TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State football continues the 2026 season at home this weekend as the Sycamores prepare for a Family Weekend crowd at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, September 19, against Valparaiso University. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET and will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 

Football vs. Valparaiso
Date	Saturday, September 19 | 1:02 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 Noon ET (60 minutes prior to Kickoff)
Series History	34th Meeting All-Time (Valparaiso leads 20-12-1)
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
 
2026 Indiana State Football Tickets On Sale Now
For information on season tickets, fans can contact Assistant Manager of Athletic Ticketing Mason LaGrange by phone at 812-237-8972 or via email at Mason.LaGrange@indstate.edu. Fans can also call 877-ISU-TIXS or email ISU-Tickets@indstate.edu.
 
Game Day Activities and Promotions
Gates Open at Noon
Memorial Stadium Games will open one hour prior to kickoff this season with the exception of Homecoming (90 minutes prior).
 
Family Weekend
Sycamore Football welcomes friends and family of our Indiana State students for Family Weekend 2026.
 
PS We Love You
Indiana State Football will be kicking off the "PS We love you" campaign, designed to help raise money and tackle childhood cancer, taking donations outside the stadium. 
 
Game Day Sponsor – U.S. Lawns Terre Haute
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Game Preview
About the Matchup
Saturday afternoon's contest features the 34th meeting all-time between Indiana State and Valparaiso and first time the two teams have taken the field since 1968. Valparaiso currently leads the all-time series 20-12-1, but the Sycamores have won each of the last five matchups, including a 28-0 victory back on October 19, 1968, in Valparaiso.
 
The series between Indiana State and Valparaiso was a near annual matchup that spanned from 1928-1968. Valparaiso posted two separate seven game winning streaks in the series history including from 1932-1940, and 1949-1956, while Indiana State's five-game winning streak from 1964-1968 featured three wins in Terre Haute.
 
Last Five Contests

• Oct. 3, 1964 – W, 35-6 (at Terre Haute)
• Sept. 25, 1965 – W, 24-21 (at Terre Haute)
• Oct. 15, 1966 – W, 19-16 (at Valparaiso)
• Oct. 14, 1967 – W, 47-12 (at Terre Haute)
• Oct. 19, 1968 – W, 28-0 (at Valparaiso)

Against the Pioneer Conference
Indiana State has lined up against four current members of the Pioneer Football League over the Sycamores' respective program history. The Sycamores have posted an all-time record of 33-49-3 against current members of the Pioneer League.
 
Indiana State has won nine of their last 10 contests against members of the PFL, including a 24-13 victory over Dayton in the 2024 season when the Sycamores topped the Flyers on September 14, 2024, inside Memorial Stadium.
 
The Sycamores have posted a 10-25-2 record against Butler, 2-2 against Dayton, 9-2 against Drake, and 12-20-1 against Valparaiso. The series have favored Indiana State as of late against PFL teams though with the Sycamores taking their last five contests against Drake dating back to 1983, last one over Dayton in 2024, last six against Butler dating back to 1972, and last five against Valparaiso dating back to 1964.
 
Sycamores in the FCS Top 25 Statistical Leaderboards
Through the first three weeks of the 2026 season, the Sycamores are making their mark on the NCAA FCS statistical standings sitting inside the Top 40 in multiple team and Top 50 in multiple individual categories.
 
Team Rankings

• 1st – Fumbles Lost (0)
• 12th – 3rd Down Conversion Pct (0.500)
• 14th – Passing Yards per Completion (14.11)
• 20th – Passing Offense (263.3)
• 23rd – Team Passing Efficiency (154.73)
• 31st – Completion Pct (0.636)
• 36th – Punt Return Defense (6.13)
• 36th – Team Sacks per Game (2.00)
• 37th – Red Zone Offense (0.889) 

Individual Rankings

• 6th – Fumbles Recovered (Lovell Vereen II – 1)
• 17th – Total Offense (Elijah Owens – 280.7)
• 19th – Forced Fumbles (C.J. Davis – 1)
• 21st – Yards per Reception (BJ Wuest – 20.55)
• 22nd – Points Responsible For (Elijah Owens – 42)
• 23rd – Passing Touchdowns (Elijah Owens – 5)
• 23rd – Yard per Pass Attempt (Elijah Owens – 8.21)
• 24th – Points Responsible for per Game (Elijah Owens – 14.0)
• 26th – Passing Efficiency (Elijah Owens – 148.8)
• 27th – Completion Percentage (Elijah Owens – 0.646)
• 28th – Passing Yards per Completion (Elijah Owens – 12.70)
• 29th – Sacks (Robert Beasley – 2)
• 30th – Completions per Game (Elijah Owens (17.67)
• 30th – Passing Yards (Elijah Owens – 673)
• 31st – Receiving Yards (BJ Wuest – 226)
• 32nd – Receiving Touchdowns (Jayden Reed - 2)
• 33rd – Receiving Yards per Game (BJ Wuest – 75.3)
• 34th – Passing Yards per Game (Elijah Owens – 224.3)
• 34th – Punting (Spencer Conrad (42.1)
• 40th – Tackles for Loss (Kaleb Harris – 1.17)
• 43rd – Total Tackles (Nic Yatsko – 8.3)
• 46th – Field Goal Pct (Sebastian Lopez – 0.667) 

