TERRE HAUTE —
A crowd of 5,291 at Memorial Stadium Saturday expected to see a showdown between No. 1 Football Subdivision Championship rusher Zach Zenner of South Dakota State and No. 2 rusher Shakir Bell of Indiana State.
The showdown didn’t materialize. What fans got instead was a wake-up call for the Sycamores that resonated on both sides of the ball.
The Jackrabbits’ defense overwhelmed the Sycamores and Zenner rushed for 237 yards as SDSU earned a convincing 24-10 win. The Sycamores lost their Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for the first time since 2009 and it was the first 0-1 MVFC start at home since 2008, Trent Miles’ first year at the helm.
“It’s a wake-up call. It makes you say, ‘It’s time to get going. We’re in the big boy league,’” Miles said.
SDSU’s defense — ranked 16th in the nation and 20th against the run — was as good as advertised. The Jackrabbits shut down Bell, who rushed for 54 yards on 18 carries. Bell’s longest carry of the day was just five yards.
“They did everything they showed they were going to do on film. They came in and punched us in the mouth,” said Bell, who was reduced to watching the game from the bench in the fourth quarter when ISU was forced into a passing set.
SDSU’s front four and linebackers pursued well and left no space — inside or out — for Bell to take advantage of.
“There wasn’t much there for him. They were moving the line of scrimmage back towards us. They took him out of the game. They won the battle of the physical play up front. It wasn’t him, he was fighting for every inch,” Miles said.
With Bell contained, SDSU’s defense trained its hungry eyes on ISU’s passing attack. ISU quarterback Mike Perish was under constant assault and the Jacks recorded eight sacks.
“Their defense was flying around. They took us out of our run game and took us out of our gameplan,” said Perish, who addressed the sacks. “Sometimes, we have mental breakdowns on the line, sometimes I held the ball too long. We’ll get it fixed.”
Perish completed 27 of 46 passes for 219 yards, but it was rough going. With Bell contained, play-action was taken away and ISU was forced into a one-dimensional passing attack especially once it was behind in the second half. ISU was also just 4 of 17 on third down conversions.
“We got after it. The d-linemen got after it. The linebackers too. We got chances to really get after them and we did,” said SDSU defensive end Marshall Peugh, who had two sacks.
ISU’s defense had a frustrating day. Of the 237 rushing yards that Zenner earned, 144 of them came on two carries — one a 57-yard touchdown run, the other an 87-yard run that set up the game-deciding touchdown. ISU forced SDSU into seven three-and-out series, but the Sycamores were also their own worst enemies with penalties.
Two penalties were costly on SDSU’s second scoring drive — a late hit by Zakee Bashir kept the Jacks alive after they failed to convert on third down and an encroachment penalty by Ben Obaseki on another failed third down conversion.
“It’s disappointing. Third down … we stop them and we’re off the field. Those penalties were crucial. We can’t have those kind of penalties,” ISU linebacker Jacolby Washington said.
SDSU led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter in a game that had all of the makings of a defensive stalemate. It stayed that way until late in the second quarter. With 2:47 to go in the half, Zenner ran off left tackle, cut right, and exploded into daylight for a 57-yard touchdown. ISU was able to get a 25-yard Tanner Fritschle field goal at the end of the half, but the Jacks led 10-3.
Perish was sacked three times in ISU’s first two series of the second half, but it remained a one-score game until the penalty-assisted SDSU scoring drive late in the third quarter. On play-action, SDSU quarterback Austin Sumner found tight end Seth Daughters for a 23-yard touchdown to make it 17-3.
ISU (2-2, 0-1) briefly had momentum after Lucas Hileman ran 12 yards on a fake punt. It seemed to awaken the Sycamores, who subsequently scored on a 2-yard touchdown by Bell to make it 17-10 entering the fourth period. ISU would drive to the SDSU 22 on its next drive, but failed to convert on 4th-and-1.
Zenner would have the last word. With SDSU (3-1, 1-0) pinned at its own 10, Zenner went up the middle, side-stepped an ISU defender, and burst into the open. He ran out of gas, but not until his 87-yard run set SDSU up at the ISU 3. One play later, tight end Cam Jones scored out of a Wildcat formation to make it 24-10.
ISU drove to the SDSU 2 late in the contest, but turned it over on downs after Perish was hit on a pass attempt. Michael Mardis got his hands on the jump ball, but couldn’t haul it in.
The loss was a bitter pill as ISU ended its three-game homestand. ISU will play three of its next four on the road. The Sycamores play at Southern Illinois next Saturday. The Salukis won at Missouri State 14-6 on Saturday.
