TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State nearly rallied back from a 17-point first quarter deficit as the Sycamores fell in their final nonconference matchup of the 2024 season to visiting Houston Christian, 27-24, on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
 
Trailing 27-17 midway through the fourth quarter, Indiana State (1-3) got the special teams spark it needed as Alex Rose broke through the Houston Christian (2-3) punt formation and got a hand on Reed Chandley's attempt from the HCU 25-yard line. Rose's deflection resulted in a net punt gain of six yards setting up the Sycamore offense in prime position at the HCU 31 with 11:01 to play.
 
Six plays later, redshirt freshman quarterback Elijah Owens called his own number taking the ball four yards off the right tackle and into the end zone to cut the lead down to 27-24 with 7:48 to play in the contest.
 
Houston Christian attempted to run out the clock utilizing running back Darryle Evans and quarterback CJ Rogers to move the ball from the HCU 30 down to the Indiana State 45. Sycamore linebacker Garret Ollendieck came up key with a trio of stops, including combining with Kendrick Milford to bring down Evans short of the first-down marker on 4th-and-2 to set up the Sycamore offense at the INST 36 with 3:42 remaining in the game.
 
The Sycamores were clinical in their approach down field as Owens found Rashad Rochelle for a short seven-yard pass on the opening play, before turning the ball back to the run game. Plez Lawrence took the ball 24 yards down to the HCU 30 on the fourth play of the day, and the sophomore running back added an 11-yard carry on the ensuing play to put Indiana State inside the red zone. Owens went six more yards on 3rd-and-8 setting up a game-tying field goal attempt as the rain started to fall at Memorial Stadium.
 
However, Jake Andjelic's 29-yard field goal attempt was pushed wide right allowing Houston Christian to take back over possession for two kneel downs to end the contest and secure the win.
 
Houston Christian jumped out to an early 17-0 lead following their first three drives of the contest as the Huskies utilized a fast-paced spread run game to open up the field. Drake Martinez (three-yard TD reception), Dillon Fedor (20-yard FG), and Eli Brickhandler (one-yard TD run) put the Huskies ahead early on the overcast day at Memorial Stadium.
 
The Sycamore defense made its first stop of the day early in the second quarter and Lawrence capitalized on it immediately. The redshirt sophomore running back turned in Indiana State's longest running play from scrimmage since 2009 as he split the defense on his way to an 89-yard rushing touchdown to spark the Indiana State offense.
Shen Butler-Lawson punched in a three-yard touchdown run and Andjelic added a 38-yard field goal as time expired at the half as Indiana State cut the deficit down to 24-17 heading into the half.
 
Lawrence paced a Sycamore rushing attack that went for a season-high 264 yards on Saturday afternoon against the Huskies. The redshirt sophomore recorded 17 carries for 160 yards and a touchdown averaging a career-high 9.4 yards per carry in the contest. Butler-Lawson added 12 carries for 48 yards and a score, while Owens added 13 carries for 47 yards including his late touchdown.
 
Owens finished 22-of-30 through the air for 131 yards targeting eight different receivers in the contest. Zavion Taylor was his favorite mark hauling in six passes for 36 yards, while Lawrence (five catches, 22 yards) and Rochelle (four catches, 22 yards) were also among the primary targets in the game.
 
Ollendieck led the Indiana State defense with 15 tackles including 0.5 sacks and 0.5 tackles for loss. Kaleal Davis (13) and Lucas McAllister (10) also recorded double-digit tackles on Saturday afternoon, while Jack Sherman and Braxton Sampson both recorded sacks. Tony Roberts was active on the outside with a team-high four pass breakups.
 
HCU utilized a four-headed rushing attack of Brickhanlder (12 carries, 70 yards, 1 TD), Calvin Hill (11 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD), Evans (14 carries, 60 yards), and Jesse Valenzuela (six carries, 30 yards) on their way to finishing with 215 yards and two scores on the ground.
 
Brickhandler and CJ Rogers combined to go 14-of-27 through the air for 133 yards with Martinez the primary recipient with four catches for 29 yards and a touchdown.
 
Khary Crump led the HCU defense with nine tackles, while Semaj Brown, Joe Cadette, and D.J. Harris finished with eight apiece in the win. Zae Smith and Braden Hay combined for HCU's lone sack, while Marques Caldwell hauled in the Huskies' interception and added a 35-yard return to set up what would be the game-winning field goal.
 
