No. 15 ILLINOIS STATE AT No. 20/22 INDIANA STATE
Memorial Stadium (12,724), Terre Haute, Ind.
October 11, 2014, 3:07 p.m. ET

QUICK HITS
>> The No. 20/22 Indiana State Sycamores continue the 2014 season when they conclude a three-game home stand against No. 15 Illinois State on Saturday, October 11. Kick-off is set for 3:07 p.m. (ET) and will be televised on Comcast Sportsnet Chicago as well as ESPN3. This is the 110th season of intercollegiate football at Indiana State University.
>> Saturday's game against nationally-ranked Illinois State is the annual Homecoming contest on the campus of Indiana State University. The Sycamores are 60-35-3 in Homecoming contests. Indiana State has won four of its last five Homecoming games and last faced Illinois State on Homecoming in 2010 — a 59-24 Sycamore victory.
>> Junior linebacker Connor Underwood has recorded at least one quarterback sack in each of the Sycamores' first five games. Underwood now has 21 quarterback sacks for his career and needs just 4.5 more to tie Kyle Mitchell's record of 25.5. Underwood's older brother Colton graduated from Illinois State last year to cap a standout career.

An Indiana State Win Over Illinois State Would …
• Give the Sycamores their third consecutive victory over a nationally-ranked opponent in as many weeks and be Indiana State's second since joining the MVFC in a game featuring two nationally ranked opponents (ninth such occurrence).
• Snap a three-game losing skid to the Redbirds, dating back to a 52-24 victory in 2010 at Memorial Stadium (also on Homecoming).
• Give the Sycamores their first 5-1 start since 1995 and their first 2-0 start to Missouri Valley Football Conference play since 2011 (wins over Youngstown State and at South Dakota State).
• Improve the Sycamores to 61-35-3 in Homecoming contests and would give Indiana State a win in five of their last six Homecoming games.

The Indiana State Head Coach
Indiana State head coach Mike Sanford (Southern California, 1978) is 21-55 (.276) overall in his seventh season as a head coach and is 5-12 (.294) in his second season with Indiana State. He is 1-8 all-time in MVFC games, including an 1-4 mark at home and an 0-4 mark on the road. During his career, he is 17-22 in all home games, 4-33 on the road and 6-7 in games decided by three points or less. Sanford is 0-1 all-time against Illinois State and is 0-0 against the Redbirds at home. With the Trees, Sanford is 0-0 in overtime games and 0-1 in shutouts. Saturday's game is Mike Sanford's 18th as the Indiana State head coach and his 77th as a collegiate head coach.

The Illinois State Head Coach
Illinois State head coach Brock Spack is 37-24 in his sixth season as a collegiate head coach, all with the Redbirds. Spack carries a 4-1 record against the Sycamores, including a mark of 1-1 inside Memorial Stadium.

Scouting The Redbirds
Illinois State enters Saturday's game with a No. 15 national ranking and are a perfect 4-0 on the season. The Redbirds opened the year with home victories over Mississippi Valley State, Eastern Illinois and Austin Peay before earning a 45-10 victory over No. 9 South Dakota State last week, also at home. Saturday's game marks the first road contest for the Redbirds this season. Indiana transfer Tre Roberson is the starting quarterback and is 35-of-62 passing for 753 yards and nine touchdowns. Also dangerous as a runner, Roberson has 36 rushes for 237 yards and a pair of scores. Reigning national player of the week Marshaun Coprich has 604 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season. On defense, Teddy Corwin leads the way with 32 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 quarterback sacks with one pass breakup and an interception.

A Little History
This marks the 110th 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 363-490-22 and is competing for the 29th consecutive season as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

The Illinois State Series
Illinois State holds a 34-29-2 edge in the all-time series, which dates back to 1924. In Terre Haute, the Sycamores are 20-11-2 against the Redbirds. Illinois State has won each of the last three meetings, dating back to a 59-24 Sycamore win on Homecoming in 2010. The Sycamores own two victories over Illinois State since 1998, and both have come in Terre Haute (2004 & 2010).

Television Particulars
The Illinois State game can be seen live on both Comcast Sportsnet Chicago as well as ESPN3. Comcast Chicago can be found on Channel 665 (DirectTV) and Channel 429 (Dish Network). The game can also be seen on a pay-per-view basis on Sycamore Vision, which is a subscription service provided by GoSycamores.com. Fans should navigate to GoSycamores.com for subscription information.

Indiana State Off To First 4-1 Start Since 2011
The Sycamores are off to a 4-1 start to the 2014 campaign – its best since a similar start to the 2011 season which also included a FBS win (at Western Kentucky). The victory over No. 22/23 Liberty on September 27 snapped a four-game losing skid to nationally-ranked foes and gave the MVFC a league-record tying fifth victory over a ranked non-conference foe. With the victory over Northern Iowa, the Sycamores own their first 4-1 record and their first win in a Missouri Valley Football Conference opener since the 2011 season. The victory over the Panthers was also the first MVFC victory for the program under second-year head coach Mike Sanford.