College
Related Photos
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Score: South Dakota State's #31, Zach Zenner crosses the goal line to score the first touchdown of the game against Indiana State Saturday afternoon. South Dakota State went on to win the game 24-10. (AP Photo/Tribune-Star)
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High dive: Indiana State's #33 Taje High dives for an extra yard after being tripped-up by a South Dakota State defender Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
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South Dakota State's #33 T.J. Lally intercepts a pass intended for Indiana State's #22 Shakir Bell during first half action at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute. South Dakota State won 24-10. (AP Photo/Tribune-Star Bob Poynter)
Discussion
Bell, ISU offense struggle in loss to South Dakota State
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Bradley ends 16-game MVC losing streak against ISU
Momentum was the only thing riding on Indiana State’s baseball game against Bradley on Friday. With a five-game winning streak going, ISU wanted to keep the good vibes going into next week’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
ISU couldn’t do it. -
Behind 16 hits and Manaea's pitching, ISU beats Bradley
Indiana State’s baseball team rode a wild ride of emotion on Thursday.
First came the public announcement that Bob Warn Field would host the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Later, Sean Manaea’s availability to pitch ISU’s series opener against Bradley was in doubt. -
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Metro Roundup: Indiana State’s Shakir Bell on Performance Awards watch list
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ISU baseball team builds on success with 14-2 rout
Indiana State’s baseball victory over Alcorn State on Friday would take on more meaning Saturday if the Sycamores could build momentum and pick up on the good work they did in Friday’s ninth-inning rally.
Mission accomplished.
The Sycamores were aggressive from the opening inning at the plate and starting pitcher Devin Moore gave them eight valuable and effective innings on the mound as ISU defeated Alcorn State 14-2 at Bob Warn Field.
“It was a really good experience for everybody. It felt great to finally come out here and put some things together. It’s also really nice when your offense puts a lot of runs on the board,” Moore said.
Moore’s eight innings of work were as valuable as gold to an ISU team that is short on quality arms due to injury and ineffectiveness. He didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and one of the two runs he conceded was unearned. -
Johnson, Lyke win MVC titles for ISU
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ISU earns badly-needed win
Alcorn State’s baseball team might be ranked in the bottom 10 in RPI and Indiana State might have never lost to a Southwestern Athletic Conference team. So it wouldn’t appear that a quality win was in the offing when Alcorn State visited Bob Warn Field on Friday.
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Metro roundup: RHIT’s Evans sets Div. III record in high jump
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ISU’s Mascari and Hope win MVC track & field titles
Indiana State produced two champions during the opening day of action in the Missouri Valley Conference track and field championships Friday at Drake. Freshman John Mascari, a Terre Haute native, won the men’s 10,000-meter race and Nicole Hope won the women’s pole vault for the second time in three seasons.
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ISU pole vault tradition continues with help from its author
Pole vault is track and field for the adrenaline junkie, Indiana State senior Nicole Hope proclaimed during a recent practice at Marks Field.
To catapult oneself about 14 feet into the air with a large $500 fiberglass pole on a daily basis is a risky endeavor.
“We have to be fearless. You can’t be afraid at all,” said Hope, who has also catapulted herself into the NCAA’s elite in the event, ranking 15th in the NCAA with her leap of 13-feet, 9 1/4. -
Sycamores searching for answers after seventh loss in eight games
These are the bad times for the Indiana State baseball team.
The will is there for the Sycamores to pull out of their worst slump of the season, but the results are not. The suffering continued on Wednesday at Bob Warn Field as Eastern Illinois defeated ISU 5-3. -
METRO ROUNDUP: ISU men's track picked first in MVC Championships, women second
The Indiana State men’s track team has won the last two Missouri Valley Conference outdoor championships, but the women have not stood on the top podium since 1999.
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North grad Welker helps Whitson earn first NCAA bid as coach
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman wins HCAC all-sports trophy
Rose-Hulman has won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference men’s all-sports trophy for the fifth time in the past six year, the league announced Monday.
Rose tallied 66.5 points for its finishes in 11 men’s sports, just ahead of Franklin with 66. Hanover was third with 53 points. -
METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman tennis falls in HCAC semifinal
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Manaea fights off bad hip, wet weather to toss four innings
Mother Nature has been the bane of the Indiana State baseball team’s existence all season. Eight games wiped due to weather are a testament to that. So it was no surprise, though no less disappointing, when she didn’t deal Indiana State pitcher Sean Manaea the greatest hand on Saturday as he tries to recover from a hip injury.
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ISU track enjoys big night at IU's Billy Hayes Invitational
The Indiana State Sycamores either won or finished as the top collegian in 12 events, led by the record-breaking performance of senior Brandon Pounds at the 2013 Billy Hayes Invitational Friday at Indiana University.
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Lansing looking for more home games for next fall
Indiana State’s men’s basketball team is looking for a few good games.
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Secret weapon: Kelsey Rosselli finishing Woods career with a bang
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ISU baseball gets back into rhythm with victory
Baseball is a rhythm game. With contests every day or five times a week in the case of many college programs, you have the chance to build on success or wallow in a slump.
