TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State hits the road in Valley play again this weekend as the Sycamores travel to Normal, Ill. to take on Illinois State on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff between the Sycamores and the Redbirds at Hancock Stadium is set for 3 p.m. and will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Weekly Notes
Quick Hits
The Sycamores won the last contest in Normal in the 2021 season finale as Indiana State rallied back to top Illinois State, 15-10. It marked ISU's first win in Normal since 1997 when ISU topped the Redbirds, 16-13 ... Indiana State enters the weekend still searching for its first win of 2023. It marks just the second time the Sycamores started the year with an 0-5 record since 2010 and first since 2017 ... Wide receiver
Harry Van Dyne has posted 15 catches for 216 yards and a touchdown over the first two MVFC games this season. The redshirt senior has posted at least 80 yards in each of his last three games ... Indiana State has had players earn MVFC weekly honors in each of the last two weeks.
Plez Lawrence (Newcomer) took home honors following his 203-rushing, 3-TD game against Murray State, while
Jake Andjelic (Special Teams) connected on a pair of field goals in the Sycamores' home conference opener against Northern Iowa.
About Illinois State
Illinois State enters the Saturday afternoon game with a 3-2 overall record and a 1-1 mark in Missouri Valley Football play. The Redbirds picked up wins over Dayton, Western Illinois, and Lindenwood, while falling at Eastern Illinois and South Dakota State on the year. Points have not been an issue for the Illinois State offense with the Redbirds scoring at least 34 points in all three wins.
Running back Mason Blakemore is the MVFC leader averaging 8.78 yards per carry and 87.75 yards per game through the first five games of the season. Three Illinois State wide receivers sit among the Valley's top-10 in receptions, while Daniel Sobkowicz is among the conference leaders at 85.0 yards per game. Defensive back Keondre Jackson is tied for fifth in the MVFC in tackles per game, while linebacker Amir Abdullah is the conference leader with 6.5 sacks on the year. Illinois State is one of eight MVFC schools receiving votes on the year.
Sycamores on This Date
Indiana State has played 10 games all-time on October 14 dating back to their first contest against St. Joseph's back in 1950. Indiana State won three consecutive games on October 14 spanning the 1967, 1972, and 1978 seasons includig a 1972 win at Illinois State (32-8). ISU is 1-1 all-time against the Redbirds on the date.
- 1950 – at St. Joseph's – L, 7-0
- 1961 – vs. Evansville – L, 15-14
- 1967 – vs. Valparaiso – W, 47-12
- 1972 – at Illinois State – W, 32-8
- 1978 – vs. Drake - W, 13-0
- 1989 – vs. Northern Iowa - L, 24-21
- 1995 – at Northern Iowa – L, 27-10
- 2000 – vs. Illinois State – L, 21-0
- 2006 – vs. Northern Iowa - L, 34-14
- 2017 – at South Dakota – L, 56-6
Van Dyne Goes for 300 over 3
Harry Van Dyne continues one of the top stretches by an Indiana State wide receiver in recent history as the redshirt senior wide receiver has posted at least 80 yards in each of the last three games. His 296 receiving yards over 18 catches are the most by an Indiana State wide receiver since Dante Hendrix posted 333 yards in a trio of games in 2022 against North Dakota State, Youngstown State, and Illinois State.
Van Dyne is one game removed from his first 100-yard receiving effort against Murray State after hauling in 10 catches for 122 yards and adding a three-yard touchdown reception with 3:27 remaining in the game that pulled Indiana State back to within two points in the MVFC opener against Murray State.
Van Dyne became the first ISU receiver to post double-digit receptions since Dante Hendrix posted a 10-catch, 83-yard, two-touchdown game back on Nov. 13, 2021, against Southern Illinois. Hendrix had the last three double-digit reception games for the Sycamores dating back to the 2018 season when he hauled in 11 passes for 111 yards and two scores on November 3, 2018. The Sycamore wideout posted a season-long 54-yard reception on the first play of the second half against Northern Iowa.
Geoffrey Brown Milestone Watch
Indiana State junior linebacker Geoffrey Brown continues his pursuit to hit the 200-tackle mark as the Fishers, Ind. native enters the weekend sitting with 172 total tackles during his time with the Sycamores. Brown is second on the team with 27 stops through the first five games of the year including an eight-tackle performance at Indiana and seven against Murray State.
Brown is coming off a career-year with 84 total tackles as a sophomore in the middle of the field on his way to earning All-Conference recognition. His first season on the field in 2021 featured his first double-digit tackling contest in the season finale with 12 stops at Illinois State. He followed up with five double-digit tackling efforts in 2022 including a 15-tackle effort in the opener against North Alabama and 10 solo stops in the season finale against Missouri State. He remains the closest Sycamore on the roster to join the exclusive 300-career tackle club which currently sits at 18 members, last by Jonas Griffith (382 tackles, 2016-19).
Caton Receiving Watch
One of the longest tenured players on the Indiana State roster is back for his sixth season with the Sycamores this season as Dakota Caton returned to the roster in 2023. The Sullivan, Ind. native is closing in on 1,000 career receiving yards entering the Murray State week with 925 total yards over 80 receptions. He's averaging a career-high 37.2 yards per game over the first five games of the season.
Caton built up an impressive reception streak over his career hauling in at least one catch in 20 consecutive games from 2018 to 2022. The streak started with a five-catch performance on October 13, 2018, against Missouri State and included his first collegiate touchdown on November 3 against South Dakota. The redshirt senior's streak came to an end last year on October 22, 2022, against Illinois State, but he has since rebounded to haul in passes in each of his last five games including both contests in 2023. He enters the contest as the Sycamores' current receiving leader, as well as one of ISU's all-time returner leaders over his career.
Time of Possession
Indiana State put together one of the more dominant statistical lines in program history this past Saturday against Northern Iowa as the Sycamores held onto the ball for 39:58 in the contest. The time of possession edge 39:58-20:02 marks the largest in the Curt Mallory coaching era, surpassing the program's previous single-game high 38:25 set last season against Western Illinois.
The Sycamores held onto the ball at least 10 minutes in three of the four quarters on Saturday night against Northern Iowa, including at least 11 minutes in the second quarter against the Panthers. Indiana State converted 8-of-14 third-down conversions and posted two double-digit play drives in the contest with both leading to field goals.
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