Sycamores Move Up In National Rankings
This week Indiana State is making its second consecutive appearance in The Sports Network Top 25 as they check in at No. 20. Saturday's opponent Illinois State is ranked No. 15. It marks the Sycamores' first trip inside The Sports Network FCS Top 20 since they rose as high as No. 14 in 2012. That year No. 14 Indiana State battled No. 15 Illinois State in a battle of ranked opponents on November 3. In the FCS Coaches Poll, the Sycamores make their debut in 2014 with a No. 22 national ranking. It is the first ranking for the Sycamore program in that poll since the 2012 campaign.

Connor Underwood Leading League In Quarterback Sacks; Named To Buchanan Award Watch List
Indiana State junior linebacker Connor Underwood took home Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player Of The Week honors for his efforts against Liberty and has been added to the 2014 Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, which is giving annually to the nation's top defensive player in FCS football. Underwood recorded seven total tackles with a quarterback sack, tackle for a loss and a forced fumble as the Sycamores recorded a thrilling 20-19 victory over tenth-ranked Northern Iowa to open conference play. Underwood rushed Sawyer Kollmorgen all day and got to him as the Panthers tried to answer a late game Sycamore score. Underwood broke through the Panther line and hit Kollmorgen to keep his streak of consecutive games with a sack alive at five while jarring the ball loose. He nearly pounced on the fumble to secure the game right there, but couldn't quite pull it in. He added a quarterback hurry in the victory. Underwood is averaging 7.8 tackles per game to rank tied for eighth in the league. Underwood owns the league lead in quarterback sacks per game with a 1.20 average, a mark which ranks fifth nationally. He has six total sacks for a loss of 27 yards and has made at least one quarterback sack in each game so far. He now owns 21.0 for his career and is only 4.5 away from Kyle Mitchell's current school record of 25.5. He also has 10.5 tackles for a loss this year which is tied for MVFC lead and ranks tied for seventh in FCS football. Underwood has 38.0 tackles for a loss in his career and needs only 16.5 more to tie Kyle Mitchell's school record of 54.5.

Gary Owens Leads Sycamores In Receiving; Scores Game Winner Against No. 10 UNI
Indiana State junior Gary Owens continued to pace the Sycamores with six receptions for 79 yards and the game winning touchdown as the Sycamores tied a school record for highest-ranked opponent defeated inside Memorial Stadium with the 20-19 victory over No. 10 Northern Iowa. Owens made his last reception count the most as he hauled in a 38-yard reception from wide receiver Chris O'Leary with 2:12 remaining in the game to push the Sycamores ahead of the Panthers. Mike Perish hit O'Leary on a backwards pass and then O'Leary found Owens streaking down to the right sideline for the winning touchdown. Owens ranks second in the league with an average of 6.2 receptions per game as he has hauled in 31 receptions for 469 yards and three touchdowns. Owens owns a pair of 100-yard receiving efforts so far this year and became the first Sycamore since 2005 to record at least 10 receptions in one game with his 10-catch performance against Liberty. Additionally, Owens is averaging 93.8 receiving yards per game to rank second in the league. Robert Tonyan ranks tied for eighth in the MVFC with his 4.0 catch per game average as he has 16 receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown.

Sycamores Earn First-Ever Victory In Ranked Vs. Ranked Game; Face Another This Week
Indiana State and Illinois State are each nationally-ranked heading into this weekend's Homecoming showdown at Memorial Stadium. ISU is 2-0 this season against ranked opponents, but are 13-77 all-time against the Top 25, including a mark of 9-58 against ranked MVFC members. Coming off the heels of the Sycamores victory over No. 10 Northern Iowa, Indiana State is now 1-7 all-time as a nationally-ranked program playing another team in the Top 25. ISU is 1-4 inside Memorial Stadium when both the Sycamores and the opposition are nationally-ranked. The Sycamores will be looking to down their third consecutive nationally-ranked opponent when they face off against the Redbirds.

Turnovers Equal Success For Indiana State
The Sycamores have intercepted five passes and recovered seven fumbles through five games this season. That puts Indiana State second on the Missouri Valley Conference leaderboard with a +7 turnover margin, a mark which ranks tied for fifth nationally. Additionally, the Sycamores currently enjoy a 48-10 edge against their opponents in points off turnovers.

Sycamore Passing Game Leads The MVFC As Conference Play Rolls Along
Indiana State leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference in passing yards per game with a 282.2 average, a number which ranks 11th nationally. Mike Perish is 129-of-192 passing for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns against one interceptions to lead the Sycamores through the air as he also leads the league in passing average per game and is ranked 10th nationally. Perish leads the league with a 260.4 yards of total offense average per game. He has 1,302 yards of total offense through four games (total offense combines passing and rushing yards).

