TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State fought their way back against No. 23/RV South Dakota on Saturday afternoon in the Sycamores' annual Homecoming Game, but the Coyotes were able to run out the clock in securing the 19-14 win at Memorial Stadium.
 
The Sycamores (2-4, 0-2) pulled back within one score with 4:39 left in the fourth quarter as running back Nick Osho secured a one-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Brock Riddle pulling Indiana State back within one touchdown. The scoring drive was aided by a 21-yard completion from Riddle to Keshon Singleton that put the Sycamores inside the 10-yard line, while Deion Brown added a 13-yard carry on his first touch of the game.
 
The Indiana State defense forced a three-and-out on the following South Dakota (4-3, 2-1) drive with Mason Knipp making the key stop on 3rd-and-4 at the Yotes' 31 with a tackle-for-loss forcing a punt and giving the Sycamores the chance for the go-ahead drive.
 
The Sycamores last chance started near midfield following a short USD punt with Brown taking the first carry up the middle moving the ball to the INS 48. After back-to-back passes to Torey French set up a 4th-and-long, the Yotes' defense held strong with Nate Ewell breaking up the first-down pass intended for Osho and allowing South Dakota to run out the clock.
 
The Yotes dominated the possession battle on the game holding onto the ball for 45:21 in the game, compared to the Sycamores' 14:39. South Dakota utilized four Will Leyland field goals (32, 26, 23, 42) to end scoring drives of 9:36, 3:04, 6:42, and 6:11, while their 10-play, 57-yard second quarter scoring drive was capped by L.J. Phillips Jr.'s one-yard touchdown run as the Yotes kept control of the game offensively.
 
South Dakota overall ran 77 offensive plays for 376 yards on the game, including utilizing NCAA FCS-leading rusher Phillips Jr. posting 34 carries for 187 yards and a touchdown. The Sycamores were limited to just 19 offensive plays heading into the fourth quarter, utilizing the big play with a 57-yard touchdown pass from Riddle to Keshon Singleton, while Osho and Brown broke loose for double-digit yard carries in moving the ball.
 
Osho saw his 100-yard game streak come to an end on Saturday afternoon as the redshirt junior running back recorded 12 carries for 71 yards. He added four receptions for seven yards and a touchdown, marking his third consecutive game with a score.
 
Riddle was 13-of-23 through the air in his first collegiate start for 125 yards and two touchdowns. The redshirt freshman quarterback targeted both Singleton and Osho for his first two scoring passes with Singleton hauling in two passes for a game-high 78 yards, while French (three catches, 21 receptions) and Zack Drawdy Jr. (three catches, 19 yards) both had multi-catch games.
 
Lucas McAllister returned to the field with a career-high 12 tackles, including 3.0 tackles-for-loss as the Sycamores continually attacked one of the best offensive lines in the FCS on the afternoon. Kimal Clark and Ahmond Glass both finished with 10 tackles apiece, while Dallas Westhoff recorded a season-high eight stops in his first start of the season. Overall, the Sycamores recorded four total sacks and 11 tackles-for-loss on the day.
 
Phillips Jr. led South Dakota with a game-high 34 carries for 187 yards and a touchdown in the win. Aidan Bouman finished 16-of-25 through the air for 186 yards, while Jack Martens finished with a team-high five receptions for 77 yards.
 
Gabriel Hardman recorded a team-high seven tackles and a tackle-for-loss, while Roman Tillmon added six stops on the day. Nate Ewell finished with three of the team's five pass breakups.
 
News & Notes

• The Indiana State defensive unit took on one of the toughest offensive lines in the country and held their own on Saturday afternoon against South Dakota.
• USD entered the weekend allowing just four sacks through their first six games. The Sycamores recorded four sacks on Saturday afternoon with Mason Knipp, Bryce Patterson, Nathan Gonzales, and Jayden Childers all taking down the quarterback.
• The Yotes' offensive line also entered allowing an average of 2.83 tackles for loss per game allowing just 17 on the season. Indiana State nearly matched that total on Saturday with 11.0 TFLs, led by Lucas McAllister's career-high 3.0 in the game.
• The 45:21-14:39 time of possession disparity in favor of South Dakota marked the largest margin between the Sycamores and another team in the category.
• One game after Brock Riddle recorded his first collegiate rushing touchdown, he added the first two passing touchdowns of his collegiate career, becoming the third Indiana State quarterback in the 2025 season with multiple touchdowns on the season.
• Nick Osho's receiving touchdown marked his first catch for a score this season and gives him a team-high seven touchdowns in the 2025 season to lead the Sycamores in the scoring category. He has scored at least one touchdown in five of the six games in the 2025 season.
• Lucas McAllister's 12-tackle game marked his first double-digit tackling effort of the 2025 season and Indiana State's sixth in the category on the year.

Team Green Law Postgame Presser

 
Up Next
Indiana State remains home next weekend as the Sycamores welcome North Dakota State to Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 18. Kickoff between the Sycamores and the Bison is set for 1 p.m. ET and will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 
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