SETTING THE STAGE

The fourth season of the Trent Miles era continues on Saturday, Oct. 22, as the No. 16/17 Sycamores visit the Redbirds of Illinois State in a Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup in Normal, Ill. Saturday's game is set for a 2:00 p.m. (ET) kickoff at Hancock Stadium (9,500). The game will air live on ESPN3.com, with Scott Warmann, Danan Hughes and Erin Bajackson breaking down the action on the field. The game can also be heard on ESPN Radio (92.7 FM), with Brian Fritz and Tom James calling the action for the Nelligan Sports Marketing Radio Network.

THE ILLINOIS STATE SERIES

Illinois State owns the all-time series against Indiana State by a 31-29-2 margin, including a 21-9 advantage when the game is played in Normal, Ill. Indiana State won the last meeting between the two clubs by a 59-24 margin last season in Terre Haute, the most points the Sycamores have ever put up against the Redbirds. Last season's win snapped a five-game losing streak to Illinois State, although the Redbirds have won 11 of the last 13 games between the ISUs of the MVFC.

THE COACHES

INDIANA STATE:  Trent Miles (Indiana State '87)

            - Overall: 12-29 (4th Season)

            - at Indiana State: 12-29 (4th Season)

            - vs. Illinois State: 1-2

            - vs. Missouri Valley Football Conference: 8-20

ILLINOIS STATE:  Brock Spack (Purdue '93)

            - Overall: 16-18 (3rd Season)

            - at Illinois State: 16-18 (3rd Season)

            - vs. Indiana State: 1-1

            - vs. Missouri Valley Football Conference: 11-9

QUICK HITS

- Indiana State is ranked No. 16 this week the FCS Coaches Poll, their highest national ranking of the season and second highest in program history.

- The Sycamores will be looking to defeat the Redbirds for the second consecutive season, after topping Illinois State 59-24 in Terre Haute last year. The last time Indiana State won back-to-back games in the series came in 1996 and 1997.

- Sophomore Shakir Bell leads the nation in rushing yards per game, averaging 160.7 yards per contest.

The Indiana State Head Coach

Indiana State head coach Trent Miles (Indiana State, 1987) is 12-29 (.295) overall in his fourth season as a head coach, all with the Sycamores. He is 8-20 all-time in MVFC games, including a 6-8 mark at home and a 2-12 mark on the road. During his career, he is 9-11 in all home games, 3-18 on the road and 3-2 in games decided by three points or less. Miles is 1-2 all-time against Illinois State. With the Trees, Miles is 1-2 in overtime games, and 0-5 in shutouts. Saturday's game is Trent Miles' 42nd game as Indiana State head coach.

The Illinois State Head Coach

Illinois State is led by third-year head coach Brock Spack. Spack is 16-18 at ILS and as a head coach. He is 1-1 all-time against Indiana State, earning a 38-21 victory at home back in 2009. With Illinois State's 27-23 win over Eastern Illinois in the 2010 season finale, the Redbird coaching staff led by head coach Spack became the first staff at Illinois State to post back-to-back winning seasons in its first two seasons at the helm in over 60 years.

Scouting The Redbirds

Illinois State is 3-0 at home, topping Morehead State (52-21 on Sept. 10), South Dakota State (20-13 on Sept. 24), and South Dakota (28-3 on Oct. 15) and 1-3 on the road this season, defeating Missouri State (38-13 on Oct. 9) while falling to Eastern Illinois (33-26 on Sept. 1), Youngstown State (34-27 on Sept. 17) and North Dakota State (20-10 on Oct. 1). Ashton Leggett leads the team with 802 rushing yards this season, an average of 114.6 per game, good for sixth best nationally. Matt Brown has completed 67.0-percent of his passes, averaging 205.6 yards in the air per game with 13 touchdowns against six interceptions. Tyrone Walker leads the Redbirds in receiving, catching 38 passes for 485 yards this season, including seven touchdowns. Josh Howe leads the defense with 53 tackles this season, while Evan Frierson has tallied 12.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage. The Redbirds have the third best run defense in country base on yards allowed per game, as opponents are averaging just 70.6 yards on the ground per contest. The Illinois State defense is also ranked third nationally in sacks, totaling 26 for the season and averaging 3.71 per game.

A Little History

This marks the 107th 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 350-472-22 and is competing for the 26th consecutive season as a member of the MVFC.

Television Particulars

Indiana State's game at Illinois State will be shown live to the world on ESPN3.com. In order to receive ESPN3.com, fans must subscribe to a local cable or internet company which is in partnership with the World Wide Leader in sports. Additionally, ESPN3.com is provided free of charge to all college campus and military internet providers.

