TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State is back on the road this weekend as the Sycamores head north to the Alerus Center for a Saturday afternoon contest at No. 8/10 North Dakota. Kickoff between the teams is set for 4 p.m. ET and will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Notes
About the Matchup
North Dakota leads the all-time series with the 2-1 advantage over the Sycamores dating back to the teams' inaugural matchup in the 2022 season. The Fighting Hawks joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference prior to the 2020 season following stints in both the Great West and Big Sky Conferences.
The Sycamores are 0-1 all-time in Grand Forks, N.D. following their first trip to North Dakota in the 2023 season. Indiana State fell in overtime to UND, 36-33, in a back-and-forth affair on October 28, 2023, as North Dakota overcame a fourth-quarter comeback from the Sycamores.
Elijah Owens led three separate touchdown drives over the span of 5:59 in the comeback highlighted by a pair of Justin Dinka touchdown runs, while Lucas Hunter's interception sparked the Indiana State defense before the late UND field goal.
The last two games in the series have featured one-possession scoring decisions with UND winning 36-33 in 2023, while Indiana State claimed the 35-31 victory over then-No. 15 North Dakota last season on November 2, 2024.
Last Time Against North Dakota
Plez Lawrence scored the go-ahead touchdown with 5:20 left in the third quarter and
Joey Shew,
Geoffrey Brown,
Maddix Blackwell, and the Indiana State defense made the score stand up in the second half as the Sycamores took down No. 15/15 North Dakota, 35-31, on November 2, 2024.
The Sycamore running back was dominant from the start for Indiana State as the redshirt sophomore finished with a combined 139 yards on 15 offensive touches on Saturday afternoon. He posted 14 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown, while adding one catch for 39 yards and a second score.
Shen Butler-Lawson added 13 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown as the Sycamores racked up 227 yards on the ground.
Rashad Rochelle added six catches for 72 yards and a score in the win.
Defensively,
Joey Shew opened the scoring with a 20-yard pick-six 34 seconds into the game. He finished with six tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks, and a forced fumble, while
Geoffrey Brown added a career-high 19 tackles in the game.
Sycamores Against Ranked Opponents
Indiana State football is no stranger to facing ranked opponents as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Sycamores are currently slated to face eight teams currently ranked or receiving votes in both major FCS national polls, including the current No. 1 overall North Dakota State Bison, No. 2 South Dakota State, as well as Top 25 opponents Southern Illinois, Illinois State, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Youngstown State.
The Sycamores are 1-9 in their last 10 games against ranked opponents dating back to the 2022 season. Indiana State recorded their last win against a ranked opponent last season at home when the Sycamores topped then-No. 15 North Dakota on November 2, 2024, 35-31.
Scouting North Dakota
North Dakota heads into the weekend sitting No. 8/10 in the STATS FCS and AFCA Coaches polls as announced by the organizations on Monday morning. The Fighting Hawks enter with a 5-2 record for the season, 3-0 in MVFC play following their 38-19 win this past weekend against then-No. 12 Southern Illinois in Carbondale, 38-19.
The Fighting Hawks also lined up against Montana this fall as a part of the MVFC-Big Sky Challenge with North Dakota taking the Griz to the limit in Missoula, 24-23. UND led for over 50 minutes of game time with quarterback Jerry Kaminski throwing for 258 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 85 rushing yards in the game. Antonio Bluiett had a pair of interceptions for UND in the loss.
North Dakota features another balanced team approach to the field with the Hawks sitting 10th in FCS in scoring offense (39.1 ppg) and 15th in scoring defense (18.9 ppg). UND is 12th overall in rushing offense (217.0 ypg), while sitting sixth in rushing defense (93.1 ypg).
Kaminski is one of the nation's most efficient passers on the season sitting fourth in the FCS in passing touchdowns (18) and 25th in passing efficiency (152.3), while sitting fifth in the country in points responsible for (132). Wide receiver BJ Fleming has been his favorite target averaging 65.1 receiving yards per game, while running back Sawyer Seidl is eighth in FCS in total touchdowns with 10.
