TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State welcomes #16/#15 Southern Illinois to Memorial Stadium for a Senior Day matchup on Saturday, November 13. The MVFC contest between the Sycamores and the Salukis will be carried live on ESPN3 and 105.5 The Legend with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
Game Day Information and Activities
Game Day Sponsor: Hamilton Center
Hamilton Center, Inc. is a not-for-profit regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, IN. Services and treatment are provided to children, youth and adults, with specialized programs for expectant mothers, infants, and people with drug and alcohol problems. Counseling and therapy services are provided for people who may be struggling with stress, life changes, or relationship issues as well as more serious problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, serious mental illnesses.
Updated Tailgating and Clear Bag Policies
Indiana State Athletics announced updated tailgating and clear bag policies for the 2021-22 athletic year in early August. The policies are consistent with other members in both the Missouri Valley Conference and Missouri Valley Football Conference. To find out more,
click here.
Sycamore Athletics Lands New Flagship Radio Home
Indiana State has found a new home radio station. Sycamore Athletics and DLC Media have reached a three-year agreement to bring ISU sports to 105.5 FM. To see more,
click here.
Football Tickets Still on Sale/Mobile Ticketing
Indiana State football single game tickets are still on sale for this weekend's game against Southern Illinois. Single game tickets start at just $11 for adults and $7 for youth. To purchase tickets,
click here.
Weekly Notes
Senior Day Is Here
Indiana State will be recognizing 26 seniors this upcoming weekend in a pregame ceremony as the Sycamores host their final home game of the 2021 regular season. The senior class features a blend of athletes who have lined up at Memorial Stadium over the last five seasons and will include the newcomers who have exhausted their final year of eligibility. The Sycamores have already assured the senior class a winning record at Memorial Stadium this season with Indiana State entering competition with a 3-1 mark at home this year.
Off the Bye Week
The Sycamores head into the Southern Illinois game freshly rested following their late-season bye week. Indiana State has been off since returning from Fargo, N.D. on October 30 after eight consecutive weeks of competition on the gridiron. It marks Indiana State's second bye week of the season as ISU was also off on the official first week of the NCAA season following their Week 0 matchup against Eastern Illinois in late August. ISU fell in their previous contest coming off the bye as the Sycamores dropped a 24-6 decision at Northwestern.
Final Stretch
With the Sycamores likely not to advance to the FCS postseason, the next two weeks will mark the conclusion of the 2021 Indiana State football season. It's still a difficult stretch for the Sycamores as ISU will look to play the spoiler against a Southern Illinois team that had been in the running for a potential national seed as little as two weeks ago. Indiana State will also battle against an Illinois State roster that has struggled as of late, but picked up a win over then-No. 15 South Dakota on the road.
Series Matchup
Southern Illinois leads the all-time matchup between the two teams dating back to the inaugural contest in 1944. The Sycamores won the inaugural contest in the competition, 55-6, and took three of the first four games against the Salukis to open the series. Indiana State's longest winning streak in the series ran from 1994-2002 when the Sycamores rattled off nine consecutive wins over Southern Illinois in the stretch. ISU has also had the recent edge over the Salukis with wins in five of the last eight games.
First Three
1944 – vs. Southern Illinois, W, 55-6
1947 – vs. Southern Illinois, W, 21-6
1948 – at Southern Illinois, L, 20-6
Last Three
October 21, 2017 – vs. Southern Illinois, L, 45-24
October 20, 2018 – at Southern Illinois, W, 24-21
November 2, 2019 – vs. Southern Illinois, L, 23-14
On This Date
Indiana State has played in eight games on November 13 in program history and has posted an even 4-4 overall record on the date. The Sycamores have lined up once against Southern Illinois on the date, a 2004 matchup at SIU where the Salukis took the 59-10 victory.
On This Date
1954 – at Hanover – W, 33-13
1971 – vs. Drake – L, 27-15
1976 – at Wichita State – W, 20-17
1982 – at Tulsa – L, 48-14
1993 – vs. West Virginia Tech – W, 49-6
1999 – vs. Western Kentucky – L, 34-30
2004 – at Southern Illinois – L, 59-10
2010 – at Youngstown State – W, 30-24
Scouting the Opponent
Southern Illinois was selected fourth overall in the MVFC Preseason Poll as voted on by the conference's head coaches, SID, and select media members. The Salukis finished with 345 total points overall after a spring season that saw SIU post a 6-4 overall record and advancing to the second round of the FCS Postseason.
The Salukis led the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a league-best 13 players selected to the preseason All-Conference squad. Six players were selected to the MVFC First Team including three players on the defensive side of the ball (Jordan Berner – DL, Qua Brown – DB, James Ceasar – DB), while Javon Williams Jr. was named to the first team as an all-purpose athlete.