Mike Perish Climbing The Sycamore Record Books As Senior Quarterback
Mike Perish enters week six of his senior season, and his third season as the Sycamore starting quarterback, ranked fourth all-time in career passing yards with 4,574. For his career he is 523-of-715 for 4,574 yards and 33 touchdowns. He needs 520 more yards to top Reggie Allen's total of 5,094 yards from 1978-81 for third on the Sycamores all-time list.

Indiana State's Travis Starks and DeJuan Lang Among Top Valley Defenders
Indiana State's Travis Starks and DeJuan Lang are among the Missouri Valley Football Conference's top pass defenders as Starks leads the league with eight passes defended while Lang has six and is tied for third. Lang leads the league with three interceptions while Starks has two to rank tied for fourth.

Osborn Umeh Ranks Fourth In MVFC In Punting Average
Indiana State junior Osborn Umeh had six punts for 209 yards – a 34.8 yard average – on a windy day at Memorial Stadium that saw the Sycamores earn a 20-19 victory. Umeh had a long of 46 yards and pinned the Panthers inside their own 20-yard line a total of three times. His first punt went 44 yards into a stiff Southwest wind to pin UNI at their own 14. He also punted 40 yards into the wind in the third quarter to put the Panthers at their own 20. With the wind finally at his back in the fourth quarter, Umeh punted 40 yards to force a Chad Owens fair catch at their own 10-yard line. His biggest punt of the day was in the fourth quarter when he kicked the ball 46 yards and rolled the ball out of bounds at the UNI six. From there, the Sycamore defense held and Indiana State's offense was able to go 83 yards for the game winning score. For the season, Umeh has punted 32 times for 1,292 yards (a league high) and is averaging 40.4 yards per punt to rank fourth.

Sycamores Grab Victory Bell With First Win Over Ball State Since 1987
The Indiana State celebrated the 28th anniversary of their first Missouri Valley Football Conference contest and victory over Missouri State in 1986 by taking the Blue Key Victory Bell from in state rival Ball State for the first time since 1987. The Sycamores' 27-20 road victory in front of a near sell-out crowd in Muncie renewed a series that dates back to 1924 for the first time since 2003. The win was ISU's first over Ball State since 1987 and its first in Muncie since 1982. Additionally, the Sycamores picked up their second win over an FBS opponent in the last four seasons and its first over a Mid-American Conference team since a 2001 win at Eastern Michigan.

Sycamores Face 1st-and-55 Situation And Still Convert Touchdown
The Sycamore offense pulled off an extremely rare feat in their final drive of the first quarter against Tennessee Tech. The Sycamores took over at their own 17-yard line and drove all the way to the Tennessee Tech 33 in 11 plays. On 1st-and-10 from the TTU 33-yard line, the Sycamores were called for an illegal block and two dead ball personal foul penalties which accounted for 45 lost yards on the play. That resulted in the ball being moved all the way back to the Indiana State 22-yard line, which is just five yards ahead of where the drive began. ISU completed back-to-back seven-yard passes to make it 3rd-and-41 before Mike Perish found Gary Owens for a 63-yard pass which moved the ball down to the Tennessee Tech 1-yard line. Not only did ISU face a 1st-and-55 and had over 40 yards to gain on third down, they also overcame the tough down and distance to not only pick up the first down but scored as time ran out in the period on a one-yard touchdown run from LeMonte Booker.

Connor Underwood Named To All-MVFC Preseason Team
Indiana State junior linebacker Connor Underwood was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference Preseason Team as announced late in the summer by the league office. The MVFC Preseason selections were made via a poll of the league's head coaches, sports information directors as well as a media panel. Last season Underwood earned a place on the All-MVFC First Team and was the team's fourth-leading tackler with 76 total tackles, including a team-best 18 for a loss and nine quarterback sacks. He added a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown in the season opener at Indiana and was credited with five pass breakups and seven quarterback hurries as well as one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. Underwood owned three double digit tackle performances on the year, including a season-best 13 against Western Illinois and recorded six tackles for a loss at Tennessee Tech, with four quarterback sacks which tied a school record. He ranked tied for 17th in total tackles in the league and was tied for third in quarterback sacks as well as tied for second in tackles for a loss. Additionally, Underwood was named to the MVFC All-Newcomer Team in 2012 and garnered a third place finish in the league's newcomer of the year award. He was an All-MVFC Honorable Mention selection as a redshirt freshman.

Sycamores Against The Missouri Valley Football Conference
Indiana State is in its 29th 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 52-123 in MVFC contests all-time.

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 hits the road to take on No. 1 North Dakota State on Saturday, October 18. Kick-off is set for 3:30 p.m. (ET) and will be televised world wide on ESPN3.