TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State football returns to Memorial Stadium for the final two home games of the 2026 season starting on Saturday, November 7, as the Sycamores take on Southern Illinois in Missouri Valley Football play. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET and will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 

Football vs. Southern Illinois
Date	Saturday, November 7 | 6:02 p.m. ET
Location | Venue | Weather	Terre Haute, Ind. | Memorial Stadium (Capacity 12,764) | Weather | Radar
Preview Information	Indiana State Notes
Live Stats	Live Stat Feed
Watch | Listen	ESPN+ | 105.5 WVIG
Gates	Gates Open at 5 p.m. ET (60 minutes prior to Kickoff)
Series History	61st Meeting All-Time (Southern Illinois leads 31-29)
Social Media	@IndStFB | @IndStAthletics

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 5 p.m.
Memorial Stadium Games will open one hour prior to kickoff this weekend.
 
Kids Get In Free
Kids can get in free at all home Indiana State football games in the 2026 season.
 
Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day
Indiana State Athletics will hold its annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night against Southern Illinois. All Indiana State Faculty and Staff will be able to receive two (2) free tickets with valid ID at the Memorial Stadium box office.
 
Game Day Sponsor – Hamilton Center
Hamilton Center is Saturday's Game Day Sponsor. Hamilton Center, Inc. is a not-for-profit regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, IN. Hamilton Center has been building hope and changing lives, for thousands of adults, children, and families in the Wabash Valley and beyond since 1971. Our offices are designed to be convenient, private and confidential, reducing the barriers sometimes associated with seeking psychological and mental health treatment. For more information, click here.
 
Game Preview
About the Matchup
Saturday evening's game features the 61st meeting all-time between Indiana State and Southern Illinois in the two programs' respective histories dating back to the inaugural contest in 1944. SIU leads the all-time series, 31-29, and enters the contest on a one-game winning streak dating back to last season's 55-27 victory in Carbondale.
 
The Sycamores hold the all-time 16-15 edge on games played in Terre Haute, including the Oct. 26, 2024, 20-17 victory over the Salukis. The win at Memorial Stadium ended a three-game home losing streak to SIU and marked the second time Indiana State had topped the Salukis in the Curt Mallory era.
 
Southern Illinois has won four of the last five games in the series matchup against the Sycamores dating back to 2019, with the teams at an even 5-5 split over the last 10 contests.
 
Last Five Games

• Nov. 2, 2019 – Southern Illinois (L, 23-14)
• Nov. 13, 2021 – Southern Illinois (L, 47-21)
• Nov. 18, 2023 – at Southern Illinois (L, 38-9)
• Oct. 26, 2024 – Southern Illinois (W, 20-17)
• Oct. 4, 2025 – at Southern Illinois (L, 55-27)

Last Time They Met
Nick Osho broke loose for the first 200-yard rushing game of his collegiate career highlighting a 322-yard rushing attack for the Indiana State offense in the Sycamores' 55-27 loss to No. 10/11 Southern Illinois on on Oct. 4, 2025, in Saluki Stadium.
 
Osho, who scored on 39-yard and 66-yard rushing touchdowns on the evening, totaled new career-highs in carries (28) and rushing yards (211), while adding his second consecutive multi-touchdown rushing effort to lead the Indiana State offense. Keegan Patterson and Brock Riddle both added quarterback keeper touchdown runs on the game as all four Indiana State scores came on the ground.
 
Southern Illinois jumped ahead 21-0 in the first quarter as DJ Williams targeted Jay Jones for a 20-yard touchdown pass, while Chandler Chapman added a 39-yard score on the first two SIU possessions. Williams took it himself on a one-yard touchdown plunge to give SIU the three-touchdown lead eight minutes into the game.
 
The Sycamores fought back on Patterson's nine-yard rushing touchdown on an 11-play, 75-yard drive highlighted by a 20-yard Osho carry, while Patterson found Bryan Domino for an 18-yard reception near midfield. Osho added his first touchdown run late midway through the second quarter on a 39-yard run answering an 83-yard touchdown pass from SIU's Williams to Vinson Davis III.
 
Southern Illinois went up 38-14 just before the halftime break on Williams' second rushing touchdown of the game. Osho and Riddle added touchdowns for the Sycamores in the second half, but Indiana State was unable to mount a comeback in the Missouri Valley Football loss.
 
