TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State is back home for the second time in the 2023 season as the Sycamores host Northern Iowa in their Missouri Valley Football home opener on Saturday, October 7. Kickoff between the Sycamores and the Panthers is set for 7 p.m. and will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Game Day Information and Activities
Wabash Valley Education Day
Saturday's game is Wabash Valley Education Day as Indiana State welcomes all Wabash Valley educators to Memorial Stadium. All Wabash Valley faculty and staff will receive free admission to the game with a school ID. Friends and family accompanying the educators can purchase a ticket at a $5 discount rate.
Game 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.
Hamilton Center has been building hope and changing lives, for thousands of adults, children, and families in the Wabash Valley and beyond for 49 years. Our offices are designed to be convenient, private and confidential, reducing the barriers sometimes associated with seeking psychological and mental health treatment. Hamilton Center employs over 600 staff in ten counties, including psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, therapists, counselors, case managers, etc. Find Out More Here.
University Village Tailgate
University Village is holding a big tailgate event for their renters and anyone else. Free food, prizes will be at the tailgate outside the main gate Sat. at 4 p.m.
Tailgating and Clear Bag Policies
Indiana State Athletics announced updated tailgating and clear bag policies for the 2023-24 athletic year. The policies are consistent with other members in both the Missouri Valley Conference and Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Weekly Game Notes
Starting Valley Play 0-1
Indiana State has started off Missouri Valley Football play with an 0-1 record five times in the
Curt Mallory coaching era, but the Sycamores bounced back to win the second game just once during his tenure. The Sycamores fell in the October 5, 2019, MVFC opener at South Dakota, before responding the following week with a 20-10 win over Western Illinois on October 12. Since the COVID year in 2020, the Sycamores went 0-2 to start conference play in 2021 and fell in their first six conference games in 2022. ISU snapped both losing streaks with wins over Western Illinois.
Returning Home – First Time Since Opener
Indiana State returns home for the first time since August 31, marking one of the longest stretches in program history the Sycamores have been between home games. The last time Indiana State had a three-game span between home contests at Memorial Stadium came back in the 2017 season when ISU traveled to Tennessee, Liberty, and Illinois State after an August 31 kickoff against Eastern Illinois. The Sycamores returned home on October 7 to take on No. 2 North Dakota State to end the road trip. The Sycamores have had three game road trips six times dating back to the 2000 season, including a four-game road trip in the 2002 season.
Welcome Back Cade Chambers
Quarterback
Cade Chambers made his 2023 debut this weekend as the redshirt sophomore quarterback took the first snap of the game at Murray State. Chambers became the fourth ISU quarterback to see the field this season and third to start a game including
Evan Olaes (Eastern Illinois, Indiana) and
Elijah Owens (Ball State). The Sycamore signal caller went 15-of-27 through the air for 159 yards, a touchdown, and an interception as ISU fell in the Missouri Valley Football opener to Murray State. The Maryville, Tenn. native completed passes to five different receivers including the first catch of 2023 by
Plez Lawrence. Chambers kept the team on the move throughout the contest as Indiana State recorded a season-high 30 first downs, as well as held onto the ball for 34:37.
Lawrence's Big Day
Plez Lawrence made a little bit of history on Saturday night as the redshirt freshman running back made his first collegiate start at Murray State. The Kokomo, Ind. native posted a career-high 29 carries for 203 yards and added three touchdowns in the Sycamores' 30-28 loss to the Racers. Lawrence started off the evening picking up one yard over his first two carries, before starting to hit his stride on the second drive. The tailback posted five consecutive carries in helping move the ball 39 yards from the Indiana State 39 to the Murray State 34 to set up a missed field goal opportunity. Lawrence posted 17 carries for 79 yards and added ISU's first rushing touchdown of 2023 with a two-yard plunge into the end zone to cap a 14-play, 93-yard drive in the second quarter to put the Sycamores on the scoreboard.
Breaking 200
Lawrence became the first ISU running back to break 200 rushing yards in a single game since Dominique Dafney ran for 244 and four touchdowns in 2019 against Missouri State. He also became the first MVFC freshman running back to surpass 200 rushing yards in a single game since South Dakota State's Pierre Strong Jr. went for 253 and three touchdowns against South Dakota in 2018. He also became the first ISU freshman to break 100 rushing yards since Shakir Bell in 2010 (146 vs. Illinois State).
Home Against the Panthers
Indiana State had lined up in 17 games all-time against Northern Iowa dating back to the inaugural 26-0 win in Terre Haute on September 10, 1983. The Sycamores won two of the first four contests against the Panthers including a 33-23 win over the Panthers on October 20, 1990. ISU's last home win in the series against the Panthers came back in the 2014 season with the Sycamores taking the 20-19 win over UNI.
Northern Iowa at a Glance
Northern Iowa enters the Saturday night game with a 2-2 record and a 1-0 mark in Missouri Valley Football play. The Panthers fell in back-to-back contests to open the year at both Iowa State and Weber State, before turning the page on September 16. UNI posted a 41-17 win at Idaho State and followed up with a 44-41 win over Youngstown State this past Saturday in Cedar Falls in winning their conference opener.
Quarterback Theo Day is the reigning MVFC Offensive Player of the Week as the quarterback matched a career-high accounting for five Panther touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) in UNI's 44-41 win over No. 19 Youngstown State. With 337 yards passing on 21 completions, Day moved into fifth on UNI's all-time passing yards list (6,643). Trailing by three points in the early fourth quarter, Day commanded the Panther offense to three touchdowns in the final 14 minutes of play, find receiver Sam Schnee on a 30-yard scoring reception, handing the ball off to Tye Edwards for a 30-yard rushing score and keeping it himself on a one-yard sneak at the goal line in the final 90 seconds. Day has now thrown a touchdown pass in a program-record 26 straight games.
The Panthers were selected third overall in the MVFC preseason poll as voted on by the league's head coaches, media members, and SIDs. UNI received 409 total points in the poll after posting a 6-5 record and 5-3 mark in conference play. UNI is among the teams receiving votes this week in the major FCS national polls joining eight different MVFC programs sitting among the nation's best teams through the first month 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.