What's Transpired

Indiana State is 5-2 on the season, dropping its season opener at Penn State by the score of 41-7 and downing Butler in the home opener 48-34. The Sycamores are led in rushing by Shakir Bell who has 1,125 yards on 124 carries, averaging 9.1 yards per touch with 11 touchdowns. Bell is also the national leader in rushing yards per game, going off for a 160.7 average per contest. Ronnie Fouch has completed over 59.3-percent of his passes, connecting on 83-of-140 attempts with 12 touchdowns. Justin Hilton leads ISU with 23 catches for 374 yards and four touchdowns while Alex Jones leads the receivers with an even 400 yards for the season, coming on 19 catches with three touchdowns. Aaron Archie leads the defense, recording a team-high 82 tackles on the season, good for seventh best in the country with an 11.7 per game average. Ben Obaseki tops the team with 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, including a 22-tackle performance on Oct. 15 against Western Illinois. Larry Carter and Cory Little earned MVFC Player Of The Week honors for their efforts against Western Kentucky as the Sycamores earned a 44-16 road victory over the Hilltoppers. The Sycamores won their first contest against a NCAA FBS Subdivision member since 2001 with the win over WKU. ISU stretched its winning streak to three games with a 37-35 home victory over Youngstown State - its first over the Penguins at Memorial Stadium in 12 tries. ISU secured its first 2-0 start to league play since 1996 with a 38-28 victory at South Dakota State. Bell once again led the offensive attack with 199 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns. Indiana State saw their four-game winning streak come to an end at Northern Iowa, falling 23-9 in the UNI-Dome. Shakir Bell gained 145 yards on 14 first-half carries, before an injury forced to sophomore standout to miss the second half of action. Ronnie Fouch threw for 136 yards and one touchdown, connecting on a six-yard strike to Justin Hilton late in the first-half. Indiana Stat got back on the winning side of things against Western Illinois, recording their third straight Homecoming victory with a 46-24 triumph. Bell ran for 213 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon, while Fouch connected on four touchdown passes.

Earning National Respect In The Top 25 Polls

Indiana State is ranked No. 16 in this week's FCS Coaches Poll while placing No. 17 in the The Sports Network/Fathead.com Top 25 poll. In the coaches poll, Indiana State jumped up five spots to claim their highest national ranking of the season to this point. It's also the second highest ranking in the history of the program, behind a pair of No. 14 selections in both 1989 and 1995.

Indiana State Adds Television Appearance

ESPN and the Missouri Valley Football Conference announced two league games have been added to the ESPN3 schedule this fall, including Indiana State's Nov. 5 game against North Dakota State at Memorial Stadium. The Sycamores will also be on ESPN3.com this week prior, as ISU travels to Normal, Ill., to face Illinois State.

Bell Becomes Quickest To 1,000 Yards In School History

It took sophomore Shakir Bell just seven games in the 2011 season to reach to 1,000 yard mark for the year, as the Indianapolis, Ind., native became the quickest runner to reach the milestone. Bell eclipsed the mark on a 51-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter against Western Illinois, blowing past the total by adding another long touchdown run, this time of 47 yards, later in the game. For the season, Bell has amassed 1,125 yards on 124 carries, averaging 160.7 yards per game and 9.1 yards per carry. The quickest that any Indiana State football player has ever reached 1,000 yards rushing in a season was Vincent Allen who eclipsed the mark in eight games during his freshman campaign in 1974.

Bell, Obaseki Named MVFC Players Of The Week

After leading the Indiana State football team to a 46-24 victory on Homecoming over Western Illinois, sophomore tailback Shakir Bell and junior defensive end Ben Obaseki have been named this week's Missouri Valley Football Conference's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.

Bell racked up 213 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries against WIU on Saturday, his third game of at least 200 rushing yards this season. The Indianapolis, Ind., and Warren Central High School product pushed his season total for rushing yards to 1,125 after seven games played, becoming the quickest Sycamore to reach the 1,000-yard milestone in a season. He busted touchdowns runs of 51 and 47 yards in the fourth quarter, as the Sycamores pulled away from the Leathernecks. For the season, Bell is averaging 160.7 yards per game and 9.1 yards per carry.

Obaseki had 22 tackles (seven solo, 15 assisted) with five tackles for loss and a trio of sacks against Western Illinois. Obaseki fell just three tackles short of tying the school record for single-game stops, set by Quintin Mikell in 1983 and Chris Libaire in 1995. The junior defensive end made three stops as the Leathernecks went for it on fourth down, making one tackle for loss and a pair of sacks to give the ball back to Indiana State. The 22 stops are tied for third most in the league in a single game in the past 10 years, and is believed the 22 tackles are the most ever by a defensive lineman in a league game. For the season, Obaseki leads the team with 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss while placing third with 54 tackles in 2011.

