TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State returns home this weekend as the Sycamores continue their stretch of playing nationally-ranked opponents by hosting No. 17/16 Illinois State at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 8. Kickoff between the Sycamores and the Redbirds is set for 1 p.m. ET and will be carried live on 105.5 The Legend.
Game Day Activities and Promotions
Koozie Giveaway Giveaway
The first 500 fans inside the gates in Saturday's game will receive a themed koozie sponsored by Jersey Mike's.
$500 Field Goal Attempt
One lucky fan will have the opportunity to convert a field goal attempt to win $500, provided by supporters of the Indiana State football tight ends. The field goal attempt will occur between the first and second quarters, with the fan chosen at random at the game.
Honorary Game Captain
Terre Haute mayor and former Army Ranger captain Brandon Sakbun will serve as the special guest for the pregame coin toss on Saturday afternoon against Illinois State. Mayor Sakbun was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 2018, serving nearly five years on active duty. His military career included two deployments with the elite 75th Ranger Regiment and the rank of Captain. Following this, he transitioned to the Indiana National Guard.
Clear Bag Policy
Indiana State Athletics clear bag policies are in effect for the 2025-26 athletic year. The policies are consistent with other members in both the Missouri Valley Conference and Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Game Day Sponsor
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Notes
About the Matchup
Illinois State leads the all-time series 40-32-2 and have won each of the last three contests between the two programs, including last year's 31-19 victory inside Memorial Stadium on November 16, 2024. The Redbirds have won seven of the last 10 contests dating back to the 2014 season and 15 of the last 20 dating back to the 2004 season.
The Sycamores picked up their last win against the Redbirds in the 2021 season finale in Bloomington, Ind. when Indiana State topped Illinois State 15-10 inside Hancock Stadium. The Indiana State win featured a pair of Kurtis Wilderman rushing touchdowns, while the Sycamore defense featured a
JJ Henderson (current Indiana State cornerback coach) interception in limiting Illinois State to just 10 points in the win.
Indiana State picked up their last win at home against Illinois State back in the 2018 season, topping the No. 22-ranked Redbirds 28-23 thanks in part to a pair of Titus McCoy rushing touchdowns, while quarterback Ryan Boyle connected on touchdown passes to Dakota Caton and Dante Jones II in the win.
Last Time Against Illinois State
Indiana State scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, but the Sycamores were unable to overcome the second-half deficit on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in falling to the Redbirds, 31-19, last season inside Memorial Stadium.
The Sycamores rallied back from a 31-7 deficit as quarterback
Elijah Owens targeted both
Zavion Taylor (18-yard TD) and
Rashad Rochelle (six-yard TD) for touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to pace a furious Indiana State comeback late.
Joey Shew added a blocked field goal for the Sycamore defense, but a late onside kick attempt was corralled by the Redbirds to end the Indiana State comeback attempt.
Owens finished 22-of-32 through the air for 213 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 20 carries for 64 yards and a rushing touchdown in leading the Indiana State offense on the day. Rochelle hauled in 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, while Shen Butler Lawson contributed 54 rushing yards and 45 receiving yards in the loss.
Geoffrey Brown finished with a team-high 10 tackles to lead the Sycamore defense, while
Maddix Blackwell and
Garret Ollendieck added nine tackles apiece for the Sycamores. Ollendieck added 0.5 tackles-for-loss in his first action back on the field, while
Ahmond Glass,
Tony Roberts, and
Lucas McAllister combined for five pass breakups.
Recapping Last Weekend
Indiana State football was named Stan Becton's NCAA FCS Team of the Week following the Sycamores' 24-12 win over then No. 4/5 South Dakota State this past weekend in Brookings, S.D. The win by the Sycamores over the Jackrabbits marked Indiana State's first win against a top five opponent since the 2012 season and first win over SDSU since 2011 as the Sycamores snapped a number of streaks over the weekend.
Indiana State's win over SDSU marked their first win over a top five opponent since the Sycamores topped then-No. 1 North Dakota State back in the 2012 season, 17-14, inside the Fargo Dome in Fargo, N.D. It also snapped a 16-game MVFC road losing streak that dated back to November 12, 2022, in Indiana State's 21-0 victory over Western Illinois.