Against the Missouri Valley Football Conference
Indiana State enters the weekend with an 87-163-2 all-time record against current members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference heading into the Saturday contest against Southern Illinois.
 
Sycamores in the FCS Top 30 Statistical Leaderboards
Through the first 10 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

• 16th – Passing Offense (271.0)
• 17th – Passing Yards Per Completion (13.55)
• 26th – Net Punting (38.45)
• 29th – Blocked Kicks (2) 

Individual Rankings

• 3rd – Punting (Spencer Conrad – 46.1)
• 15th – Receiving Yards (Jayden Reed – 696)
• 21st – Total Tackles (Braxton Sampson (9.1)
• 23rd – Receiving Yards Per game (Jayden Reed – 77.3)
• 28th – Yards Per Reception (BJ Wuest – 17.58)
• 33rd – Receptions Per Game (Jayden Reed – 5.33) 

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) 

300 Passing Yards, 100 Rushing Yards
Indiana State quarterback Elijah Owens recorded the Sycamores' first 300-yard passing game of the 2026 season this past weekend against Northern Iowa and followed up with his fourth 100-yard rushing efforts. His efforts marked the first time an Indiana State quarterback threw for at least 300 yards and rushed for at least 100 yards in the same game in program history, according to current records on hand.
 
It marked the Sycamores first 300-yard passing game since Keegan Patterson recorded back-to-back 300-yard games to end the 2025 season against both Youngstown State (319 – Nov. 15, 2025) and Murray State (314 – Nov. 22, 2025). Owens owns the last four 100-yard rushing efforts by a Sycamore quarterback with Ryan Boyle's 187-yard game against South Dakota (Nov. 3, 2018) the last QB prior to Owens to achieve the feat.
 
Last Five Times Indiana State Quarterbacks Threw for 300 Yards

• Oct. 31, 2026 – Elijah Owens at Northern Iowa (27-of-47, 313 yards)
• Nov. 22, 2025 – Keegan Patterson vs. Murray State (17-of-28, 314 yards)
• Nov. 15, 2025 – Keegan Patterson at Youngstown State (15-of-24, 319 yards)
• Oct. 15, 2022 – Cade Chambers at Youngstown State (15-of-29, 311 yards)
• Oct. 27, 2018 – Ryan Boyle at Youngstown State (17-of-28, 325 yards)

Last Five Times Indiana State Quarterbacks Ran for 100 Yards

• Oct. 31, 2026 – Elijah Owens at Northern Iowa (24 carries, 122 yards)
• Nov. 23, 2024 – Elijah Owens at Northern Iowa (20 carries, 107 yards)
• Oct. 26, 2024 – Elijah Owens at Northern Iowa (15 carries, 119 yards)
• Oct. 5, 2024 – Elijah Owens at Youngstown State (25 carries, 127 yards)
• Nov. 3, 2018 – Ryan Boyle vs. South Dakota (18 carries, 187 yards)

Setting the First Down Mark
The Indiana State offense continues a season of highs in the 2026 season as the Sycamores set a new Curt Mallory era mark with 31 first downs in Saturday afternoon's contest against Northern Iowa. It marked just the second time the Sycamores have recorded at least 30 first downs in a single game dating back to 2017 with the previous high of 30 coming on September 30, 2023, at Murray State.
 
The Mallory Era Offensive Top Fives in 2026

• Rushing Attempts – 58 vs. SEMO (Aug. 29, 2026 – Second-Most)
• Passes Completed – 27 at UNI (Oct. 31, 2026 – Second-Most), 25 at Illinois State (Oct. 24, 2026 – Fourth-Most)
• Passes Attempted – 47 at UNI (Oct. 31, 2026 – Most), 45 at Illinois State (Oct. 24, 2026 – Second-Most)
• Passing Touchdowns – 4 vs. North Dakota (Sept. 26, 2026 – Second-Most)
• Total Offense Yards – 568 vs. Valparaiso (Sept. 19, 2026 – Second-Most)
• First Downs – 31 at UNI (Oct. 31, 2026 – Most)

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 16 games. The Sycamores recording passing scores in each of the last seven games of the 2025 season, while adding touchdowns in the first nine 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 16 consecutive games with a passing touchdown is the longest streak by the Sycamores in recent history.
 
First Starts in 2026
Over the first nine 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)
• First Start Against Northern Iowa – Robert Beasley (DL)

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.