TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State opens Missouri Valley Football Conference action Thursday night as No. 21 Northern Iowa comes to town. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET. at Memorial Stadium. The game is sponsored by Ford and will feature several promotions including a four-plane A-10 Flyover prior to kickoff, Military & First Responders Day, Youth Football Day and more. Click
HERE for more information.
The game is slated as the MVFC Game of the Week and will air on ESPN3. Scott Warmann will handle the play-by-play duties while Danan Hughes will serve as the color commentator. Kelly Burke will serve as the sideline reporter. Sycamore fans can listen live on the radio on WIBQ 97.9 FM (1230 AM) locally or online at GoSycamores.com/Watch free-of-charge with Luke Martin (play-by-play) and Brian Fritz (color).
For more information on tickets or group sales to the season opener, contact Senior Assistant Athletics Director John Sherman at 812-237-3047. Fans can also visit the Hulman Center Ticket Office during normal business hours or call 877-ISU-TIXS, or visit TicketMaster.com.
QUICK HITS
• The Sycamores' season opening win against Quincy snapped a 14-game losing streak for the Sycamore football program dating back to the 2016 season (1 year, 10 months, eight days). ISU's last victory before the opener was a 22-14 win at Southern Illinois. The victory also marked the first win for head coach
Curt Mallory and his staff since taking over the program in January of 2017.
• Two weeks later, the Sycamores picked up their first Division I victory since the 2016 season when the team traveled to regional foe Eastern Illinois and defeated the Panthers, 55-41.
• This season, Indiana State ranks 24th in FCS with a 44.4 percent conversion rate (20-of-45) on third downs, a stark improvement from a year ago. The team is also moving the ball at a much higher rating, with 60 first downs in three games.
• Indiana State turned the ball over 29 times in 2017 and opponents converted those miscues into 103 points. The Sycamore defense forced 16 turnovers - nine fumbles and seven interceptions - which were converted into 23 points.
• The Sycamores have forced four turnovers (3 FF, 1 INT) in three games, but have turned the ball over just one time -- a fumble against Quincy to open the season.
• Full position previews from fall camp can be found at
sycamor.es/YouTube
OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Indiana State made it clear from the start that running the football would be a major focus of the offense in 2018. So far this season the Sycamores have outgained its opponents 839 to 326 on the ground. Leading the charge in the backfield is senior running back
Ja'Quan Keys with 414 yards on a 6.2 yards per carry average. The Perry Meridian High School product has six rushing touchdowns, including a four score, 232-yard performance at Eastern Illinois to cap off week three for the Sycamores. Freshman
Christian Covington has added four rushing touchdowns and 138 yards on the ground while sophomore
Titus McCoy has gone for 119 yards and a pair of scores in three games.
• Ryan Boyle made his first start of the season at Eastern Illinois, passing for 209 yards on 13 completions, including a 50-yard pass to open the game. Boyle rushed for 30 yards in the game and ran in a three-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
• Boyle spent three seasons at the University of Iowa before joining the team prior to training camp in August. He brings with him many high school accolades including the Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year his junior and senior seasons. He was named to the Des Moines All-State Elite team his senior season and earned All-State, All-District and was tabbed Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year two times.
• The Sycamores' top rusher from a year ago returns in redshirt senior Ja'Quan Keys who ran for 208 yards on 68 attempts. He scored two touchdowns on the ground and caught six passes for 54 yards. The Hammond, Louisiana native recorded his longest run of the season (15 yards) against Western Illinois.
• Ja'Quan Keys finished off Indiana State's victory at Eastern Illinois with a career-high 234 yards rushing on 34 attempts, including four trips to the end zone. It was the sixth-highest single-game rushing total in program history. He has now eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in in two of the last three games this season. Keys became the first Sycamore to eclipse the 200-yard rushing mark since Shakir Bell tallied 201 at Tennessee Tech in 2013.
• Keys is the first Sycamore to score three touchdowns in one half of football since LeMonte Booker did it in the first half of ISU's 2015 season opening victory over Butler. Keys is the first Sycamore to score four touchdowns in a game since Booker did it against Butler in 2015 and the first Sycamore to record four rushing touchdowns since Bell did it (in the first half) against Youngstown State in 2011.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Indiana State has held opponents to 24 points per game through the first three games of the season after allowing 52 points per conference game a year ago. Opponents have not scored a point against the Sycamores in the second quarter this season and have scored just 14 points in the third quarter of action. In 2017, teams scored 159 points in the second and 105 points in the third to outscore Indiana State 264 to 97. ISU is outscoring opponents 52 to 14 in the second and third quarters in 2018.
• Indiana State recorded its first shutout victory since the 2015 during its opener against Quincy, The Sycamore defense was stout throughout, allowing just 159 yards of total offense. Following 60-minutes of action, the defense allowed just 2.8 yards per play, 81 rushing yards and 78 yards through the air. ISU also came away with a turnover while forcing two forced fumbles and a pair of sacks.
• Redshirt junior Jonas Griffith returned to his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky in week two to face the Cardinals. Griffith led the way on the defensive side of the ball with 11 tackles, including five solo stops as well as his first career interception. Griffith returned the interception 20-yards into Louisville territory to setup the Sycamores' first touchdown.
• Griffith leads Indiana State with 30 tackles, including 15 solo tackles to go along with 2.0 tackles for loss.
• LB Katrell Moss is one of three Sycamores with 15 or more tackles. Moss, an Indianapolis native, has 25 tackles with 12 solo stops. Moss finished with seven tackles (five solo) against Louisville.
• DB Kaelub Newman is one of three Sycamores with 15 or more tackles this season. The cornerback has 14 solo stops alone from his cornerback position, including a career high seven tackles against Louisville. Newman also forced a fumble at Louisville in the third quarter. The junior recorded 32 tackles, two interceptions, eight pass breakups and a sack in 2017 at the College of Dupage. Newman ranks third nationally and leads the MVFC with 0.67 forced fumbles per game.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Dakota Caton ranks fourth nationally in combined kick returns (312 yards) and 18th with a 26.8 yards per kick return.
• Entering his third season as the Sycamore kicker, Jerry Nunez opened the 2018 season a perfect 7-fot-7 on extra point attempts. Through three games, Nunez is 15-of-15 on PAT's and 2-of-2 on field goals.
• Travis Reiner has punted 15 times in 2018 with an average of 38.5 yards. He booted a long of 58 yards to pin Louisville at their own two-yard line during week two.
• DT Rex Mosley ranks second nationally in blocked kicks after blocking two at Eastern Illinois. As a team, ISU ranks 8th nationally in blocked kicks.
For complete game notes, click
HERE.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Football team, make sure to check out
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