Cincinnati Head Coach
Cincinnati is led by first year head coach Butch Jones, who is in his first season with the Bearcats. Jones lost his debut with the team last week, falling 28-14 at Fresno State. Overall, Jones is 27-14 in his fourth season as a collegiate head coach, spending the previous three seasons as the head man at Central Michigan. Jones has never faced Indiana State nor a member of the MVFC as a head coach.
Scouting The Bearcats
Cincinnati is a NCAA FBS member and competes in the BIG EAST Conference. The Bearcats have won the BIG EAST in each of the last two seasons, but fell in their season opener last weekend at Fresno State by the score of 28-14. Cincinnati is led by junior quarterback Zach Collaros who was 24-of-41 for 219 yards and a touchdown against the Bulldogs.
A Little History
This marks the 106th 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 340-465-22 and is competing for the 25th consecutive season as a member of the MVFC.
Whats Transpired
Indiana State won its season opener with a 57-7 decision over St. Joseph's (Ind.) on Sept. 4. The Sycamores scored the game's first 23 points against the Pumas en route to the 50 point victory. ISU was led by senior Darrius Gates who finished with 160 rushing yards while freshman Shakir Bell burst onto the scene with 133 yards on the ground in his Sycamore debut.
For Openers
Indiana State improved to 43-47-7 in season openers with a .481 winning percentage following last week's victory over St. Joseph's (Ind.). Indiana State's 57-7 victory over St. Joseph's gave ISU its first season opening win since a 1996 victory over Mars Hill. The Sycamores' 57 points were the most ever scored by an Indiana State team in a lidlifter.
Gates Wide Open In Season Opener
Senior Darrius Gates went over the 100-yard rushing mark for the second consecutive season opener as he tallied 160 yards on the ground as part of the 57-7 victory over St. Joseph's (Ind.) for the Sycamores. His 160 rushing yards are the most by an Indiana State player in a season opener and it is the 15th time a Sycamore has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in a lidlifting contest. Gates found the end zone a total of three times in the contest on the ground, which marked the first time a Sycamore rushed for at least three touchdowns since the 2004 campaign when Sidney Montfort accomplished that feat against Murray State. He added one pass reception for 13 yards as Gates racked up 173 all purpose yards in the victorious effort. Gates averaged over eight yards per carry in the game and scored the first touchdown of the 2010 campaign on the Sycamores' first drive of the season as he capped a five-play, 80-yard drive with a 22-yard run. He added a 36-yard scoring run to open the scoring in the second half and added a three-yard plunge later in the period.
Bell's Best Sycamore Debut
Freshman tailback Shakir Bell rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown in his collegiate debut against St. Joseph's (Ind.) Those 133 yards are the most ever by a Sycamore in his first game and is the third-most by a Sycamore in a season opener. Bell's 25-yard scoring run opened the fourth quarter as ISU continued to build on its advantage over the Pumas. Bell also added a 38-yard rush in the effort as he averaged over 12 yards per carry.
Gates And Bell Each Reach 100-Yard Rushing Mark
Senior Darrius Gates and freshman Shakir Bell became the first Sycamore duo since the 2004 campaign to each reach the 100-yard rushing mark in the same game when they accomplished that feat against St. Joseph's (Ind.). Gates had 160 yards on the ground while Bell posted 133 matching the double 100-yard rushing efforts of Sidney Montfort and Jake Shields in 2004 against UT-Martin.
Rushing For Daylight
Indiana State posted a total of seven rushing touchdowns in the season opener against St. Joseph's - a new school record. ISU reached pay dirt a total of eight times, just one shy of the overall record set against West Virginia Tech in 1994. ISU got three rushing scores from Gates and one each from Bell, George Cheeseborough, Bryant Kent and Rod Hardy. Hardy starts on defense for the Sycamores and scored his second career rushing touchdown after posting his first last season against Northern Iowa.
Block Party
Justin Hilton posted the Sycamores' lone non-rushing touchdown of the 57-7 season opening victory over St. Joseph's (Ind.) when he blocked a punt in the waning seconds of the first half and recovered the football in the end zone for his first career score as a Sycamore. Hilton came around the left side of the line of scrimmage, laid out for the ball, caught it with his outstretched hands and pounced on the football in the end zone to give ISU a 30-7 advantage heading into the half. Hilton's play marked the first time a Sycamore had blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown since Donye McCleskey did so in his first collegiate contest against Purdue in 2006.
The King Of The Defense
Freshman Larry King led the Sycamores with eight total tackles in his collegiate debut as ISU downed St. Joseph's (Ind.) by the score of 57-7 on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. King posted one sack for a loss of four yards while adding 1.5 tackles for loss as well.
Opening Day Highlights
Indiana State has had 15 100-yard rushing performances in season opening contests over the history of the program, highlighted by 160 in last week's season opener against St. Joseph's from senior Darrius Gates. Additionally, freshman Shakir Bell posted 133 yards on the ground, which is third most by an ISU player in a season opener.
Top 100-Yard Rushing Games In Season Openers
1. 160 by Darrius Gates vs. St. Joseph's (2010)
2. 142 by Tori Vactor vs. Salem (1988)
3. 133 by Shakir Bell vs. St. Joseph's (2010)
4. 132 by David Wright vs. Mars Hill (1995)
5. 127 by Jake Shields vs. Ball State (2003)
Sycamores Receiving Votes After Week 1
Indiana State received three votes in the Week 1 edition of The Sporting News/Fathead.com FCS Top 25 Poll after its season opening victory over St. Joseph's (Ind.) ISU gave the MVFC a perfect 9-of-9 mark as all of the league teams were represented in the nationwide voting. The MVFC had four teams ranked and the other five receiving votes in the poll.