Rashad Rochelle returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown highlighting a three-touchdown day, and the Sycamore defense forced three turnovers as Indiana State topped No. 4/5 South Dakota State at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, 24-12.
Rochelle scored on the 95-yard kickoff return and added touchdown receptions of 14 and 57 yards as the senior wide receiver recorded 179 total all-purpose yards, while quarterback
Keegan Patterson was 15-of-25 through the air for 188 yards and two touchdown passes in leading the Sycamore offense.
Kimal Clark (15) and
Nic Yatsko (14) led Indiana State's tackling efforts defensively, with
Jorge Valdes and
CJ Davis coming through with interceptions in the win.
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. 4/5 South Dakota State, and No. 8/10 North Dakota, as well as Top 25 opponents Southern Illinois, Illinois State, Montana, and Youngstown State.
Saturday's win over then-No. 4/5 South Dakota State snapped a seven-game losing streak against ranked opponents dating back to the 2024 game against then-No. 15/15 North Dakota, when the Sycamores topped the Fighting Hawks 35-31 on November 2, 2024. It marked Indiana State's third ranked win in the Mallory era, joining last season's win over No.15/15 North Dakota and the 28-23 win in 2019 against No. 22 Illinois State on November 9, 2019.
The Sycamores are 2-8 in their last 10 games against ranked opponents dating back to the 2022 season with No. 17/16 Illinois State and No. 21/22 Youngstown State still on the schedule in 2025.
Scouting Illinois State
Illinois State heads into the weekend contest sitting No. 17/16 in the STATS FCS and AFCA Coaches polls as announced by the ranking organizations on Monday morning. The Redbirds sit 6-3 overall, 3-2 in MVFC play following their 31-16 win over Northern Iowa this past Saturday in Normal, Ill.
Illinois State sits in a three-way tie for fourth in the MVFC standings with three weeks to play in the regular season. The Redbirds picked up wins over Murray State, South Dakota, and Northern Iowa in Valley competition, while falling at home to both North Dakota State (Oct. 4, 33-16) and Youngstown State (Oct. 18, 40-35). The Redbirds remain in the hunt to host a potential FCS first-round playoff game with contests against Indiana State, South Dakota State, and Southern Illinois still on the schedule.
The Illinois State passing attack is led by MVFC receiving touchdown leader Daniel Sobkowicz (7), while quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse sits among the national leaders in passing touchdowns (seventh) with 21 on the year.
Illinois State features a pair of 500-yard running backs this season with Wenkers Wright (529) and Victor Dawson (500) both averaging over 50 rushing yards per game. Wright has a team-high five rushing touchdowns, while Dawson has added two scores and leads the team in averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
The Redbirds' rushing success has contributed to Rittenhouse sitting among the safest quarterbacks in the FCS allowing just 1.22 sacks per game and 4.00 tackles-for-loss per game. Illinois State sits 45th in FCS in rushing offense (169.1) and 33rd overall in scoring offense (30.3).
Defensively, linebacker Tye Niekamp returns to the field and leads Illinois State with 84 tackles and 8.0 TFL on the season. Reese Edwards leads the team with 6.0 sacks and three quarterback hurries, while Garret Steffen has added 5.5 sacks and 3.0 sacks. Shadwel Nkuba II is among the Valley and national leaders with four interceptions.
MVFC Players of the Week
Indiana State's
Rashad Rochelle (Offensive) and
Nic Yatsko (Newcomer) became the sixth and seventh Sycamores to receive conference weekly honors this season following their performances this past Saturday in the 24-12 win over South Dakota State.
Rochelle sparked the Sycamores after returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to put Indiana State up early in Brookings. He added four receptions for 84 yards with scores of 17 and 57 yards to propel the Sycamores to their first win over SDSU since 2011 and the Sycamores' first top five win since 2012. Yatsko made his presence felt with a career-high 14 tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery on an SDSU fake punt in the first quarter to keep momentum squarely on Indiana State's side.
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)
November 3 –
Rashad Rochelle (Offensive),
Nic Yatsko (Newcomer)
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.
