TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State football is back at Memorial Stadium for the Sycamores' 2026 Homecoming Game as No. 9/8 Youngstown State comes into town for the Missouri Valley Football matchup. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET and will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Tickets & Tailgating
Tailgating and Clear Bag Policies
Indiana State Athletics tailgating and 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.
Tailgating Policies |
Clear Bag Policy
Game Day Activities and Promotions
Gates Open at 11:30 a.m.
Memorial Stadium Games will open one hour prior to kickoff this season with the exception of Homecoming (90 minutes prior).
Honorary Captain
Indiana State Athletics welcomes back Sycamore Football alum and former NFL safety Vencie Glen to campus for the coin toss prior to kickoff.
Homecoming Activities
Indiana State Homecoming events are in full swing throughout the week.
Click the link here:
https://indianastate.edu/homecoming for more information.
Mascot Relay Race
Sycamore Sam will be joined by the Chick-Fil-A Cow, Dentistry Just For Kids' Miles, Texas Roadhouse's Andy Armadillo, Culver's Scoopie, and McDonald's Grimace for a Mascot Relay Race on the field as a part of the in-game entertainment.
Blue Out
Indiana State Football and Sycamore Athletics is hosting a Blue Out at Saturday's game as the team will wear their all-blue uniform set against Youngstown State. Fans are invited to wear blue for the game in support of the team!
Game Day Sponsor – Refreshment Services Pepsi
Refreshment Services, Inc is a privately-held independent bottler for Pepsi-Cola products. With seven distribution centers located across the central and southern parts of the United States, Refreshment Services Inc. is the premier distributor for Pepsi and other brands of beverages and snacks.
To find out more, click the link
here.
Game Preview
About the Matchup
Saturday afternoon's game features the 36th meeting all-time between Indiana State and Youngstown State in the two programs' respective histories dating back to the 1988 season. Youngstown State leads the all-time series, 27-8, and enters the weekend on a four-game winning streak against the Sycamores dating back to 2021.
Indiana State's last win against the Penguins came at home on October 23, 2021, which also doubled as the Sycamores' Homecoming Game. Peterson Kerlegrand and Anthony Thompson combined for four rushing touchdowns and the Indiana State defense recorded four interceptions in the fourth quarter as the Sycamores topped visiting Youngstown State, 28-17.
Since then, Youngstown State has hosted three of the last four meetings, including last season's 48-29 win on November 15, 2025, at Stambaugh Stadium.
Last Five Contests
- Oct. 23, 2021 – Youngstown State (W, 28-17)
- Oct. 15, 2022 – at Youngstown State (L, 48-42)
- Nov. 4, 2023 – Youngstown State (L, 19-7)
- Oct. 5, 2024 – at Youngstown State (L, 21-14)
- Nov. 15, 2025 – at Youngstown State (L, 48-29)
Last Season's Recap
Indiana State was unable to keep pace with No. 19/20 Youngstown State despite a career game from senior wide receiver
Rashad Rochelle as the Sycamores fell to the Penguins inside Stambaugh Stadium, 48-29, on November 15, 2025.
Rochelle sparked the Sycamore offense in the first half with three catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns, scoring from 11 yards, 78 yards, and 74 yards, as Indiana State battled Youngstown State over the first 30 minutes. Rochelle finished up with a career-high 224 yards on six receptions with the three first-half touchdowns, marking the most receiving yards by an Indiana State player since Bob Pugh recorded 260 yards back in 2017 against Liberty.
Nick Osho added his team-leading eighth rushing touchdown of the season with a two-yard plunge in the second quarter as Indiana State kept it close against the Penguins, trailing just 31-26 at the break.
The Penguins took control of the game in the second half with quarterback Beau Brungard connecting with tight end Austin Bray on a pair of short touchdown passes, while Andrew Lastovka converted a 42-yard field goal late as Youngstown State outscored Indiana State 17-3 over the second half to secure the MVFC win.
Keegan Patterson recorded the first 300-yard passing game of his collegiate career finishing 15-of-24 for 319 yards and three touchdowns, while adding an interception. Rochelle did a majority of the damage through the air, while KeShon Singleton added five catches for 75 yards.
Nick Osho added 15 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown, while
Deion Brown finished with nine carries for 69 yards.
Kimal Clark paced Indiana State's defense with 10 tackles, 1.0 sacks, and 2.5 tackles-for-loss in the ninth double-digit tackling game of the 2025 season.
Xavian Andrews added nine tackles with
Alex Rose contributing a sack and 2.0 TFLs.
Against the Missouri Valley Football Conference
Indiana State enters the weekend with an 87-160-2 all-time record against current members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference heading into the Saturday matchup against Youngstown State.
Against Ranked Opponents
Indiana State heads into the gauntlet of their season as the Sycamores are in game two of a six-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
- Oct. 24 – at No. 13/12 Illinois State
- Oct. 31 – at -/RV Northern Iowa
- Nov. 7 – vs. RV/25 Southern Illinois
- Nov. 21 – at No. 1/1 South Dakota State
Sycamores in the FCS Top 25 Statistical Leaderboards
Through the first six 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 individual categories.
Team Rankings
- 7th – Red Zone Offense (0.944)
- 12th – Blocked Kicks (2)
- 12th – Team Sacks (2.67)
- 13th – Passing Yards per Completion (14.33)
- 25th – Team Tackles for Loss (6.2)
- 26th – Passing Offense (258.0)
- 26th – Rushing Defense (125.0)
- 27th – Team Passing Efficiency (146.67)
- 29th – Fewest Penalties per Game (5.33)
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 fifth weekly honor over the last three games.
Jayden Reed joined the group following his eight-catch, 129-yard, two-touchdown game against North Dakota to earn MVFC Newcomer of the Week honors.
Sycamore MVFC Players of the Week
Big Play Receiving Threats
Six 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 11 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 three 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)
- 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 Youngstown State with at least one passing touchdown in each of the last 11 games. The Sycamores recording passing scores in each of the last five games of the 2025 season, while adding touchdowns in the first six 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 11 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, 2025.
First Starts in 2026
Over the first five 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)
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.
