SETTING THE STAGE
The fifth season of the Trent Miles era begins on Saturday, Sept. 1, as the No. 23 Sycamores hit the road to take on Indiana of the Big Ten Conference. Saturday's game is set for a 8:00 p.m. (ET) kickoff at Memorial Stadium (52,929). The game will be broadcast live nationally on The Big Ten Network with Wayne Larrivee (pbp), Jon Jansen (analyst) and Antwaan Randle El (sidelines) on the call. The game will also air live on WIBQ (98.5 FM), with Brian Fritz and Tom James calling the action for the Nelligan Sports Marketing Radio Network. Action can be heard live worldwide on GoSycamores.com. The game will not be web streamed on Sycamore Vision due to the Big Ten Network broadcast.

THE INDIANA SERIES
Indiana leads the all-time series against the Sycamores by a 3-0 count. All three games between the two teams have occurred in Bloomington. Saturday night's game is the first in a three-game series between the two programs that will continue through 2014. ISU and Indiana first met in 1925 (a 31-0 Hoosier victory) and renewed the rivalry in 2003 & 2007.

THE COACHES
INDIANA STATE: Trent Miles (Indiana State '87)
- Overall: 13-32 (5th Season)
- at Indiana State: 13-32 (5th Season)
- vs. Indiana: First Meeting
- vs. Missouri Valley Football Conference: 9-23
INDIANA: Kevin Wilson (North Carolina, '83)
- Overall: 1-11 (Second Season)
- at Indiana: 1-11 (Second Season)
- vs. Indiana State: First Meeting
- vs. Big Ten Conference: 0-8

QUICK HITS
- Indiana State and Indiana are meeting for just the fourth time in the history of the two programs and are opening the season against one another for the third time.
- The Sycamores lost their season opener in 2011 at Penn State (41-7), the last time they faced a Big Ten opponent. ISU is looking to open the season for a victory for the first time since 2010 (57-7 over St. Joseph's) and are looking to open the campaign with a road victory for the first time since 1980 (13-10 over Drake).

An Indiana State Win Over Indiana Would ...
• Be the Sycamores first over the Hoosiers in four all-time meetings - all in Bloomington.
• Improve the Sycamores to 44-48-7 in season opening games and be the first for Indiana State in a season lidlifter since 2010. A win would also give the Sycamores their first season opening victory on the road since 1980 at Drake.
• Give Indiana State consecutive victories over FBS opponents as the Sycamores defeated Western Kentucky (Sun Belt) by the score of 42-14 on the road in the third game of the 2011 campaign.
• Be Indiana State's first-ever victory over a Big Ten opponent as they are winless in nine previous attempts.

The Indiana State Head Coach
Indiana State head coach Trent Miles (Indiana State, 1987) is 13-32 (.288) overall in his fifth season as a head coach, all with the Sycamores. He is 9-23 all-time in MVFC games, including a 6-10 mark at home and a 3-13 mark on the road. During his career, he is 9-13 in all home games, 4-19 on the road and 3-3 in games decided by three points or less. Miles is 0-0 all-time against Indiana, and is 0-1 against members of The Big Ten Conference. With the Trees, Miles is 1-2 in overtime games, and 0-5 in shutouts. Saturday's game is Trent Miles' 46th game as Indiana State head coach.

The Indiana Head Coach
Indiana is led by second-year head coach Kevin Wilson, who is 1-11 at the Bloomington, Ind., school. Wilson has never faced off against Indiana State nor a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference as head coach. Wilson spent the 2002-10 seasons at Oklahoma, where he served as co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach from 2002-05 and as offensive coordinator and tight ends and fullbacks coach from 2006-10. OU played in seven Big 12 Title games in Wilson's nine years, going 6-1 in those appearances. His offenses were vital to accumulating an overall record of 99-24 (.805) during his time in Norman, including seven 10-win seasons.

Scouting The Hoosiers
Indiana returns 16 starters from last season's 1-11 squad as they kick off their 128th season of football on Saturday against Indiana State. The Hoosiers are multiple on offense and will run a 4-3 base defense. Indiana is the youngest team in college football. IU played 32 freshmen (16 true) in 2011, the highest total in the country. The Hoosiers only have eight seniors on the 2012 roster, tied for the fewest in the nation. QB Tre Roberson became the first true freshman in IU history to start last season. The Indianapolis native started five times, threw for 937 yards with three touchdowns and added 426 rushing yards with two TDs.

