Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
MACOMB, Ill. -- Indiana State was hoping to win its first conference opener on the road since the 1996 season and make it two in a row over Western Illinois after ISU downed the Leathernecks 17-14 on Homecoming last year at Memorial Stadium, but Western Illinois was forced to bring its MVFC-leading aerial attack to the ground due to a heavy rain during the game and won going away, 40-7.
ISU falls to 1-2 (0-1 MVFC) while Western Illinois improved to 3-1 (1-0 MVFC).
Darrius Gates finished the game as the Sycamores' leading rusher with 51 yards on the ground. Brock Lough scored the Sycamores' touchdown in the contest, amassing a total of 38 yards in the contest. Ronnie Fouch finished 6-of-17 passing for 52 yards. Alex Jones was the leading receiver with two catches for 27 yards.
ISU placed three different defenders in double digits tackles, including Aaron Archie who posted 11 stops. Ben Obaseki had 10 tackles while Nate Brown had 10 as well.
Indiana State won the toss and deferred the option to the second half as Western Illinois' quick strike offense used a solid kickoff return to move the ball quickly into Sycamore territory. The defense made the stop, but was forced to start at its own three-yard line after the Leatherneck punt. The Sycamores got one first down, but were forced to punt.
WIU used just over two minutes to score first in the game on an eight-play drive that was entirely on the ground to take a 6-0 lead after the extra point was missed with 8:09 left on the first quarter clock. Caulton Ray finished off the drive with a one-yard run up the middle.
The ISU defense forced the first Western Illinois turnover of the season when CJ Ullysee picked off a Matt Barr pass to end a Leatherneck drive in the first quarter. The Sycamores got their paws on the ball three times in the opening stanza, earned a pair of first downs and netted 37 yards to WIU's 127. ISU was 0-for-3 on third down conversions in the first quarter.
Western Illinois made it 13-0 with 10:48 left in the second quarter when Bryce Flowers sprinted up the middle for a 32-yard touchdown run which capped a seven-play, 74-yard drive.
Indiana State came back and got its first third down conversion of the game on a pass play from Ronnie Fouch to Bryant Kent but Kent fumbled at the end of the play as the clock ticked under 10 minutes to go in the second quarter to give the ball back to the Leathernecks and knot up the turnover battle at one each.
ISU got another defensive stop, and moved the ball for a first down on the ensuing drive but were forced to punt after a dropped pass on third down. Santino Davis' punt was blocked and after a wild scrum for the football, the Leathernecks gained possession at the ISU 14-yard line. It took just one play, a 14-yard run by Ray to get the Leathernecks on the scoreboard again and give them a 20-0 advantage.
The Indiana State defense held after backing the Sycamores up with less two minutes left in the opening half. ISU got the ball near midfield following a Leatherneck punt but Fouch was intercepted on the first play to set WIU up again. The Sycamore defense made another stand and forced WIU to punt just before the half to send the teams into the locker room as ISU trailed 20-0.
Gates leads ISU with 26 yards on the ground while Fouch is 6-of-14 passing for 52 yards and a touchdown. Alex Jones has two receptions for 27 yards. Bryce Flowers paces WIU with 110 yards on the ground. Matt Barr is 3-of-10 passing with an interception.
Ben Obaseki leads ISU with seven total tackles while Alex Sewall has five.
Indiana State got the ball to start the second half, but couldn't get a first down and had to punt the ball over to Western Illinois. The Leathernecks took the ball on a 17-play, 74-yard jaunt that took up over seven minutes of game time to put the Leathernecks up 27-0. WIU finally ended the drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Josh Gabbelmann with 7:06 left in the third quarter.
The Sycamores responded to the drive with their first score of the game on a one-yard touchdown run by Brock Lough with 55 seconds left in the third quarter to inch ISU within 27-7. Lough's scoring plunge capped a 13-play, 62-yard drive which also took nearly seven minutes off the clock. At one point in the drive, Lough punished the Leatherneck defense with three consecutive runs of over 10 yards as ISU finally got things going on the ground en route to score.
The third quarter featured just one passing play, an attempt from Fouch to Goodlett which fell incomplete.
Bryce Flowers put up his second touchdown of the contest with 12:46 to go in the fourth quarter as he scored from xx yards out to stretch the Western Illinois lead back out to 34-7.
Indiana State fumbled the ball over to Western Illinois on its first play of the fourth quarter, but got the ball back a few plays later when Ryan Roberts forced a Leatherneck fumble and Nate Brown pounced on it for the defensive stop.
Lamor Hickman added a touchdown with 6:29 left to make it 40-7.
Indiana State returns to action on Saturday, October 2 when the Sycamores host Quincy in the final non-conference contest of the year. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium is set for 5:05 p.m. (ET).
