TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State football hits the road in Valley play for the first time in the 2026 season as the Sycamores head to the DakotaDome on Saturday, October 3, to take on No. 16/13 South Dakota. Kickoff in the MVFC contest is set for 3 p.m. ET and will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Game Preview
About the Matchup
Saturday afternoon's contest features the 11th meeting all-time between Indiana State and South Dakota in the two programs' respective histories. South Dakota leads the series, 8-2, dating back to the inaugural contest in the 2012 season after the Yotes joined the MVFC.
South Dakota has won each of the last five matchups dating back to the 2019 season and has won all five contests played inside the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D.
Indiana State claimed their last win over USD back on November 3, 2018, when the Sycamores battled the Yotes to a triple overtime thriller at Memorial Stadium. Indiana State utilized Ryan Boyle's school-record seven touchdowns (five passing, two rushing) in the 51-48 victory over South Dakota with his three-yard touchdown pass to Dante Hendrix the game-winner at Memorial Stadium.
Last Five Contests
- Oct. 5, 2019 - at South Dakota (L, 38-0)
- Oct. 2, 2021 - at South Dakota (L, 38-10)
- Oct. 14, 2023 - South Dakota (L, 17-3)
- Nov. 9, 2024 - at South Dakota (L, 49-0)
- October 11, 2025 - South Dakota (L, 19-14)
Last Season's Recap
Indiana State fought their way back against No. 23/RV South Dakota on in the Sycamores' 2025 Homecoming Game, but the Coyotes were able to run out the clock in securing the 19-14 win at Memorial Stadium.
The Sycamores pulled back within one score with 4:39 left in the fourth quarter as running back
Nick Osho secured a one-yard touchdown reception from quarterback
Brock Riddle pulling Indiana State back within one touchdown. The scoring drive was aided by a 21-yard completion from Riddle to
Keshon Singleton that put the Sycamores inside the 10-yard line, while
Deion Brown added a 13-yard carry on his first touch of the game.
The Indiana State defense forced a three-and-out on the following South Dakota drive with
Mason Knipp making the key stop on 3rd-and-4 at the Yotes' 31 with a tackle-for-loss forcing a punt and giving the Sycamores the chance for the go-ahead drive.
The Sycamores last chance started near midfield following a short USD punt with Brown taking the first carry up the middle moving the ball to the INS 48. After back-to-back passes to
Torey French set up a 4th-and-long, the Yotes' defense held strong with Nate Ewell breaking up the first-down pass intended for Osho and allowing South Dakota to run out the clock.
Brock Riddle was 13-of-23 through the air in his first collegiate start for 125 yards and two touchdowns. The redshirt freshman quarterback targeted both Singleton and Osho for his first two scoring passes with Singleton hauling in two passes for a game-high 78 yards, while French (three catches, 21 receptions) and
Zack Drawdy Jr. (three catches, 19 yards) both had multi-catch games.
Lucas McAllister returned to the field with a career-high 12 tackles, including 3.0 tackles-for-loss as the Sycamores continually attacked one of the best offensive lines in the FCS on the afternoon.
Kimal Clark and
Ahmond Glass both finished with 10 tackles apiece, while
Dallas Westhoff recorded a season-high eight stops in his first start of the season. Overall, the Sycamores recorded four total sacks and 11 tackles-for-loss on the day.
Against the Missouri Valley Football Conference
Indiana State enters the weekend with an 87-159-2 all-time record against current members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference heading into the Saturday matchup against South Dakota.
Sycamores in the FCS Top 25 Statistical Leaderboards
Through the first five 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
- 10th – Red Zone Offense (0.941)
- 14th – Team Sacks (2.80)
- 15th – Fumbles Lost (1)
- 16th – Passing Yards per Completion (14.14)
- 17th – Rushing Defense (109.2)
- 18th – Team Tackles for Loss (6.6)
- 20th – Team Passing Efficiency (152.64)
- 22nd – Passing Offense (263.0)
- 26th – Blocked Kicks (1)
- 27th – Third Down Conversion Defense (0.429)
- 29th – Fewest Penalties per Game (5.20)
- 31st – Fewest Penalty Yards Per Gae (45.80)
- 33rd – Total Offense (400.8)
- 34th – Scoring Offense (31.2)
- 36th – First Downs Offense (97)
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
Five games into the season and the big play potential from the Indiana State offense has never been more apparent as eight 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.
Manny Ellis posted a team-high 63-yard reception in the final nonconference matchup against Valparaiso. KeShon Singleton became the seventh Sycamore to join the club with a 43-yard reception against North Dakota.
Indiana State's seven different receivers with a 40-plus yard reception surpasses last season's mark of six players with 40-yard catches. Overall, the Sycamores recorded 13 total receptions of 40 or more yards in the 2025 season.
40-plus yard receptions in 2026
- 63 yards – Manny Ellis (2nd Quarter vs. Valparaiso)
- 55 yards – Thomas Amankwaa (4th Quarter at Purdue)
- 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)
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)
100 Yards Through the Air – Freshman Edition
Jayden Reed became the second Indiana State football player to record a 100-yard receiving game in the 2026 season after hauling in eight receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns against North Dakota on September 26. It marked season-highs in both receptions and yards for the freshman wide receiver through the first five games of his collegiate career.
Reed became the first Sycamore freshman to record 100 receiving yards in a single game since Dante Hendrix achieved the feat twice in the 2018 season. Hendrix's first 100-yard game came on Oct. 27, 2018, against Youngstown State (7 catches, 186 yards, 2TD), while his second was an 11-catch, 111-yard, 2-TD game against South Dakota (Nov. 3, 2018).
Last 100-yard Receiving Games by a Sycamore Freshman (Since 1980)
- Sept. 26, 2026 – Jayden Reed vs. North Dakota (8 catches, 129 yards, 2 TD)
- Nov. 3, 2018 – Dante Hendrix vs. South Dakota (11 catches, 111 yards, 2 TD)
- Oct. 27, 2018 – Dante Hendrix vs. Youngstown State (7 catches, 186 yards, 2 TD)
Passing Touchdown Mark
Quarterback
Brady Allen made his collegiate starting debut one to remember against North Dakota in the Sycamores' Valley opener on September 26, as the redshirt junior threw for 270 yards and four touchdowns in the 35-28 loss to the Fighthing Hawks. Allen completed touchdown passes to
Jayden Reed (2),
Jaylan Johnson, and
BJ Wuest in the contest on his way to posting Indiana State's first four-touchdown passing game since the 2018 season.
Last Five Sycamore Quarterbacks with Four Touchdown Passes in a Single Game
- Nov. 3, 2019 vs. South Dakota – Ryan Boyle (5)
- Sept. 26, 2026 vs. North Dakota – Brady Allen (4)
- Oct. 3, 2015 at Missouri State – Matt Adam (4)
- Oct. 25, 2014 at Southern Illinois – Mike Perish (4)
- Sept. 14, 2014 vs. Quincy – Mike Perish (4)
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
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