TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State football continues on the road this weekend as the Sycamores head to RV Northern Iowa to continue Missouri Valley Football play on Saturday, October 31. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET and will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Game Preview
About the Matchup
Saturday afternoon's game features the 41st meeting all-time between Indiana State and Northern Iowa in the two programs' respective histories dating back to the inaugural contest in 1983. Northern Iowa leads the all-time series, 34-6, and enters the weekend on an eight-game winning streak in the series dating back to 2015.
The Sycamores have picked up two wins in Cedar Falls in the all-time series against the Panthers coming in both the 1988 and the 2002 seasons. The Sycamores and UNI are back on each other's schedule following a hiatus last season due to the MVFC schedule. The teams both went back on the 2026 schedule following North Dakota State's departure to the Mountain West Conference in football.
Last Five Contests
- Nov. 20, 2021 – at Illinois State (W, 15-10)
- Oct. 22, 2022 – Illinois State (L, 27-21)
- Oct. 14, 2023 – at Illinois State (L, 44-7)
- Nov. 16, 2024 – Illinois State (L, 31-19)
- Nov. 8, 2025 – Illinois State (L, 52-20)
Last Time They Met
The last time these two teams met, the Sycamores fell on the road inside the UNI Dome on November 23, 2024, 41-34, in an explosive back-and-forth offensive game.
The Sycamores trailed UNI 34-17 midway through the third quarter as Northern Iowa took advantage of Tye Edwards' 229 rushing yards and three Sergio Morancy touchdowns to build the lead in the MVFC season finale for both squads. A lucky bounce on an
Elijah Owens throw near midfield ended in the hands of Kevin Barnett for a 73-yard touchdown completion, while Shen Butler-Lawson scored on a 68-yard touchdown run to narrow the gap to 34-31 with under five minutes to play.
UNI scored late on a Sergio Morancy touchdown reception to stretch the lead back out and the Panthers' offense utilized a late Indiana State penalty to run out the clock in the conference win.
Elijah Owens finished 14-of-20 through the air for 168 yards and a touchdown. He added his third 100-yard rushing contest of the season with 107 yards and two scores on 20 carries to lead an Indiana State offense that posted 273 total rushing yards.
Geoffrey Brown led all players with a game-high 10 tackles to go with 2.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sacks. JP Osafo added eight stops and a career-high 1.5 TFLs, while Maddix Blackwell and Kaleal Davis both had seven tackles.
Against the Missouri Valley Football Conference
Indiana State enters the weekend with an 87-162-2 all-time record against current members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference heading into the Saturday matchup against Northern Iowa.
Against Ranked Opponents
Indiana State heads into the gauntlet of their season as the Sycamores are in game four of a five-game stretch featuring games against teams that are either ranked or receiving votes in the two major FCS polls (STATS FCS, AFCA).
The Sycamores are 1-9 in their last 10 games against ranked opponents dating back to just last season after facing eight ranked opponents in 2025. Indiana State's last win against a ranked FCS opponent came on Nov. 1, 2025, as the Sycamores topped then-No. 4/5 South Dakota State in Brookings, S.D., 24-12.
Ranked Opponents on Schedule
- Sept. 26 – vs. No. 8/7 North Dakota (L, 42-35)
- Oct. 3 – at No. 16/13 South Dakota (L, 44-14)
- Oct. 10 – vs. No. 9/8 Youngstown State (L, 57-24)
- Oct. 24 – at No. 10/10 Illinois State (L, 17-10)
- Oct. 31 – at RV Northern Iowa
- Nov. 21 – at No. 5/5 South Dakota State
Sycamores in the FCS Top 30 Statistical Leaderboards
Through the first nine weeks of the 2026 season, the Sycamores are making their mark on the NCAA FCS statistical standings sitting inside the Top 30 in multiple team and Top 35 in multiple individual categories.