A Little History
This marks the 108th 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 351-474-22 and is competing for the 27th consecutive season as a member of the MVFC.

Television Particulars
Indiana State's game at Indiana will be broadcast live nationally on The Big Ten Network. It will mark the third time the Sycamores have appeared on the network, with their first coming in 2007 at Indiana in the network's inaugural season as well as last year's season opener at Penn State. The game can be seen live on Time Warner Cable's Channel 74 in the Wabash Valley as well as on Channel 610 via Directv and Channel 439 on Dish Network.

For Openers
Heading into 2012, the Sycamores are 43-48-7 in season openers with a .473 winning percentage. ISU last won its season opener with a 57-7 victory over St. Joseph's (Ind.) in 2010 and last won a season opener on the road by a 13-10 count at Drake in 1980. ISU is 0-2 in season opening contests against Indiana (31-0 in 1925 and 55-7 in 2007).

Shakir Bell Named To Walter Payton Award Watch List
Indiana State junior running back Shakir Bell is among 20 student-athletes selected by The Sports Network for the publication's 2012 Walter Payton Award Watch List. The Walter Payton Award is presented following the season to the nation's most outstanding player at the Football Championship Subdivision level. Bell tied for second for the prestigious award following his standout sophomore season, a year that saw the Indianapolis, Ind., native led the nation with 1,670 rushing yards. The Warren Central High School product was named to the FCS Preseason All-America First Team by The Sports Network earlier this week. Bell averaged 151.8 yards per game on the ground and broke the school record for single-game rushing yards last season when he racked up 256 yards and four touchdowns in Indiana State's 37-35 win over Youngstown State on Sept. 24, 2011. The 2011 Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year tallied 14 touchdowns in 2011, breaking the school record for single-season rushing yards (1,670) and posted the eighth-best total in MVFC history.

Ben Obaseki Named To Buck Buchanan Award Watch List
Indiana State senior defensive lineman Ben Obaseki is one of 20 players nationally to be named to the 2012 Buck Buchanan Award Watch List as announced by The Sports Network. The Buck Buchanan Award is awarded annually at the FCS Awards Banquet during NCAA FCS Championship weekend to the nation's top FCS defensive player. Earlier this month, Shakir Bell was named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List, which goes to the top offensive player in FCS. Bell finished tied for second in last season's voting as a sophomore. Last season, Obaseki was named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press and was a First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference performer. He finished third in the league's Defensive Player of the Year voting after leading the Sycamores with 7.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss, which tied for second and third in the MVFC, respectively, in those categories. He posted 22 total tackles against Western Illinois on October 15 which is the most by a defensive lineman in the history of the MVFC. Obaseki also plays fullback in goal line situations as he scored five touchdowns last season on five rushing attempts. Obaseki was also a First Team All-MVFC performer as sophomore in 2010.

National Respect In The Top 25 Polls
Indiana State is ranked No. 23 in this week's The Sports Network/Fathead.com Top 25 poll while they are No. 25 in the FCS Coaches Poll. Indiana State was nationally ranked in the FCS Polls for a school record eight consecutive weeks in 2011.

Sycamores With Back To Back Winning Seasons
Indiana State has finished 6-5 in each of the last two seasons to record winning ledgers in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1995 & 1996 campaigns. With a winning mark in 2012, the Sycamores would post at least three consecutive winning records for the first time since a span of six seasons from 1964 to 1969.

Shakir Bell Moving Up On The ISU Career Rushing Charts
After 22 games of his career, junior tailback Shakir Bell has moved into ISU's top four for career rushing yards with his 2,319 career total. Bell currently sits 912 yards behind Derrick Franklin for third on the all-time list. Vincent Allen (4,335 yards from 1973-77) and David Wright (4,181 yards from 1992-95) also sit ahead of Bell on the ISU all-time career rushing list.

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 in 2011. 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.

Shakir Bell Moving Up On The ISU Career Rushing Charts
After 22 games of his career, junior tailback Shakir Bell has moved into ISU's top four for career rushing yards with his 2,319 career total. Bell currently sits 912 yards behind Derrick Franklin for third on the all-time list. Vincent Allen (4,335 yards from 1973-77) and David Wright (4,181 yards from 1992-95) also sit ahead of Bell on the ISU all-time career rushing list.

