SETTING THE STAGE
Indiana State continues year three of the Trent Miles Era on Saturday, Sept. 25, as the Sycamores take to the road to open Missouri Valley Football Conference play at Western Illinois. Saturday's game is set for a 4:00 p.m. (ET) kickoff at Hanson Field (16,368). 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 the Rocky Vision service on WIUAthletics.com on a pay-per-view basis. To watch the game, viewers will need to purchase a subscription on the Western Illinois Athletics web site. 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 WESTERN ILLINOIS SERIES
Indiana State trails the all-time series by a count of 20-13 and the Leathernecks hold a 13-3 lead in games played at Macomb, Ill. ISU broke a nine-game skid to the Leathernecks on Oct. 24, 2009 when the Sycamores downed WIU by the score of 17-14 at Memorial Stadium. ISU last won at Western Illinois on October 5, 1996 when the Sycamores took a 10-7 decision. The Sycamores have dropped six consecutive contests at Western Illinois.

THE COACHES
INDIANA STATE: Trent Miles (Indiana State '87)
- Overall: 2-23 (3rd Season)
- at Indiana State: 2-23 (3rd Season)
- vs. Western Illinois: 1-1
- vs. Missouri Valley Football Conference: 1-15
WESTERN ILLINOIS: Mark Hendrickson (Ferris State '90)
- Overall: 7-11 (Third Season)
- at Western Illinois: 7-11 (Third Season)
- vs. Indiana State: 0-1
- vs. MVFC: 3-9

QUICK HITS
- The only time that Indiana State has won its Missouri Valley Conference opener on the road came in 1996 when Indiana State won 10-7 at Western Illinois.
- The Sycamores are looking for their first MVFC road victory since downing Southern Illinois in Carbondale, 21-14, in 2002.

An Indiana State Win Over Western Illinois Would ...
• Give Indiana State consecutive victories over a MVFC opponent for the first time since the 2002 season which marked the final victory of a nine-game winning streak against Southern Illinois and the second year of consecutive victories against Missouri State. ISU downed Western Illinois by the score of 17-14 last season.
• Give Trent Miles his second victory over a MVFC opponent, his first on the road.
• Be Indiana State's first road victory over a member of the MVFC since downing Southern Illinois 21-14 in Carbondale in 2002.
• Give ISU a win in its conference opener for the first time since 2004 when ISU downed Illinois State 41-38 in double overtime at Memorial Stadium.

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 2-23 into Saturday. Miles is 1-1 against the Leathernecks, and is 1-15 against members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

The Western Illinois Head Coach
Western Illinois is led by Mark Hendrickson who is in his first full season as the head coach of the Leathernecks, although he has spent part of two seasons as the head coach on an interim or acting basis. Hendrickson is 1-1 against Indiana State and is 3-9 in Missouri Valley Football Conference contests.

Scouting The Leathernecks
Western Illinois is 2-1 on the season, having downed Valparaiso in the season opener by the score of 45-0 before falling at Purdue, 31-21. The Leathernecks are coming off a 56-14 victory last week against Sam Houston State at home. Quarterback Matt Barr has put together impressive numbers so far this season and is the reigning Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player Of The Week. Barr is 52-of-94 passing this season for 737 yards and six touchdowns. WIU owns the MVFC's top passing offense, which also ranks 20th in the nation.

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 340-466-22 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. ISU trailed just 12-7 at halftime at two-time defending BIG EAST Champion Cincinnati en route to falling 40-7. Ronnie Fouch found 11 different receivers as he finished 23-of-38 passing for 161 yards and a touchdown pass to Alex Jones.

For Valley Openers
Indiana State's 25th season as a member of the MVFC begins on Saturday when the Sycamores travel to Western Illinois for a 4 p.m. kickoff. It is the first time ISU has opened MVFC play at Western Illinois since the Leathernecks took a 49-7 decision in Macomb in 2000. ISU is 6-18 in league lidlifting contests, including 1-11 all-time when opening league play on the road. The only time the Sycamores earned a league opening victory on the road was a 10-7 victory at Western Illinois on October 5, 1996. The last time ISU opened MVFC play with a 1-0 record came on Oct. 2, 2004 when the Sycamores took a 41-38 double overtime victory over Illinois State at Memorial Stadium.