How They Scored

• Drake Martinez hauled in Eli Brickhandler's three-yard touchdown pass with 11:54 remaining in the first quarter as Houston Christian went 10-plays, 75-yards on their opening possession to take the early 7-0 lead.
• Dillon Fedor added to HCU's lead with 8:28 remaining in the first quarter as the Huskies' placekicker converted a 20-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 game.
• Brickhandler added a one-yard touchdown run with 3:39 remaining in the first quarter capping a 12-play, 65-yard drive to give HCU a 17-0 lead after the Huskies' first three possessions in the game.
• Plez Lawrence sparked the Sycamore offense with a career-long 89-yard touchdown run with 11:45 remaining in the second quarter to put Indiana State on the scoreboard and make it a 17-7 game.
• Shen Butler-Lawson found the end zone for the Sycamores with a three-yard touchdown run capping a 13-play, 64-yard drive that spanned 7:23 in the second quarter as Indiana State cut HCU's lead down to 17-14 with 3:48 left in the first half.
• HCU added to their lead just before the break on Calvin Hill's three-yard touchdown run ending a nine-play, 78-yard drive with 1:02 remaining in the first half to make it a 24-14 contest.
• Jake Andjelic drilled a 38-yard field goal as time expired in the first half as the Sycamores went 10 plays for 42 yards over the final 51 seconds of the first half to make it a 24-17 game at the break.
• HCU's Fedor converted his second field goal of the contest, this one from 21 yards out, as the Huskies took the 27-17 lead with 6:17 remaining in the third quarter following an Indiana State interception.
• The Sycamores took advantage of Alex Rose's partially blocked punt midway through the fourth quarter and Elijah Owens made HCU pay as the Indiana State quarterback went up the middle for a four-yard touchdown run to cap a six-play, 31-yard drive to narrow the margin down to 27-24 with 7:48 remaining in the game.

News & Notables

• Plez Lawrence recorded his second collegiate 100-yard rushing game and first since eclipsing the 200-yard mark back on September 30, 2023, against Murray State.
• Lawrence's 89-yard touchdown run was a career-long for the Sycamores and is the second-longest scoring play for Indiana State this season trailing just Jorge Valdes' 90-yard interception return two weeks ago against Dayton.
• Lawrence's 89-yard touchdown run is Indiana State's longest offensive scoring play since Ryan Roberts scored on a 91-yard touchdown run against Western Illinois back on October 24, 2009. According to records on hand, it is also the Sycamores' second-longest rushing touchdown in the history of the program.
• Lawrence became the first Sycamore running back to crack the 100-yard rushing mark since Justin Dinka posted a 19-carry, 147-yard, two-TD game against Western Illinois last season on November 11.
• Indiana State's 264 rushing yards marked the first time the Sycamores cracked the 200-yard team rushing mark since November 11, 2023, against Western Illinois (203).
• The Sycamores' 264 rushing yards were the most by the team in a single game since Indiana State recorded 325 total rushing yards back on November 23, 2019, against Missouri State, aided primarily by Dominique Dafney's 244-yard, four-TD game against the Bears.
• Garret Ollendieck's 15-tackle game marked his third double-digit tackling effort of the 2024 season and second consecutive game with at least 15 stops. He previously recorded a career-high 16 tackles back on September 14 against Dayton.
• Ollendieck's 50 tackles have him averaging a MVFC-best 12.5 tackles per game and continue to keep him among the national leaders. He entered the game third in the NCAA FCS in tackles per game (11.7) and second overall in solo tackles per game (6.7).
• The Sycamore defense was unable to record a turnover for the first time in the 2024 season, but did pick up its first blocked punt of the year.
• Elijah Owens continues to sit among the nation's elite passers after connecting on 22-of-30 attempts on Saturday afternoon. The redshirt freshman has completed 74.0% (57-of-77) of his passes over the course of the 2024 season.
• Kaleal Davis (13) and Lucas McAllister (10), pressed into duty due to injuries and other factors, both set new career-high marks in tackles on Saturday afternoon. It was the first double-digit tackling effort of both of their collegiate careers.
• Jack Sherman has recorded sacks in back-to-back games for the first time in his collegiate career, while Kendrick Milford has posted at least a half-sack in each of the last three contests to lead the Indiana State defense.
• Braxton Sampson added his first collegiate sack on Saturday afternoon.

Postgame Press Conference

 
Up Next
Indiana State opens Missouri Valley Football play next Saturday as the Sycamores travel to Youngstown, Ohio, to take on Youngstown State University. Kickoff at Stambaugh Stadium is set for 2 p.m. ET with the game set to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 
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