Leading The Valley
The Indiana State Sycamores lead the Missouri Valley Football Conference in team rushing offense after one week of play as their 371 yards on the ground is tops league wide and third nationally. ISU's 39.33 yards of net punting per game is also the best in the MVFC and is 18th nationally. The Sycamores 57 points scored against St. joseph's ranks second in the league and fifth nationally while its 514 yards of total offense is second in the league and eighth nationally. On defense, ISU posted four quarterback sacks which is second in the MVFC and is tied for eighth nationally. A complete report of how ISU ranks in the NCAA and in the league is available on page 18 of this release.
Individually Ranked
Senior Darrius Gates leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference and is fourth in the nation with his 160 rushing yards per game average while Shakir Bell is second with his 133 rushing yards. Bell's numbers are good enough to tie for ninth in the FCS ranks. Gates three touchdowns are tied for first in the league while it ranks in a tie for second nationally while his 173 all purpose yards are second in the league and 19th-best in the nation. On special teams, Alex Sewall is averaging 17.0 yards per punt return, who is tops in the MVFC and is seventh nationally. On defense, Rod Hardy posted a pair of quarterback sacks, which is tied for first in the league and is tied for third nationally while his two tackles for loss rank in a tie for second in the MVFC and in a tie for 23rd in the FCS. A complete report of how ISU players rank in the NCAA and in the league is available on page 18 of this release.
Gates And Bell Earn National Mentions For Opening Week Performances
Darrius Gates and Shakir Bell were named to the honorable mention list for the National FCS Running Back Of The Week Award as announced by the College Football Performance Awards. The CFPA provides the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. Gates broke the school record for rushing yards in a season opener with 160 and three touchdowns while Bell set a new ISU collegiate debut rushing record with 133 yards on the ground versus SJC. Bell also scored a touchdown for the Sycamores. The duo of Gates and Bell became the first Sycamore pair since 2004 to each reach 100 yards rushing in the same game with their performance against St. Joseph's.
Sycamores Against The FBS
Annually Indiana State faces off against one or more members of the NCAA FBS Subdivision and this year's lone contest against college football's top subdivision is against Cincinnati of the BIG EAST Conference. ISU last defeated a member of the FBS in 2001 when they downed Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference by the score of 21-14. Since that contest, ISU has dropped 11 in row against members of the FBS. Under coach Miles, ISU is 0-1 against members of the BIG EAST, falling at Louisville by the score of 30-10 last season. Against the current membership of the BIG EAST, ISU is 2-9, including a mark of 1-3 against Cincinnati.
Preseason Selections
Indiana State sophomore Aaron Archie and junior Rod Hardy each garnered Preseason All-Missouri Valley Football Conference mentions as announced by the league office before the start of fall camp. The Sycamores were picked to finish ninth in the MVFC this season.
Darrius Gates Named Preseason All-American
Indiana State senior Darrius Gates has been named to the College Sporting News FCS All-American Second Team at the end of the summer. All14 FCS Conferences as well as 58 schools and 99 student-athletes nationwide were represented on one of the three squads. CSN is the largest news organization exclusively covering the FCS at CollegeSportingNews.com and ChampionshipSubdivisionNews.com.
Last season he was an All-MVFC Honorable Mention selection as a return specialist. In addition to his exploits as a running back, he tallied 514 yards on kickoff returns in 19 attempts, averaging 27.1 yards per return, including a season-best 57-yarder against Eastern Illinois. His kickoff return average led the MVFC and was ranked fifth nationally. His 82.2 all-purpose yards per game was 12th-best in the league.
The National Eye
Indiana State junior kicker Brett Sheldon, who was born with a physical handicap, was featured this summer on an episode of The Dr. Phil Show titled "Driven To Succeed." Sheldon walked on to the team in the spring and is listed on the team's depth chart out of preseason camp. During the Dr. Phil Show he was featured along with New Orleans Saints head coach -- and former Sycamore assistant -- Sean Peyton. The Dr. Phil film crew was inside Memorial Stadium during the Spring Game and footage of the Sycamores' spring scrimmage was featured on the national television program.
Sycamores In The Pros
Two former Sycamores have played in NFL Preseason contests this fall. Donye McCleskey played in one preseason contest for the Indianapolis Colts where he made a trio of tackles while Jamie Petrowski has played in a pair of preseason contests with the Carolina Panthers. Former Sycamore DeJuan Alfonzo plays for the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League and was named the 2010 Ironman Of The Year.
Few Seniors
Indiana State has just eight players on its roster who are seniors. Of those, Darrius Gates and Pat Burke are fifth-year seniors, while Milton Redwine, Bryant Kent, Josh Jellison and Nate Brown are in their fourth year. Jordan Scott and Larry Lacotti transferred into the Sycamore program and are in their final season as well.
In 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. ISU's last overtime victory came in the form of a 41-38 victory over Illinois State in 2004. The Sycamores have dropped each of their last two overtime contests.
Sycamores Against The Missouri Valley Football Conference
Indiana State is in its 25th 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 40-112 in MVFC contests and had lost each of their last 21 league matchups before downing Western Illinois on Homecoming last season.
Up Next
Following an open week, the Indiana State Sycamores travel to Western Illinois on September 25 for its Missouri Valley Football Conference opener. The game is slated to kickoff at 4:05 p.m. (ET).
