Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- After surrendering a go-ahead field goal to Missouri State with 42 seconds remaining, the Sycamores used a bit of trickery on the ensuing kickoff followed by a game winning field goal in the waning moments as No. 19/21 Indiana State earned a thrilling 20-18 victory over Missouri State on a chilly afternoon inside Memorial Stadium.
The Sycamores improved to 6-3, 3-2 MVFC while the Bears fell to 4-5, 1-4 MVFC. Indiana State now has four victories in their last five games against Missouri State -- the best ever five-year run against the Bears in this history of the program and have won each of their last two at home against MSU. It also marked the Sycamores first back-to-back MVFC victories since 2012.
The fourth quarter was full of action as Marcelo Bonani connected on an 18-yard field goal with 13:28 to go which put Missouri State for the first time in the game at 15-14. His field goal capped an 11-play, 37-yard drive which chewed up nearly six minutes of time.
The two teams would battle for field position after a missed field goal gave the Bears the ball at the own 20 with 5:27 remaining. After a pair of Bear runs set up a third-and-nine from the MSU 21, Kierra Harris was intercepted by Travis Starks at the MSU 37 and he returned the ball 25 yards down to the 12-yard line with 3:31 remaining.
Despite not gaining a yard, Eric Heidorn connected on a 30-yard field gaol at the 2:06 mark as the Sycamores regained a 17-15 advantage. The Bears then drove to the ISU 25-yard line and Bonani converted a 41-yard field goal attempt with 42 seconds remaining as MSU inched ahead 18-17.
The ensuing kickoff will be talked about in Sycamore circles for a while to come as Indiana State needed a big return after using both of their remaining timeouts in an attempt to ice the MSU kicker on the previous drive. The kickoff was fielded at their own 30-yard line and fielded by Dimitri Taylor. A group of Sycamores circled around Taylor who handed the ball off inside the huddle to Aaron Killebrew. Killebrew broke out of the group and eluded a pair of would-be tacklers as he raced down the sideline for 32 yards down to the MSU 38-yard line.
From there, Mike Perish completed passes to Kyani Harris and Chris O'Leary to move to the MSU 20. After a pair of incomplete passes, Heidorn took the field on third down and put the 38-yard game-winning field goal right down the middle for the 20-18 victory.
MSU's Harris had one second to create some magic and made it to the ISU 42-yard line before Connor Underwood and Kendall Walker combined to make the tackle and secure the win.
Underwood finished the day with nine total tackles, including 2.5 for a loss and 1.5 quarterback sacks. He also finished the day as the new Indiana State career quarterback sacks leader with 26 in just over two and half seasons in the blue and white. He passed Kyle Mitchell who had 25.5 during his brilliant Sycamore career just under 10 years ago. He now has 47 career tackles for a loss, and needs only seven more to tie Mitchell's career record in that category as well of 54.5.
For the second consecutive week, the Sycamores had a 100-yard rusher as LeMonte Booker used 12 carries to gain a career-high 116 yards. He broke an 87-yard rush in the game's first quarter to begin the Sycamores' scoring on the day. Perish was 18-of-38 passing for 144 yards with one touchdown and just his second interception of the season. He now has 39 career touchdown passes, just one shy of Jeff Miller's school record of 40.
Gary Owens led the receiving corps with five catches for 36 yards while Kyani Harris had four for 18. Robert Tonyan caught three passes for 58 yards and a recorded a touchdown.
Kendall Walker paced the Sycamores with 11 tackles, including one for a loss while Jameer Thurman and Underwood had nine each. Travis Starks had the late game interception and a return for 25 yards.
The Bears struck first on their second drive with a 37-yard pass play from Harris to Zac Hoover for the 6-0 lead after the PAT kick failed. The score capped a two-play, 41-yard drive and came with 11:07 remaining in the opening quarter. After that, the Bears recovered an on-side kick, but the defense forced a three-and-out but the Sycamores would start back up at their own four-yard line.
Booker provided the burst through the line the team needed on the first play as he scampered 87 yards down to the MSU nine-yard line. On third and goal, Perish found Tonyan for the eight-yard touchdown and the Sycamores regained a 7-6 advantage with 8:14 left in the first quarter.
The two teams traded defensive stops, before Indiana State went on a nine-play, 50-yard drive early in the second quarter towards pay dirt. An interception was wiped out on the drive by a roughing the passer penalty which moved the ball to the MSU 24. Perish found Harris for 10 yards on third drive to keep the drive alive and Dimitri Taylor raced 10 yards to the MSU one on second down to put the Sycamores knocking the door. Taylor finished the drive on the next play with a one-yard plunge into the end zone to give the Sycamores a 14-6 lead.
MSU answered back with a six-play, 60-yard drive on a 20-yard pass from Harris to Sinclair with 6:05 left before the half to get the Bears within 14-12. The two-point conversion failed as the Bears were trying to make up for the earlier missed PAT.
Indiana State will look to secure their seventh victory of the season (a feat last accomplished in 2012) on Saturday, November 8 in the final regular season home game when they take on nationally-ranked South Dakota State. Kick-off is set for 1:05 p.m. (ET).
