Indiana State University Athletics

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The Indiana State Sycamores begin their 115th football season on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET inside David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium against the Kansas Jayhawks.

The game will air on Fox Sports Midwest Plus, Fox Sports Indiana Plus online and on FSN in the Kansas viewing area with Alex Faust (play-by-play) and Jordan Palmer (color) on the call. Fans can watch the game through the Fox Sports Go App or other streaming services such as Playstation Vue or YouTube TV. Sycamore fans can also 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). 
 
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE JAYHAWKS
Saturday's matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks will mark the third game in the series history. Kansas leads the all-time series between the two programs, 2-0. Both meetings came in the mid-80's with the Jayhawks taking the first meeting in 1985 in Lawrence, 37-10. A year later, the Sycamores and Kansas met again with KU coming away with a victory, 20-6. Kansas is 11-2 against the Missouri Valley Football Conference but dropped their last meeting with an MVFC foe in South Dakota State in 2015. 
 
SYCAMORES BEGIN 2019 RANKED
Indiana State is ranked 16th in both the AFCA Coaches Poll and the STATS FCS Poll entering the season opener with Kansas. The Sycamores entered the Top-25 last season for the first time since 2016 after reeling off five-straight wins in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. ISU wrapped up the year ranked 24th after finishing with a 7-4 overall record and a 5-3 mark in conference play. Among conferences, the MVFC is the top-rated league in the FCS (Sagarin Rankings), and also ranked ahead of a two FBS leagues, including Conference USA (both the East and West divisions), and the Sun Belt (West Division). 
 
MILES AND MALLORY WITH MICHIGAN BACKGROUNDS
Both head coaches in Saturday's matchup are University of Michigan alums with Les Miles graduating in 1976 and Curt Mallory in 1992. Both coaches played for the Wolverines with Mallory playing on three Rose Bowl teams and Miles playing on two Big Ten Championship teams. Miles was also an assistant coach while Mallory was a player. 
 
A WIN AGAINST KANSAS WOULD BE... 
The first win over a BCS program in 32 chances
The longest winning streak since 1984
The sixth-straight win 
The fourth-straight road win 
The second straight season-opening win
 
FBS WINS FOR INDIANA STATE SINCE 1978 (8 Wins)
Ball State - 1983 (35-14), 1984 (34-6), 1987 (24-23), 2014 (27-20)
Louisville - 1984 (44-21)
Cincinnati - 1987 (40-16)
Eastern Michigan - 2001 (21-14)
Western Kentucky - 2011 (44-16)
 
2018 TIED FOR BEST FINISH IN MVFC 
Indiana State's 5-3 finish in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2018 tied the best finish in program history, matching the 2012 season. It marked just the second time in program history that the team picked up five wins in MVFC play. 
 
GRIFFITH NAMED TO BUCK BUCHANAN WATCH LIST
Redshirt senior Jonas Griffith was named to the Buck Buchanan Watch List this preseason. Griffith was one of 25 nominees to earn the recognition, presented by STATS to the most outstanding defensive player in the nation. The Louisville, Kentucky native was named a Preseason All-American by HERO Sports and STATS FCS. The linebacker earned All-American status from three different publications as well as All-MVFC honors following the conclusion of the 2018 campaign after leading the Sycamores and ranking fifth nationally in tackles. Over his career, Griffith has seen action in 32 games, recording 276 tackles. He has made 21.5 tackles-for-loss and recorded 10 sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.
 
PRESEASON HONORS FOR GRIFFITH
Redshirt senior Jonas Griffith earned Preseason All-American honors from both HERO Sports and STATS FCS. Griffith started in 11 games in 2018 at linebacker, leading the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 132 tackles, including 81 unassisted stops. He was tops in the nation with 7.4 solo tackles per game and fifth with 12 tackles per game. In total, the Louisville, Kentucky native recorded 9.5 tackles-for-loss for 27 yards including 3.5 sacks. He recorded double-digit stops in eight games while making a season high 18 stops in back-to-back games against South Dakota State and Missouri State.
 
GRIFFITH CLOSE TO JOINING 300-TACKLE CLUB; CRACKS TOP-10 IN SINGLE SEASON TACKLES
Griffith sits just 24 tackles away from 300-career tackles with a year of eligibility remaining. Griffith recorded 37 tackles in 2016, 107 tackles in 2017 and 132 tackles in 2018. He is looking to become just the third player in program history to record three-straight seasons of 100 or more tackles. He would be the 18th player in program history to reach 300 career tackles. Griffith finished tied for 7th in program history in single season tackles after recording 132 a year ago. 
 
BOYLE NAMED TO NATIONAL PERFORMER OF THE YEAR TROPHY WATCH LIST
A season after being named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Year, Ryan Boyle was named to the College Football Performance Award Watch List the publication announced in August. Boyle is coming off of a year in which he three for 1,672 yard and 12 touchdowns in the final nine games of the season, leading the team to five-consecutive victories to close out the season. The Iowa native also accounted for a school record seven touchdowns in a triple overtime victory against South Dakota. 
 
NUNEZ ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY
Sycamore kicker Jerry Nunez has made his mark on the program over the last three seasons with clutch kicks and game winners. The senior now sits within reach of three of the programs kicking records. Nunez finished 2018 40-of-41 on PAT attempts and 15-of-19 on field goals. He accounted for a team-best 85 points scored and was 10-of-11 on field goals within 29 yards. Nunez finished the season with a long field goal of 48 yards against Missouri State. 
 
MOST PATs MADE - 84 (87 Scott Bridges, 90 att. 1983-85)
MOST POINTS SCORED - 201 (221 Kyle Hooper 42 FG/86 PAT, 2003-06)
MOST FGs MADE - 39 (42 Kyle Hooper, 59 att. 2003-06)
 
RED ZONE SUCCESS
One of the keys for the Sycamores in 2018 was their success when entering the red zone. ISU ranked 5th nationally after scoring in the red zone 42-of-46 times for a 91 percent average. In 2017, ISU entered the red zone just 19 times over 11 games with only nine touchdowns. In 2018, the Sycamores scored 30 touchdowns and twelve made field goals in 11 games.
 
A DECADE OF POSTSEASON DOMINANCE FOR THE VALLEY
In the current decade, MVFC teams are 59-25 in the playoffs, and only one other conference (the CAA at 40-36) has a winning record. Since 2004, league teams have combined for a 73-38 record in playoff games, with seven titles – both tops in the FCS. Notably, only the MVFC (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018), CAA Football (2016) and Big Sky Conference (2010) have an FCS title this decade. Valley Football is celebrating its 35th season in 2019. In its first 34 seasons the league owns nine national crowns.
 
MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE CELEBRATES 35 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
The 2019 season is an anniversary for the Missouri Valley Football Conference as it celebrates its 35th birthday this year (founded in 1985 as the Gateway Conference). The 2019 season also is an anniversary season for college football as its celebrates its 150th birthday.  League schools will be donning a CFB150 patch on uniforms this year.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Football team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.