Mother Nature took that rhythm away from Indiana State’s team last week. After a 7-1 loss to Indiana on April 24, ISU was supposed to play a three-game series at Tennessee-Martin, but it was wiped out by rain.
So the rhythm was disturbed, but perhaps that wasn’t a bad thing.
ISU was in a five-game losing streak before its unintended vacation and the Sycamores made a move in the right direction Wednesday with a 7-0 win over DePauw at Bob Warn Field.
“It was a disappointing weekend. We went all the way down to Tennessee and didn’t get to play. We sat around in the hotel room. We came here and it was still raining. It was nice to get out and see some live pitching,” ISU center fielder Landon Curry said. -
Metro roundup: ISU hands out spring awards
The Indiana State University athletic community, along with family, friends and fans, paused Tuesday night to honor the spring sports teams at the Terre Haute Savings Bank Spring Sports Banquet.
Most of the ISU teams are still in competition with the baseball team having 13 games left of its regular-season schedule before beginning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament May 21, the softball team with just three games left of the docket this coming weekend against Southern Illinois and the track and field program with just one more meet before beginning its postseason events.
The ISU women’s golf team is the team that has ended at this time, with the group recording a sixth-place finish at the MVC championships one week ago. -
METRO ROUNDUP: Rose baseball wins another thriller
Rose-Hulman earned its third victory in its last at-bat in the last five days with a 6-5 win over Franklin in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball Tuesday night at Art Nehf Field.
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ISU relay teams enjoy strong day at Drake Relays
It was a day for the relay teams to shine at the 104th Drake Relays Saturday as four of the five Indiana State relay teams that competed ran times that put the team among the top five in school history for their respective events.
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Indiana State baseball series canceled
Heavy rain from Thursday through Saturday has forced Indiana State and Tennessee Martin to cancel their three-game weekend baseball series in northwest Tennessee.
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Metro roundup; Five Wabash Valley players on Terre Haute Rex team
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Indiana State loses 2 in MVC softball
Indiana State aspired to upset Illinois State to get at least a doubleheader split in Missouri Valley Conference softball Thursday at Price Field as the Sycamores opened an eight-game season-ending homestand.
Paige Schreiner hit a two-run blast over the left-field fence in the fifth inning and junior Shelby Wilson delivered a sizzling RBI triple down the right-field line in the sixth as ISU ended the day playing well against the league’s highest-scoring offense.
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Sycamores fall: Slumping ISU drops 8-1 decision to No. 19-ranked IU
The margin in baseball between success and failure is so tight.
Indiana State learned that lesson the hard way against No. 19-ranked Indiana on Wednesday.
For most of the contest, ISU matched IU hit-for-hit, but couldn’t match the Hoosiers run-for-run as IU took maximum advantage of its baserunners to post an 8-1 victory at IU’s new Bart Kaufman Field.
IU — winners of four in a row and owners of a 19-game win streak earlier this season — proved its quality by putting the foot on the gas in the last three innings of the contest. The Hoosiers scored five of their runs in that period.
But up until that point, the game was in either team’s hands, but the Hoosiers took it with better situational hitting. IU’s first baserunners in three separate innings came around to score; two of them did so with two outs on the board. -
Creek latest to leave IU’s basketball program
Just a few weeks ago, one of the big questions surrounding Indiana University basketball was how the Hoosiers would contend with too many players and not enough scholarship spots.
That’s not a problem for coach Tom Crean anymore.
As of now, the Hoosiers are one scholarship under the 13-scholarship limit after Wednesday’s announcement that Maurice Creek was leaving the program.
Creek has another season of college eligibility, but chose to leave Indiana to seek more playing time. He’ll graduate from IU next week and will try to play elsewhere as a graduate student immediately.
“I feel like I would have a better opportunity for more playing time at another school where I can be eligible right away,” Creek said in a press release announcing his departure. -
Metro roundup: ISU baseball’s Alumni Weekend coming in May
The Indiana State baseball team will be hosting its Alumni Weekend on May 16-18, with its annual golf outing taking place May 17 at Idle Creek Golf Course.
The Sycamores will be host to Bradley on May 16-18 before heading to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament at Normal, Ill., the following week.
Idle Creek (5353 Eldridge Road) will be hosting the golf outing again, with registration and lunch starting at 11 a.m. before the event tees off at noon. Individuals can register for $100 with a foursome costing $400. Package A includes a foursome and a hole sponsorship for $500 while an individual hole sponsorship costs $150. Lunch, a cart and an Indiana State baseball cap will be included for all the golfers.
Beginning May 1, Indiana State plays 12 of its final 13 regular-season games on Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium, including weekend series against Evansville (May 3-5), Alcorn State (May 10-12) and Bradley (May 16-18).
For more information on Alumni Weekend or the golf outing, contact ISU assistant coach Tyler Herbst at 812-237-4090 or at tyler.herbst@indstate.edu. - More College Headlines
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