By Cord Rankin
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State welcomes Dayton to Memorial Stadium on Saturday evening are set to make their home debut on Saturday, September 14. Kickoff between the Sycamores and the Flyers is set for 6 p.m. and will carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
| Football vs. Dayton | |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, September 14 | 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+ | WVIG 105.5 |
| Gates | Gates Open at 4:30 p.m. (90 minutes prior to Kickoff) |
| Series History | Fourth Meeting All-Time (Dayton leads 2-1) |
| Social Media | @IndStFB | @IndStAthletics |
2014 Football Team Recognition
Indiana State will recognize and honor the 2014 Sycamore football team in an on-field ceremony during Saturday night’s contest. The Sycamores welcome back the 2014 football team that posted an 8-6 overall record and advanced to the FCS Playoffs for the first time since 1984.
The Sycamores would beat five Top 25 teams throughout the course of the 2014 season on their way to finishing the season ranked No. 19 in The Sporting News poll and No. 18 in the Coaches Poll. The on-field recognition is scheduled to take place between the first and second quarters.
Quick Notes
Dayton at a Glance
Dayton enters the weekend with a 1-0 record after topping St. Francis in their 2024 opener back on Aug. 31. The Flyers were led by linebacker Gideon Lampron’s FCS National Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting 11 tackles, 3.0 TFL, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a safety in the win. Gavin Lochow had a hand in both of Dayton’s touchdown drives against St. Francis hauling in a 12-yard touchdown catch, while also throwing a 27-yard touchdown pass. Dayton’s defense limited St. Francis over the season opener holding the Red Flash to just 13 first downs and 247 yards of total offense.
Dayton was picked sixth overall in the Pioneer Football League’s preseason poll. The Flyers have won 12 league titles over the PFL’s 31 seasons. Two Dayton players earned All-PFL accolades including center Dylan DeMaison and linebacker Aiden McKinley. The Flyers returned 17 starters from the 2023 team that posted a 4-7 record overall on the field.
About the Matchup
Dayton leads the all-time series with Indiana State holding the 2-1 edge over the three games played to date. All three games in the series have been held in Terre Haute, including the inaugural contest held back in 1975.
The Sycamores took the first game between the two teams in convincing fashion winning 56-14 in 1975. Dayton won the rematch between the two programs the following season, 20-14, also in Terre Haute.
The series took a 40-plus year hiatus before Indiana State and Dayton took on the field for the third time in the 2019 season. The contest between the programs was also Indiana State’s home opener as the Sycamores rallied back late against the Flyers before falling, 42-35.
Indiana State’s run game took center stage in the contest as Peterson Kerlegrand went for a career-high 194 yards and two touchdowns against the Flyers, while Ryan Boyle added 103 rushing yards on 17 carries as the Sycamores outgained Dayton 358-176 on the ground. Chris Childers added 52 yards and two rushing touchdown.
Sycamore senior kicker Jerry Nunez broke the school record for career PAT’s in the game after the second touchdown, breaking a record that was set in 1985 by Scott Bridges (87 PAT’s).
On This Date
Indiana State opens the 2024 home schedule this Saturday against Dayton at Memorial Stadium. The Sycamores have lined up nine times at home in program history on the date according to current records on hand with a 6-3 overall record. Indiana State is 4-0 at home on the date including recent wins over Quincy (2013) and Eastern Kentucky (2019).
- 1966 – at Eastern Illinois – W, 32-0
- 1968 – at Eastern Illinois – W, 23-0
- 1974 – vs. Eastern Illinois – W, 21-6
- 1985 – at Eastern Illinois – L, 39-7
- 1991 – vs. Central Missouri State – W, 35-6
- 1996 – at Eastern Illinois – L, 35-16
- 2002 – at Ball State – L, 23-21
- 2013 – vs. Quincy – W, 70-7
- 2019 – vs. Eastern Kentucky – W, 19-7
Welcome Home – Game Three
Indiana State is set to make its 2024 home debut this weekend as the Sycamores welcome Dayton to Memorial Stadium. It marks the latest Indiana State has held a home game since the 2013 season when the Sycamores hosted Quincy back on September 14. It’s also the third time Indiana State has not held its home debut until the third week of the season since 2004.
The Sycamores entered their third week, home openers with an 0-2 mark in each of their last five chances dating back to 1981 and rebounded to win four of the five games, including a 41-6 win over New Mexico State back (1981), as well as a 70-7 victory over Quincy (2013).
- 1951 – Oct. 13 vs. St. Joseph’s – L, 13-0
- 1953 – Oct. 3 vs. Evansville – W, 31-13
- 1955 – Oct. 1 vs. St. Joseph’s – L, 27-0
- 1966 – Oct. 1 vs. Illinois State – W, 25-6
- 1973 – Sept. 23 vs. Evansville – W, 28-6
- 1977 – Sept. 24 vs. Western Carolina – L, 15-14
- 1981 – Sept. 19 vs. New Mexico State – W, 41-6
- 1992 – Sept. 19 vs. Illinois State – W, 12-7
- 2004 – Sept. 18 vs. Murray State – W, 28-21
- 2006 – Sept. 16 vs. Murray State – L, 59-40
- 2013 – Sept. 14 vs. Quincy – W, 70-7
Home Openers
Indiana State heads into its seventh home opener under Coach Curt Mallory in the 2024 season as the Sycamores welcome the Flyers to Memorial Stadium this weekend. The Sycamores have a .500 record in their home openers in Mallory’s tenure posting a 3-3 overall mark including falling to Dayton in the start of the 2019 season. The Sycamores are most familiar with Eastern Illinois taking on the Panthers three times in Mallory’s history in their home opener.
- 2017 – Aug. 31 vs. Eastern Illinois – L, 22-20
- 2018 – Aug. 30 vs. Quincy – W, 49-0
- 2019 – Sept. 7 vs. Dayton – L, 42-35
- 2021 – Aug. 28 vs. Eastern Illinois – W, 26-21
- 2022 – Sept. 1 vs. North Alabama – W, 17-14 (OT)
- 2023 – Aug. 31 vs. Eastern Illinois – L, 27-0
MVFC Newcomer of the Week
Elijah Owens put together the best performance of his collegiate career on Saturday evening as the redshirt freshman quarterback went 30-of-37 through the air for 260 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. The Jacksonville, Ill. native completed passes to nine different receivers in the game with touchdown passes to Rashad Rochelle, Plez Lawrence, and Zavion Taylor, while adding a team-high 44 rushing yards in the loss.
His 30 completions marked the most by an Indiana State quarterback since Isaac Harker went 35-for-52 for 344 yards back on October 1, 2016, against Missouri State. His three touchdown passes were the most by an ISU quarterback since Cade Chambers threw three touchdowns against Youngstown State back on October 15, 2022.
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.
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