Moving Up The Ranks

After just 18 games for his career, sophomore tailback Shakir Bell has moved into the top 10 in Indiana State career rushing history, passing Darrold Clardy (1,594 - 1981-84) this past weekend with his 213 yards against Western Illinois. Bell's career rushing total sits at 1,774, an average of 98.5 per game. Vincent Allen (4,335 -- 1973-77) and David Wright (4,181 -- 1992-95) sit atop the Indiana State record books.

Career Rushing Leaders At Indiana State

                               YEARS      ATT.      YARDS     AVG.        TDs

1. Vincent Allen        1973-77       832        4,335        5.21          31

2. David Wright        1992-95       784        4,181        5.33          22

3. Derrick Franklin    1989-91       710        3,231        4.55          23

4. Eric Robinson       1979-82       443        2,169        4.90          22

5. Jake Shields         2001-04       521        2,119        4.07          19

6. Darrius Gates       2006-10       396        2,010        5.08          20

7. Jim Brumfield       1967-69       448        1,998        4.46          23

8. Shakir Bell      2010-pres.   219        1,774       8.10          13

9. Darrold Clardy      1981-84       355        1,594        4.49          19

10. Tori Vactor         1987-88       312        1,545        4.95          12

Moving Up The Ranks (Part II)

Senior quarterback Ronnie Fouch has racked up plenty of yards in his two seasons at Indiana State, currently sitting in fourth place in ISU's career record books with 3,507 yards through the air. Fouch passed Kip Hennelly (3,158 -- 1991-93) this season and currently sits behind Reggie Allen (5,094 -- 1978-81), John Sham (5,139 -- 1986-89) and Jeff Miller (6,448 -- 1982-85) within the record books.

Career Passing Leaders At Indiana State

                               YEARS    COMP.      ATT.      YARDS      PCT.     TD-INT

1. Jeff Miller             1982-85       555        1,006       6,448        .552        40-33

2. John Sahm           1986-89       341          668        5,139        .496        30-38

3. Reggie Allen         1978-81       367          782        5,094        .469        29-46

4. Ronnie Fouch     2010-pres.  251        429       3,507       .585       32-12

5. Kip Hennelly         1991-93       249          490        3,158        .508        19-27

6. Julian Reese         2001-02       267          499        2,961        .535        20-21

7. Kevin Cox            1993-96       238          528        2,885        .451        20-22

8. Kyle Frondorf       1986-88       208          391        2,778        .532         8-24

9. Blayne Baggett       2005         284          473        2,741        .600        15-13

10. Reilly Murphy     2006-07       212          406        2,514        .522        11-19

Archie Leads MVFC In Total Tackles, Three Sycamores Featured In The Top Five

Led by juniors Aaron Archie and Jacolby Washington and senior Alex Sewall, the Sycamores have three defenders ranked in the Top 5 of the Missouri Valley Football Conference in total tackles. Archie leads the conference with 82 total tackles, while Sewall ranks third with 78 and Washington sits in fourth with 76. In per game totals, Archie is second (11.7), Sewall is third (11.1) and Washington is fourth (10.9).

Obaseki, Jones and Bell Earn National Honors

The weekly postings of the College Football Performance Awards and The Sports Network National Awards both highlighted the weekend performance of junior defensive end Ben Obaseki, who earned National Defensive Player of the Week honors from both publications. Obaseki also earned National Defensive Lineman of the Week from CFPA, with senior tight end Alex Jones and sophomore running back Shakir Bell picking up awards as well.

Obaseki recorded 22 tackles, three sacks and five tackles for loss of Saturday, as the junior from Washington, Ind., fell just three tackles short of tying the school record for single-game stops. Obaseki's 22 tackles are also tied for the third most in the MVFC in a single game in the past 10 years, and is believed to be the most ever by a defensive lineman in a league game. Obaseki shared both awards with Marcus Hyde of William & Mary, who recorded five tackles for loss and six sacks against New Hampshire.

Jones was named National Tight End of the Week, coming off his 119 receiving yards and two touchdown catches against Western Illinois. Both of Jones' scoring catches came when the Leathernecks were within one score of tying or taking the lead over the Sycamores, as senior Ronnie Fouch hit Jones for an 80-yard reception in the first half before connecting on a 39-yard TD in the second half. The Centerville, Ind., product shared the award with Southern Illinois' MyCole Pruitt, who caught eight passes for 124 yards against Youngstown State.