Owens Enters Top 10
Indiana State quarterback Elijah Owens entered rare air in the Sycamore career annals as the redshirt junior quarterback became just the eighth player in program history to sit in the Top 10 in both career total offensive yards and career passing yards. He enters the weekend against Valparaiso with 4,010 career offensive yards (10th all-time) and 3,017 career passing yards (7th all-time) with sights set on moving even higher this year.
 
Top 10 Career Offensive Yards
1. Jeff Miller (1982-85) 7,519 yards
6. Vincent Allen (1973-77) 4,381 yards
7. Shakir Bell (2010-13) 4,214 yards
8. Ronnie Fouch (2011-12) 4,182 yards
9. Julian Reese (2001-02) 4,109 yards
10. Elijah Owens (2023-pres.) 4,010 yards
 
Top 10 Career Passing Yards
1. Mike Perish (2012-14) 6,716 yards
5. Ronnie Fouch (2010-11) 4,316 yards
6. Kip Hennelly (1991-93) 3,158 yards
7. Elijah Owens (2023-pres.) 3,017 yards
8. Julian Reese (2001-02) 2,961 yards
 
Scoring First Touchdowns
Indiana State continues to spread the offensive love around the field this season with six different players recording their first touchdown with the Sycamores through the first three games. Aaron Ball (rushing & receiving touchdown), Dane Pardridge (receiving touchdown), and BJ Wuest (receiving touchdown) all joined the club including Ashton Hayes (SEMO), Jayden Reed (SEMO), and Max McCool (Purdue).
 
First Indiana State Touchdowns

• Ashton Hayes – 4th Quarter vs. SEMO (1-yard TD Run)
• Jayden Reed – 4th Quarter vs. SEMO (25-yard TD Reception)
• Max McCool – 4th Quarter at Purdue (1-yard TD Run)
• Aaron Ball – 1st Quarter at EIU (3-yard TD Run)
• Dane Pardridge – 2nd Quarter at EIU (35-yard TD Reception)
• BJ Wuest – 3rd Quarter at EIU (42-yard TD Reception) 

Five Touchdown Game
Indiana State quarterback Elijah Owens set a new career mark on September 12 in the Sycamores' 42-35 win over Eastern Illinois as the Jacksonville, Ill. native recorded five total touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) in the win over the Panthers. The game marked his second career three-passing touchdown game, while his pair of rushing touchdowns marked the second game of his collegiate career with multiple rushing scores.
 
Owens' five touchdowns marked the first time an Indiana State quarterback recorded at least five touchdowns since Cade Chambers achieved the feat on October 15, 2022, against Youngstown State. Chambers recorded three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in the contest.
 
Indiana State QBs With At Least Five Touchdowns in a Single Game in Last Decade

• Sept. 12, 2026 – Elijah Owens at EIU (three passing, two rushing)
• Oct. 15, 2022 – Cade Chambers at Youngstown State (three passing, two rushing)
• Nov. 3, 2018 – Ryan Bole vs. South Dakota (five passing, two rushing) 

Big Play Receiving Threats
Three games into the season and the big play potential from the Indiana State offense has never been more apparent as six different Sycamores have recorded a catch of at least 40 yards this year. After BJ Wuest (43) and Torey French (42) all posted long receptions in the opener against SEMO, Jayden Reed (45), Thomas Amankwaa (55), and Tyler Nansel (41) also eclipsed the mark at Purdue. BJ Wuest joined the club this past weekend at EIU with a 42-yard TD reception in the third quarter against the Panthers.
 
Indiana State's six different receivers with a 40-plus yard reception already equals the mark set last year when the Sycamores recorded 13 total receptions of 40 or more yards in the 2025 season.
 
40-plus yard receptions in 2026

• 55 yards – Thomas Amankwaa (4th Quarter at Purdue)
• 45 yards (TD) – Jayden Reed (4th Quarter at Purdue)
• 43 yards – BJ Wuest (3rd Quarter vs. SEMO)
• 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) 

First Starts in 2026
Over the first three games of the 2026 season, Indiana State has featured several players making their initial starts in the Sycamore Blue and White.

• First Starts 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 Starts Against Purdue – Aaron Ball (RB), Jayden Reed (WR), Justice Musser (OL), Micah McNair (LB) 

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.