BROOKINGS, S.D. -- The No. 23 Indiana State Sycamores put their first national ranking since 1996 on the line in front of 12,331 fans at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium and came away with a 38-28 victory over South Dakota State to win the 2011 Beef Bowl.

ISU improved to 4-1 for the first time since 2004 and moved to 2-0 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play for the first time since 1996 with the win. South Dakota State dropped its fourth consecutive game to fall to 1-4 on the campaign, including an 0-2 league ledger.

Indiana State led the Jackrabbits by the score of 10-9 at the half and used a 30-yard pass from Fouch to Alex Jones as well as a 38-yard rush from Shakir Bell to set up Brock Lough for a two-yard touchdown run with 12:03 remaining to stretch the ISU lead out to 17-9 early in the third quarter.

South Dakota State and Indiana State traded three-and-out defensive stops before the Jacks embarked on a scoring drive which ended with a four-yard touchdown pass from Austin Sumner to Vince Benedetto with 7:44 left in the third quarter to make it 17-15. Sumner's pass on the two-point conversion failed as the ISU clinged to a narrow two-point lead.

Bell continued his third quarter showcase with a 30-yard touchdown run on a drive that was saved earlier on a long pass from Fouch to Jones to give ISU a 24-15 lead with 3:00 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Johnny Towalid returned the first Sycamore interception for a touchdown since 2006 when he took back an Austin Sumner pass 78-yards for the score with 52 seconds left in the third quarter to give Indiana State some more cushion at 31-15.

Bell led the Sycamores to their 21st unanswered point after SDSU cut the ISU advantage down to just two points when he scampered in from four-yards out with 11:09 remaining on the clock to give the Sycamores a 38-15 lead. Bell's touchdown run of four yards put him at 199 yards for the contest.

The Sycamores and Jackrabbits traded field goals in the opening stanza as Cory Little connected on his fifth consecutive field goal this season to give ISU a 3-0 lead with 8:36 remaining in the opening period. ISU's scoring opportunity was set up by a muffed punt return attempt by the Jacks which gave the Sycamores the ball at the SDSU six-yard line. ISU's scoring drive netted minus seven yards.

South Dakota State found the end zone for the second time in the second half with 8:04 remaining in the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown run by Tyrel Kool to cut into the Sycamore lead -- 38-21.

The Jacks then moved the ball down inside the ISU five-yard line but had to settle for a 19-yard field goal by Kyle Harris to knot the score at 3-3 with 2:02 remaining in the first quarter.

ISU then was set up with great field position once again after the SDSU kicker nearly missed the ensuing kickoff attempt and Larry King pounced on the ball at the Jacks 24-yard line. The Sycamores took over at the 19 following a penalty and moved the ball inside the SDSU 10-yard line. Little saw his streak of field goal success end with a 30-yard attempt that sailed wide right to keep the score knotted at 3.

SDSU took a 6-3 lead with a 26-yard field goal by Justin Syrovatka with 8:17 on the clock. On ISU's next possession, Donald Spencer fumbled the ball after a completion, and SDSU recovererd and returned it to the ISU three. The Sycamore defense held to force another Syrovatka field goal with 6:06 left in the opening half for 9-3 SDSU advantage.

ISU was able to drive the ball 11 plays and 68 yards over the next five minutes of the contest and took a 10-9 lead in the game with a six-yard touchdown pass from Ronnie Fouch to Brock Lough as the clock ticked under one minute to go. After the ensuing kickoff, the Sycamores held the Jacks for two offensive plays as the first half ended.

Shakir Bell led ISU in rushing with 38 yards on eight attempts in the first half while Fouch was 9-fo-14 passing for 64 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Bell finished the game a yard shy of his third consecutive 200 yard game as he had 199 yards off 22 carries. Bell was also named the Outstanding Player of the 45th annual Beef Bowl.

Fouch finished the game 14-21 for 168 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Alex Jones led the Sycamore receivers with five catcher for 81 yards.

Indiana State returns to action on Saturday, October 8 when they travel to No. 2 nationally-ranked Northern Iowa at the UNI-Dome. Kickoff is set for 5:05 p.m. (ET).