TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- On the 102nd Homecoming Saturday in the history of Indiana State University, the visiting Southern Illinois Salukis defeated the Sycamores 45-24 in front of 6,811 fans inside Memorial Stadium. 

Indiana State fell to 0-7, 0-4 MVFC while Southern Illinois won for the second time in a row and improved to 4-3, 2-2 MVFC. ISU is now 61-38-3 all-time in Homecoming contests.

Isaac Harker completed 14 passes for 206 yards in the contest. Bob Pugh was the top Sycamore receiver with four receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown. Four Sycamores recorded double digit tackle figures with Katrell Moss leading the way with a career-high 20 tackles. Also in double digit tackles for ISU were: Jonas Griffth (a career high 15), Brenton Lockett (a career high 13), and Jordan Jackson (a career high 10). Anthony Tucker had two interceptions in the game -- the first two of his young career. 

Indiana State was unable to gain a first down after recovering a fumble late in the first half but Thomas Bouldin etched his name in the Indiana State and Missouri Valley Football Conference record books by uncorking a 90-yard punt. The previous best at ISU was an 80 yarder by Jim Shaughnessy during an October 4, 1969 game against Eastern Michigan. It also topped an 89-yard punt by Mike Scifres of Western Illinois in a game against Missouri State back in 2000 for the new Valley Football standard. Bouldin finished the game with eight punts for an average of 50.4 yards, including four of over 50 yards. 

Rondell Green recorded the Sycamores' second pick six of conference play as he intercepted Sam Straub with 8:17 left in the game and returned it to the house 15 yards for the touchdown which trimmed the Saluki lead down to 38-24. It was Green's second interception of the year as he also had one at Tennessee and the third of his career but the first which went all the way back for a score.

Indiana State received the opening kickoff and struck first as a pair of runs set up a beautiful play-action pass of 64 yards from Issac Harker to Bob Pugh for a Sycamore touchdown and the quick 7-0 lead. The drive covered 75 yards in just three plays and included a 12-yard run by Harker on the direct snap. SIU answered with a fast paced 11-play drive that covered 71 yards and was capped by an 11-yard pass from Sam Straub to Darrell James which leveled the score at 7 with 9:42 left in the first quarter.

Harker and the Sycamores got right back to work on the offensive side of the ball as he went a perfect 4-of-4 passing to lead Indiana State into the end zone for the second time. He found McClendon twice and Pugh once for first down gains before hitting Rontrez Morgan on a 38-yard big pass which moved the ball down the Saluki four-yard line. After a false start, Lemonte Booker appeared to be stopped at the line but burst out of the pile and raced towards the pylon for a nine-yard touchdown which pushed the Sycamores ahead 14-7 with 7:24 remaining in the opening stanza.

The Salukis would drive down to the Sycamore nine yard line but a rush of three yards set up two incomplete passes forced by the ISU defense and Southern Illinois elected to send out Matt Sotiropoulos for a 24-yard field goal which he connected on at the 5:05 mark of the first quarter and Indiana State got the ball back up 14-10. The Sycamores were able to muster a first down but were stopped with an incomplete pass and Thomas Bouldin attempted the initial punt of the contest to give it back to the Salukis. It took SIU six plays to cover 67 yards and reach the end zone for the second time on a 32-yard scoring strike from Straub to Connor Iwema with 1:37 left in the first quarter as Southern Illinois grabbed a 17-14 advantage.

Indiana State was held to a three-and-out but came up with a big play on defense when redshirt freshman Anthony Tucker intercepted a Straub pass as the first quarter ended to set ISU up at the Southern Illinois 31-yard line. On third down, SIU's Ryan Neal came up with an interception to give the ball back to Salukis -- also at the SIU 31-yard line -- and was the Sycamores' first interception of the game. SIU appeared to be poised to add to their lead but Tucker came up big for the second time in the game with his second interception of the game -- and the second of his career -- in the end zone to stop the drive and give ISU the ball at their own 20.

The Sycamore defense made another big play as SIU had the ball third-and-goal inside the ISU five-yard line when Inoke Moala forced a Jonathan Mixon fumble and De'Jaun Tyson pounced on the ball to stymie the drive. It was the third turnover forced by the Sycamore defense in the first half. Indiana State was unable to gain a first down but Bouldin etched his name in the ISU and MVFC record books with a 90-yard punt. It rolled into the end zone for a touchback and it took SIU just six plays to cover the 80 yards for a touchdown. A 61-yard pass from Straub to James moved the ball down to the 2-yard line where Daquan Isom punched it in the next play to stretch the Saluki lead out to 24-14 with 28 seconds on the clock.

That is how the first half ended with SIU up 24-14. Harker completed 9-of-16 passing in the first 30 minutes for 159 yards and a touchdown with Pugh the top target as he hauled in three catches for 90 yards and a score.

The Sycamores caught a big break early in the third quarter as they made a defensive stop and on the punt the snap went over the head of SIU punter Lane Reazin which set Indiana State up with a short field at the SIU eight-yard line. On the first play, Booker got the ball down to the three and then he plunged to the one-yard line to set up third-and-goal. Booker was unable to find the goal line but Jerry Nunez came on to drill a 21-yard field goal with 11:18 left in the third quarter which trimmed the Saluki advantage down to 24-17. 

The two teams traded defensive stops before Bouldin continued his strong outing with a 57-yard punt which pinned the Salukis back at their own 18-yard line with 7:11 remaining in the third. Aided by a false start penalty and another big pass break up from Anthony Tucker, the Sycamores got their third consecutive defense stop and forced a Saluki punt. But the Salukis took advantage of a Sycamore turnover as Straub hit Isom on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 1:56 left in the third quarter to extend their lead out to 31-17.

Southern Illinois tacked on a four-yard touchdown rush with 12:45 remaining in the game as they took a 38-17 lead. Mixon added a four-yard touchdown run with 4:03 to go which gave them a 45-24 lead.

The Salukis were paced by Sam Straub who completed 30-of-46 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns. His top target was Darrell James who caught seven passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. 

Indiana State returns to action on Saturday, October 28 when they travel to Springfield, Mo., to take on Missouri State. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET and will be televised live world-wide on ESPN3.
 
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