TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The long ride back to national prominence for fourth-year Indiana State head football coach Trent Miles, his staff and the members of the Sycamore team received a triple boost of national good news today (Sept. 26) as ISU returned to the national rankings in football for the first time since 1996 and sophomore Shakir Bell earned National Offensive Player Of The Week honors by The Sports Network.

The last time until today that Indiana State was ranked in any national poll was in early November of 1996 with a No. 21 ranking in the FCS Coaches Poll. The FCS Coaches Poll today selected the Trees as the No. 23 team in the nation while ISU is ranked No. 24 in The Sports Network/Fathead.com Top 25 after receiving votes in each poll every week so far this season. ISU was last ranked in The Sports Network Top 25 in the 1996 Preseason rankings.

The Sycamores are 3-1 on the season and have won three consecutive games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1994-96 with their wins this year over Butler, FBS Western Kentucky and most recently their MVFC opening victory over Youngstown State. ISU is now gunning to stay in the national rankings for consecutive weeks for the first time since 1996 and are looking for their fourth consecutive win for the first time since 2004 at South Dakota State on October 1.

Indiana State is joined in the national rankings by Northern Iowa (No. 2 TSN/FCS Coaches), North Dakota State (No. 5 TSN/No. 6 FCS Coaches), and Southern Illinois (No. 12 TSN/FCS Coaches). Youngstown State, Missouri State, and South Dakota State are receiving votes in The Sports Network Poll while the Penguins are also mentioned in the FCS Coaches Poll.

Bell earned National Co-Offensive Player Of The Week honors today as well from The Sports Network one day after taking home Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player Of The Week plaudits. Bell shared the Offensive Player Of The Week mention with Furman's senior quarterback Chris Forcier who completed 12-of-16 passes for 226 yards and seven touchdowns against Presbyterian. Jeremy Kimbrough of Appalachian State was the National Defensive Player Of The Week; Jason Cunningham of Montana State is the Special Teams Player Of The Week and R.J. Harris is the National Freshman Of The Week.

Bell enjoyed a record breaking performance for the Sycamores as they downed Youngstown State, earning a victory in their conference opener for the first time since 2004. 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.

Adding to the good news for the Sycamore football program is the naming of Bell by the College Sports Performance Awards as its National Running Back Performer Of The Week while senior Alex Jones was named the National Tight End Performer Of The Week.

The No. 23 nationally-ranked Indiana State Sycamores return to action on Saturday, Oct. 1 when they travel to South Dakota State for a 7:00 p.m. (ET) kickoff in Brookings, S.D. The game will be televised on the internet by Sycamore Vision, which is a pay-per-view broadcast service provided on GoSycamores.com.