Opening Day Highlights
Indiana State has had 15 100-yard rushing performances in season opening contests over the history of the program, highlighted by 142 from Tori Vactor vs. Salem in 1988. The most recent came in the form of the duo of 160 yards from Darrius Gates and 133 from Shakir Bell against St. Joseph's in 2010. ISU has had a total of six 200-yard passing performances in season openers with the record being 266 by Jeff Miller vs. St. Cloud State in 1985. The most recent was Reilly Murphy's 235 yards in the air versus Purdue in 2006. The Sycamores have had seven 100-yard receiving performances in the history of the program on opening day, led by 139 from Kirk Wilson against Drake in 1980. The most recent 100-yard receiving performance in an opener was Brian Jackson's 104 yards versus Purdue in 2006.

Six Sycamores Named To Preseason All-MVFC Squad
A total of six Sycamores were named to the 2012 Missouri Valley Football Conference Preseason Team while Indiana State has been picked to finish fifth in the newly expanded 10-team league, according to a preseason poll of MVFC head coaches, beat writers, radio announcers and sports information directors. Senior Ben Obaseki and junior Shakir Bell, who have both earned Preseason All-America honors and have been named to the Buck Buchanan and Walter Payton Award Watch Lists, respectively, were each named to the MVFC Preseason Team. Senior offensive lineman FN Lutz, who is recovering from a knee injury sustained at the Spring Game, was named to the preseason squad as well. On defense, Obaseki is joined by senior linebackers Aaron Archie and Jacolby Washington. Senior Lucas Hileman, who joined the team two weeks into 2011, was named to the MVFC Preseason Team as the punter.

Sycamores Against The Big Ten Conference
Indiana State is 0-3 against the Indiana Hoosiers and also carry an 0-9 mark against current members of The Big Ten Conference (0-3, vs. Indiana, 0-3 vs. Purdue, 0-2 vs. Minnesota and 0-1 vs. Penn State). The last time an Indiana State football team faced off against a member of the league came on September 3, 2011 at Penn State when the Sycamores fell 41-7 to the Nittany Lions in one of the final games of Joe Paterno's legendary career. Indiana State has also played original league member Chicago in 1929, falling 18-0.

Sycamores Against The Missouri Valley Football Conference
Indiana State is in its 26th 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 46-115 in MVFC contests and have won seven of their last 14 league matchups, marking the first time since the 2002 season that an ISU team has won multiple league contests over a similar stretch.

Bringing Back Memories Of "The Fridge"
The Sycamores' senior defensive end Ben Obaseki found the end zone for the sixth time of his career on the offensive side of the football when he plunged in from two yards out in the 2011 regular season finale against Southern Illinois. In 2011, Obaseki scored a rushing touchdown four times on all four of his rushing attempts.

FN Lutz Nominated For 2011 All-State AFCA Good Works Team
Indiana State senior offensive lineman FN Lutz is one of 117 nominees nationwide for the 2012 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team as announced today by the national coaches' organization. In 2011, Lutz was named both First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference as well as First Team MVFC All-Academic following a season that saw him start all 11 games at center. He spearheaded an Indiana State rushing attack that averaging 181.9 yards per game as well as a league-leading 5.3 yards per carry. He was an Honorable Mention All-MVFC pick in 2010 as a sophomore. Lutz is joined by Colton Underwood of Illinois State, Billy Turner of North Dakota State, Bo Helm of South Dakota State and Kyle Bernard of Northern Iowa as representatives of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. As one of college football's most prestigious off-the-field honors, the award recognizes a select group of college football players committed to making a difference in their communities. Since 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has shown a spotlight on the countless "good works" and remarkable stories of service by student-athletes at all levels of college football competition. Award recipients represent the sport's finest in terms of character and leadership in the community.

In Overtime
The Sycamores have played in 12 overtime contests since the rule was established for regular season games in the NCAA FCS Subdivision in 1996. The Sycamores are 7-5 in games that have used an extra period. ISU's last overtime contest came in the form of a 38-35 victory against Missouri State in the sixth game of the 2010 season.

Up Next
Indiana State will open the home portion of the schedule as well as three-game homestand against Quincy on September 8 at 2:05 p.m. (ET).