Bell received Honorable Mention for National Running Back of the Week, after tallying 213 rushing yards with three touchdowns on 21 carries. The sophomore from Indianapolis, Ind., became the quickest Sycamore to reach 1,000 rushing yards for the season, using just seven games this season to push his total to 1,125 for the year. Vincent Allen had been the fastest to the milestone, using eight games during his freshman season in 1974. Jonathan Grimes of William & Mary was named the national winner, racking up 323 all-purpose yards (169 rushing, 126 receiving, 28 kickoff return) against New Hampshire.

Big Plays Lead Sycamore To Victory Over Leathernecks

The Indiana State offense scored six touchdowns against Western Illinois on Homecoming Saturday, with five of the six coming on plays of more than 30 yards. After Shakir Bell scored on a six-yard touchdown run to opening the scoring for Indiana State, the Sycamores rattled of TDs of 34 yards (Donald Spencer reception), 80 yards (Alex Jones reception), 39 yards (Alex Jones reception), 32 yards (Michael Mardis reception), 51 yards (Shakir Bell run) and 49 yards (Shakir Bell run).

Most Points Against Western Illinois

Indiana State's 46 points scored against Western Illinois are the most the Sycamores have scored in the 35 games played between the squads since 1967. ISU's previous high was 42, coming in a 42-24 victory at Memorial Stadium back in 1985.

Back-To-Back Over Illinois State

The Sycamores will be looking for their first back-to-back wins over Illinois State since the mid-90s this weekend, as Indiana State is coming off a 59-24 victory in Terre Haute last season. Indiana State last won consecutive games in the series in 1996 and 1997, topping the Redbirds 23-7 in Terre Haute in 1996 and 16-13 in Normal in 1997.

Tee Total Towalid

Indiana State's Johnny Towalid was the benefactor of a Jacolby Washington pass breakup late in the third quarter at South Dakota State as he took the ball that spiraled high in the air off the hands of Washington and returned the interception 78-yards to stretch Indiana State's lead out to 31-15 with 52 seconds remaining in the game's third quarter. The 78-yard return was the first by a Sycamore since 2006 when Bryan Jackson returned an interception 100 yards at Eastern Illinois.

Bell Sets School Record Against Youngstown State; Earns National Honors

Indiana State sophomore running back Shakir Bell was outstanding against Youngstown State and for his efforts was named the Missouri Valley Conference Offensive Player Of The Week, The Sports Network Co-Offensive National Player Of The Week and the College Sports Performance Awards National Running Back Of The Week. Bell amassed 256 rushing yards in the contest on 21 attempts, averaging 12.2 yards per carry for the Trees. His 256 rushing yards are the most in a single-game by a Sycamore in the history of the program and marks his second consecutive 200-yard rushing performance. Bell is just the second-ever Sycamore to rush for over 200 yards in consecutive contests. Bell's 256 rushing yards broke the previous record of 253 held by Derrick Franklin against Murray State in 1990. Franklin is also the only other Sycamores to rush for 200 yards in back-to-back games back in 1991. Additionally, Bell found the end zone on the ground a total of four times, all in the first half. His four rushing touchdowns in one half is also a new school record. Bell scored on the game's first play from scrimmage on a 62-yard scamper just 18 seconds into the contest. He gave ISU a 14-0 advantage on a 39-yard scoring run just four minutes into the game and tallied a 62-yard touchdown on the ground in the second quarter. He finished off his masterful first half with a 51-yard touchdown rush with 4:03 left in the first half. His 62-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game is the longest scoring play for the Sycamores this season. Bell currently leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference in rushing yards per game with a 142.0 mark, a number which is second-best nationally.

Sycamores Beat FBS Western Kentucky In Impressive Fashion

Indiana State defeated NCAA FBS foe Western Kentucky, a current member of the Sun Belt Conference and a former member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (2001-06) by the score of 44-16 in Bowling Green. ISU broke a 12-game losing skid to the Hilltoppers and earned their first victory over a NCAA FBS school since a 2001 victory at Eastern Michigan. ISU's 28-point win over the Hilltoppers is the largest margin of victory for an FCS school over an FBS school since a 30-point victory by North Dakota State over Central Michigan in 2007. ISU's 44 points scored over is tied for the most points scored by a Sycamore squad against an FBS school with a 44 point outburst against Louisville in 1984.

Coming Up Next

Indiana State has their bye week following this weekend, returning to the field on Saturday, Nov. 5, against North Dakota State in Terre Haute. That game is set to air nationally on ESPN3.com, with kickoff at 2:05 p.m.