Stone Labanowitz was named the MVFC Preseason Second Team quarterback this fall, but it's been all sophomore quarterback Nick Baker on the field since the opening snap of the 2021 fall season. Baker has hit at least 175 passing yards in all nine games of the season and has eclipsed the 300-yard mark three times, including a 460-yard, four-touchdown game against SE Missouri. He's also posted five games with at least three touchdowns.
The Salukis enter the weekend with one of the top passing attacks in the country and SIU is aided by two receivers sitting in the top-six in the MVFC in receiving yards per game. Lenoir Landon is second in the conference averaging 91.1 receiving yards per game and leads the MVFC with nine receiving touchdowns on the year. Avante Cox is currently sixth in the league with 73.3 yards per game, including a career-high 99-yard catch early in the season against Southeast Missouri.
It's a balanced rushing attack for the Salukis on the season with Donnavan Spencer (67 carries, 351 yards), Javon Williams Jr. (64 carries, 324 yards), and Justin Strong (59 carries, 316 yards) all spreading the wealth on the ground. The SIU trio has combined for 13 rushing touchdowns on the season.
Defensively, Bryce Notree has been the team's tackling leader with 64 stops in the 2021 season while adding 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. Anthony Knighton is the team's leader with 10.0 tackles for loss, while Kevin Glajchen (5.0) is the sack leader.
Kerlegrand Keeps Rumbling
There has been no slowing down
Peterson Kerlegrand over the last few weeks as the senior running back continues to put up impressive numbers against conference competition in the 2021 season. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native has been held under 65 rushing yards just once in conference play this year (24 vs. South Dakota), while posting at least 80 rushing yards on three separate occasions. Kerlegrand set a season-high with 178 yards on 17 carries with a pair of touchdowns against Western Illinois. He added a 151 yard effort with two more scores against Youngstown State. More recently, Kerlegrand posted 125 total offensive yards (89 rushing) in an impressive performance against North Dakota State with his rushing total marking the most by a back against the Bison this season. Kerlegrand is averaging 4.8 yards per carry on the season and 79.2 rushing yards per game to sit among the MVFC leaders in both categories.
He's Just Not Coverable
All
Dante Hendrix has done since returning from an early season injury is dominate the opposing team's secondary. The Florence, Ky. native returned from the I.R. with a vengeance and has posted 22 catches for 257 yards and a touchdown over the last three games, including a 10-catches, 121-yard performance against Missouri State in his return to the field. In his last action against North Dakota State, Hendrix nearly hit the century mark for the second time in the 2021 season with a nine-catch, 87-yard game against the Bison as he consistently worked the underneath routes in the loss. Hendrix has been nigh unstoppable since strapping on the Sycamore Blue & White and enters Saturday's game on a school-record 25-game reception streak dating back to early in the 2018 season.
Morgan Back in Action
One of the more scarier situations in the 2021 season happened mid-October against Missouri State as
Rontrez Morgan came off the field late in the first half due to an injury on a kickoff return. Morgan was released from the hospital in Springfield, Mo. later that evening and was back with the team over the weekend, but has yet to make his appearance back on the field. He looks to end that streak this weekend as Morgan will look to continue his 12-game reception streak against the Salukis. The senior wide receiver was the team's top threat through the air over the first seven games of the 2021 season. Morgan has recorded at least four catches in five of the seven games and leads the Sycamores with 33 catches overall on the year.
Larkin Streak Continues
Another streak continued when the Sycamores hit the field against North Dakota State as redshirt senior tight end
Zach Larkin added to his stretch of success this season. Larkin is the lone Sycamore to record a reception in all nine games in the 2021 season and his 15-game streak runs back to the middle of the 2019 slate. Currently Larkin, Morgan, and Hendrix all boast double-digit consecutive game receiving streaks heading into the Saturday contest against Southern Indiana in what will likely be Larkin's last game dressing out in Memorial Stadium. The Hamilton, Ohio native already boasts a trio of five-catch games on the season and is tied for the team lead with three touchdown receptions. Larkin also doubles up as the Sycamores 'Wildcat' quarterback and has been among the team's rushing leaders on the season, while also showing off his throwing chops earlier this season with a 30-yard pass against South Dakota. Expect him to be targeted earlier and often as the Sycamores spread the ball out the playmakers on Saturday.
Thompson Back in Action
Redshirt senior quarterback
Anthony Thompson has settled into a groove over the last few weeks as the Chicago, Ill. native continues to spread the ball around while also picking his spots to tuck it and run. Thompson has completed double-digit passes in four of the last five games and was on the way to make it five in a row when he was knocked out of the contest against North Dakota State in the first half after going 7-of-11 for 60 yards. Thompson has posted six games with at least 100 passing yards and has added at least six carries in five games in the 2021 season since taking the reins over in the program following the contest against South Dakota State. The 6-1 left-hander should have all of his favorite targets back this weekend in the Sycamores final home game of 2021.