Fouch Working Well In The Pocket
Indiana State QB Ronnie Fouch found 11 different receivers against Cincinnati, hitting a total of six of them on multiple occasions. In comparison, Cincinnati found just four different receivers in the same game. ISU only had 14 different receivers catch a pass last season. Additionally, Fouch's back-to-back 100-yard passing performances against St. Joseph's (143) and Cincinnati (161) accomplished a feat that no Sycamore quarterback has been able to obtain since the 2007 season. The last time an Indiana State signal caller has been able to put together three consecutive 100-yard passing performances was when Reilly Murphy came out of the gate with a trio of 100-yard showings against Indiana, Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri State in 2007.

Something Has Got To Give On Saturday
The Sycamores lead the Missouri Valley Football Conference through the first three weeks of the college football season with a pass defense average of 134 yards per game, a number which ranks 11th-best in the nation. That will be a key matchup in this Saturday's MVFC opener for both ISU and Western Illinois as the Leathernecks lead the league and are 20th nationally with a 251 passing yards per game average. Included in that total for ISU is an appearance on September 11 at Cincinnati, the two time defending BIG EAST Champions where the Sycamores held them to just 130 yards through the air.

Winning The Turnover Battle
For the second consecutive week, the Sycamores have not lost the turnover battle, as they posted a plus one showing by allowing just one fumble lost while getting a pair off of the Bearcats. ISU's one fumble, on special teams, marks the first time this season that the Sycamores have turned the ball over.

Sack Attack
ISU also posted multiple sacks against Cincinnati as the Sycamores have now recorded at least two sacks in consecutive weeks. The Sycamores recorded four sacks in the opener against St. Joseph's and came back with the pair versus the Bearcats. For the second consecutive contest, sophomore defensive lineman Ben Obaseki posted a sack as he forced an 18 yard loss versus the Bearcats.

Fouch Strong At Cincinnati
Indiana State junior quarterback Ronnie Fouch completed 23-of-38 passes for 161 yards and touchdown at FBS Cincinnati this week. Fouch found 11 different receivers in the game, hitting a total of six different receivers on multiple occasions in the contest. Fouch found Bryant Kent for a 22 yard pass, his longest of the game. Late in the second quarter, Fouch connected with tight end Alex Jones for an 18-yard touchdown pass which inched Indiana State within 12-7 as the two teams headed into the locker room. Fouch's 161 yards of passing against Cincinnati combined with his 143 yards of passing last week in the opener against St. Joseph's (Ind.) gave him back-to-back 100 yard passing efforts, a feat that no Sycamore quarterback was able to accomplish in the last two seasons.

Santino Is Not Your Average Punter
Santino Davis punted seven times against Cincinnati for 254 yards, an average of 36.3 yards per kick. He booted one for a long of 55 yards, including a pair which pinned the Bearcats inside their own 20-yard line. Davis also had one free kick following a safety which traveled 46 yards. Davis moved down the field from his free kick position and posted a thundering tackle on Cincinnati's DJ Woods which forced a fumble and gave the Sycamores the football at midfield. Later in the second quarter, he pounced on a loose football which set up a short field for Indiana State's touchdown in the contest. At his normal linebacker position, Davis posted five tackles.

Sycamores In The Valley And National Rankings
Indiana State ranks in the MVFC's top three in five different team statistical categories, including leading the league in pass defense, giving up 134 yards per game through the air. ISU also ranks third in rushing offense (254.67 ypg); scoring offense (40.67 ppg); total defense (298.67 ypg) and sacks allowed (33 sacks pg). Nationally, ISU's pass defense is 11th, rushing offense is 15th, scoring offense is 24th and total defense is 34th.

Individually Ranked As Well
Darrius Gates is averaging 9.0 points per game through the first two contests of the year which leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference and is tied for 26th nationally. Rod Hardy is averaging 1.0 sacks per game, which is tied for third in the league and is tied for 14th in the nation. Both Shakir Bell and Gates are averaging exactly 100 rushing yards per game, which is tied for fourth in the MVFC and is tied for 23rd at the FCS level. ISU has four different receivers that rank in the MVFC's top 25, headlined by Bryant Kent's 3.5 receptions per game average which is tied for ninth. Justin Hilton and Alex Jones (2.5 receptions by game) are tied for 19th while Leonard Riston's 2.00 receptions per game is ranked in a tie for 25th. Santino Davis' 39.8 punting yards per game average is ranked fourth in the conference.

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.

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 following the season opener against St. Joseph's. 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.

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 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 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
Indiana State returns home to open a three-game homestand on Saturday, October 2 when the Sycamores host Quincy in its final non-conference matchup of 2010. Kickoff is set for 5:05 p.m. (ET) at Memorial Stadium.