North Dakota's defense has been opportunistic at the point of attack sitting 22nd in FCS in team sacks (2.43) and 11th in turnover margin (+0.86), while sitting 28th overall in turnovers gained (11). Senior linebacker Malachi McNeal leads the North Dakota defense with 47 tackles, while adding three pass breakups and three quarterback hurries. Lance Rucker paces the Fighting Hawks with 7.0 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks.
Sycamores On the Road (2025 edition)
Indiana State football closes out a nearly 4,000-mile road trip that encompassed three states as the Sycamores travel to Carbondale, Ill. this upcoming weekend. The Sycamores' 2025 schedule is slightly unique with Indiana State traveling to six different states on the year without any repeat ventures heading to Indiana, Montana, Southern Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota State, and Youngstown State. Overall, Indiana State will make three flights in the 2025 season and will span 8,118 total miles over the course of the year.
2025 Road Trips (Miles Traveled)
Sept. 12 – Indiana State at Indiana (113 miles)
Sept. 20 - Indiana State at Montana (3,420 miles)
Oct. 4 – Indiana State at Southern Illinois (386 miles)
Oct. 25 – Indiana State at North Dakota (1,828 miles)
Nov. 2 – Indiana State at South Dakota State (1,529 miles)
Nov. 16 – Indiana State at Youngstown State (842 miles)
MVFC Players of the Week
Indiana State's
Kimal Clark (Newcomer) became the fifth Indiana State player to receive conference weekly honors this season following his performance this past Saturday against North Dakota State. It marked the Sycamores' second Newcomer of the Week nod this year.
Clark led the Sycamores' defense with a season-high 15-tackle game this past weekend against North Dakota State, adding 0.5 tackles-for-loss in the contest against the Bison. The Lackawanna, N.Y. native is currently second in the MVFC in both total tackles (73) and tackles per game (10.43) through the first seven games of the season.
Indiana State 2025 MVFC Players of the Week
September 1 –
Plez Lawrence (Offensive),
Sebastian Lopez (Special Teams)
September 8 –
Logan Wilson (Defensive),
Larry Stephens III (Newcomer)
October 20 –
Kimal Clark (Newcomer)
Scoring In Bunches
Indiana State running back
Nick Osho is on a scoring tear over the 2025 season as the redshirt junior paces the Sycamores with a team-high eight touchdowns (seven rushing, one receiving) on the year. He has scored at least one touchdown in each of the last four games and has found the end zone in six of the seven contests on the year, including back-to-back two rushing touchdown games against Montana (Sept. 20) and Southern Illinois (Oct. 4).
Osho's stretch is reminiscent of the 2018 stretch from Ja'Quan Keys where the senior running back scored rushing touchdowns in five of the Sycamores first seven games, finding the end zone a team-high 13 times over the season.
The Sycamore running back currently leads the MVFC in yards per carry at 7.39, while his seven rushing touchdowns sit third among Valley running backs on the year trailing just South Dakota's L.J. Phillips Jr (11) and North Dakota State's Barika Kpeenu (11).
2025 Indiana State Single Game On Sale Now
Indiana State single game tickets went on sale in mid-July starting at $15 for adults, $5 for kids, and group rates of $5 for 15+ attendees. Single game rates are higher for the 2025 Homecoming Game against South Dakota on October 11 with prices rising to $18 for adults, $8 for kids, and a group rate of $8.
Indiana State will employ mobile ticketing as the default option for all home games during the 2024 football season, enabling contactless entry into athletics venues. Offering greater convenience and safety, fans can access their ticket online and transfer to family and friends. Fans will also have the option to get their tickets printed for an additional $5 charge.
For more information on season tickets, fans can call 812-237-8972 or email
ISU-Tickets@indstate.edu. Fans have the opportunity to also buy or renew season tickets online by clicking
HERE.
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.