No Stopping Nokes
When Indiana State entered the bye week,
Inoke Moala was firmly entrenched as the conference leader in both sacks (8.0) and tackles for loss (12.5). One week later, Moala can still spot his name atop the conference leaderboard as the Mishawaka, Ind. native continues to pace the Missouri Valley in both major defensive statistical category. The Salukis like to sling the ball around the field and abundant opportunities are expected for Moala and company to get into the backfield against a SIU offensive line that has surrendered 26.0 sacks over nine games in the 2021 season. Moala has done a majority of the damage in the conference season with 5.5 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss coming in MVFC play, including a 3.5 sack effort with a forced fumble against Western Illinois.
Interceptions Keep Coming
It was another game, another interception for the Indiana State defense in their last contest against North Dakota State as the Sycamores recorded their 10th pick of the 2021 season when
Dwayne Thompson II hauled in the pass just before the half in the Fargodome. The Sycamores have recorded at least one interception in four consecutive games and are two games removed from a four-interception contest against Youngstown State in their last game inside Memorial Stadium. Seven different players have recorded at least one interception and no one on the roster has more than two picks as it has been a balanced defensive effort throughout the season. The Sycamores will look to stay opportunistic against a SIU offense that has surrendered 10 interceptions throughout the season.
Henderson/Edwards Shutting Them Down
The Sycamores recent wins have featured a shutdown defense in the passing game and it starts with the cornerback bookends of
JJ Henderson and
Johnathan Edwards. Henderson earned October 24 Missouri Valley Football Defensive Player of the Week honors following his two-interception game in the win over Youngstown State and he sits tied for the team lead with seven pass breakups on the year. Edwards, his counterpart on the opposite side, is still looking for his first interception, but he's equaled Henderson with seven deflections on the year while adding 30 tackles in his freshman year. The Sycamores will look to rely on their defensive duo to continue to limit the opposition on the outside over the final two weeks of the season.
Hoover Cleaning Up
Wherever the football has been on the field the last month, that's where you'd find redshirt freshman safety
Ethan Hoover as the Fort Wayne, Ind. native has quietly put together one of the better statistical seasons on the Indiana State defense this year. Hoover has recorded at least six tackles in four of the last five games and is two games removed from his first collegiate interception in the fourth quarter against Youngstown State. Hoover made his starting debut against South Dakota State and has not left the field since his five-tackle, one pass breakup contest against the Jackrabbits. In addition to lining up in the secondary, Hoover has also seen time on the team's kickoff return unit with a pair of returns for 43 yards against Western Illinois. He has teamed up with fellow freshman
Rylan Cole in the Sycamores secondary over the last three weeks and the duo are expected to be back in the middle of the fray this weekend against Southern Illinois.
Thompson II All Over the Field
It feels like any time the Sycamore defense has had a game-defining play this year,
Dwayne Thompson II has been in the middle of it. The junior defensive back has lined up all over the field for the Sycamores this season as the versatile athlete has posted 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks on the year to go with his 20 tackles. Additionally, he's added three quarterback hurries and four pass breakups as he continues to showcase his ability to get into the backfield as well as drop back in coverage. His late first-half interception against North Dakota State allowed the Sycamores to mount the final plays in the opening half against the Bison. He's also added key plays on special teams this year as the Farmington Hills, Mich. native forced the fumble that led to ISU's punt touchdown against Eastern Kentucky.
Reiner Pinning In the 20
Redshirt senior punter
Travis Reiner has made a career out of pinning the opponent inside the 20-yard line. Heading into the 2021 season, the Canyon Country, Calif, native recorded 38 punts downed inside the opponents' 20 while forcing 32 fair catches. This season Reiner has taken it to the next level with 20 punts going inside the opponents' 20, while posting 21 fair catches on the year. Reiner is averaging 40.6 yards per punt in the 2021 season and has been a weapon for the Sycamores special teams this year with his accurate right leg pacing the conference with 58 punts on the year. More impressively, out of his 58 punts, just four have rolled into the end zone for touchbacks on the year.
Lunsford Back on Special Teams
Hunter Lunsford is second on the Sycamores this season in special teams scoring as the redshirt senior defensive back added to his list in Indiana State's last game against North Dakota State. The Elk Grove, Calif. native blocked a NDSU punt in the fourth quarter against the Bison and the ball sailed over the goal-line and through the uprights for a touchback to put the Sycamores on the scoreboard in the loss. He previously found the end zone earlier in the year with a scoop-and-score on a muffed punt against Eastern Kentucky that contributed to Indiana State's 26-21 win over the Colonels. He will look to be back in the mix for the special teams this weekend against the Salukis as Indiana State will look to play the spoiler against SIU over the final two weeks of the season.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Football, visit
GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including
Twitter,
Facebook,
Instagram and
YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the
App Store and the
Google Play Store.