Team Rankings
- 11th – Passing Yards Per Completion (13.90)
- 14th – Fewest Penalties per Game (5.00)
- 18th – Passing Offense 9265.8)
- 22nd – Fewest Penalty Yards Per Game (44.75)
- 23rd – Blocked Kicks (2)
- 23rd – Fewest Penalties (40)
- 25th – Fewest Penalty Yards (358)
- 27th – Team Passing Efficiency (142.61)
- 29th – Net Punting (38.17)
Individual Rankings
Valley Players of the Week
Indiana State football continues to receive weekly recognition from the Missouri Valley Football office as the Sycamores claimed their seventh weekly honor of the season.
Jayden Reed recorded his second MVFC Newcomer of the Week nod following his performance against Illinois State.
Sycamore MVFC Players of the Week
Big Play Receiving Threats
Eight games into the season and the big play potential from the Indiana State offense has never been more apparent with eight different Sycamores have recorded a catch of at least 40 yards this year.
Indiana State's eight different receivers with a 40-plus yard reception surpasses last season's mark of six players with 40-yard catches. The Sycamores currently have posted 12 receptions of 40 or more yards in the 2026 season after recording 13 catches of the length in 2025.
Freshman
Jayden Reed has been the primary beneficiary of the deep ball this year with a team-high four receptions of 40 or more yards, while
Torey French (2) and
BJ Wuest (2) have also posted multiple catches with the distance.
40-plus yard receptions in 2026
- 63 yards (TD) – Torey French (3rd Quarter at South Dakota)
- 63 yards – Manny Ellis (2nd Quarter vs. Valparaiso)
- 55 yards – Thomas Amankwaa (4th Quarter at Purdue)
- 55 yards – Jayden Reed (1st Quarter vs. Youngstown State)
- 50 yards – Jayden Reed (4th Quarter at South Dakota)
- 49 yards – Jayden Reed (3rd Quarter vs. North Dakota)
- 45 yards (TD) – Jayden Reed (4th Quarter at Purdue)
- 43 yards – BJ Wuest (3rd Quarter vs. SEMO)
- 43 yards – KeShon Singleton (2nd Quarter vs. North Dakota)
- 42 yards – Torey French (1st Quarter vs. SEMO)
- 42 yards (TD) – BJ Wuest (3rd Quarter at EIU)
- 41 yards – Tyler Nansel (2nd Quarter vs. Purdue)
Consecutive Games with Passing Touchdowns
Indiana State has continued to find a way to score through the air in the 2026 season and enters the weekend against Illinois State with at least one passing touchdown in each of the last 14 games. The Sycamores recording passing scores in each of the first seven games of the 2025 season, while adding touchdowns in the first seven games of 2026.
Overall, four different Sycamore quarterbacks have been involved in the streak with
Keegan Patterson and
Brock Riddle (2025) and
Elijah Owens and
Brady Allen (2026) finding a receiver in the end zone.
The 14 consecutive games with a passing touchdown is the longest streak by the Sycamores since 2014-15 when Indiana State recorded passing scores in 12 consecutive contests spanning Nov. 29, 2014, to Nov. 14, 2015.
First Starts in 2026
Over the first eight games of the 2026 season, Indiana State has featured multiple players making their initial starts in the Sycamore Blue and White.
- First Start Against SEMO - Andy Hertlein (OL), BJ Wuest (WR), Dane Pardridge (WR), Devin Johnson (DB), Mason Keifer (DL), Prinz Guitian (OL), Ashton Hayes (RB), Tyler Nansel (TE), Anthony Walk Jr. (DB).
- First Start Against Purdue – Aaron Ball (RB), Jayden Reed (WR), Justice Musser (OL), Micah McNair (LB)
- First Start Against Valparaiso – Jacob Soley (TE)
- First Start Against North Dakota – Brady Allen (QB)
- First Start against Youngstown State – Max McCool (RB), Jacek Blaszynski (OL), Xavier McIntyre (S)
- First Start Against Illinois State – Zach Coleman (DB), Arison Walker (S)
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.
