By Tyler Wooten
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – As the Sycamores are busy practicing and preparing for the 2016 season, let's take a look back at the 2015 campaign.
Indiana State finished the season 5-6, which included a couple exciting wins but also a handful of close, disappointing losses that could have meant a second-consecutive playoff berth in the toughest football conference in the FCS.
Game 1: No. 20 Indiana State 52, Butler 17 – Sept. 5, 2015 – Memorial Stadium
Recap | Highlights
Indiana State's season-opener against Butler in 2015 was a truly odd one for the ages. On top of a blisteringly hot and humid day at Memorial Stadium, there were several lightning delays that were nearly two hours in total that pushed the game duration to 4 hours, 55 minutes.
Despite the delays, the Sycamores handedly trounced the Bulldogs 52-17 thanks to an explosive offensive effort of 496 yards of total offense. Running back LeMonte Booker accounted for 151 of those yards and four total touchdowns himself on a career day.
Game 2: Purdue 38, No. 21 Indiana State 14 – Sept. 12, 2015 – Ross-Ade Stadium
Recap | Highlights
The Sycamores showed flashes of potential at times against the Boilermakers, but Purdue got up to an early 14-0 lead on some long passing touchdowns and put the game away with a momentum-draining Hail Mary to end the first half.
To put salt in Indiana State's wounds, the Sycamores lost several very important players at Purdue, including LeMonte Booker and All-MVFC safety Mark Sewall. Booker would return in a few weeks' time, but he also dealt with nagging knee injuries the remainder of the season. Sewall, on the other hand, broke his leg on the first play of the game at Purdue and was not able to return until the season finale against Youngstown State.
Game 3: No. 23 Indiana State 29, Southeast Missouri 28 – Sept. 19, 2015 – Memorial Stadium
Recap | Highlights
Indiana State bounced back with a gutsy effort against Southeast Missouri, which included some very exciting coaching calls. The game came down to two-point conversions, with the Sycamore defense holding strong after an improbable final march down the field by the Redhawks to score with no time left on the clock. The final two minutes of the game alone featured three scores and a pair of two-point conversions before the Sycamores prevailed.
There were several keys to the game, but only two major plays ended up mattering for the Sycamores: a 100-yard interception return for a TD by Travis Starks to turn the tide of the game at halftime, and a 33-yard TD pass from Adam to Owens on fourth down to take the lead once and for all late in the fourth quarter.
Game 4: No. 21 Indiana State 56, Missouri State 28 – Oct. 3, 2015 – Robert W. Plaster Stadium
Recap | Highlights
The Sycamores struggled early on and even gave up a punt return touchdown, but then they exploded for 49 points over the final three quarters of play to decisively beat Missouri State, 56-28.
ISU outgained the Bears 544-349, thanks to a balanced effort on offense that included a 265-yard, four touchdown performance from quarterback Matt Adam and a 98-yard rushing performance by running back Roland Genesy in the absence of starter LeMonte Booker.
Game 5: No. 8 South Dakota State 24, No. 19 Indiana State 7 – Oct. 10, 2015 – Coughlin-Alumni Stadium
Recap | Highlights
Following such a big win at Missouri State came Indiana State's first disappointing loss of the year, a close 24-7 defeat at No. 8 South Dakota State. The final score is a little deceiving, as SDSU only held a 14-7 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. However, the Jackrabbits held an utter monopoly on momentum amid a slew of costly penalties by the Sycamores that totaled 97 yards.
Both defenses were the true stars of the game, but in the end the Sycamores could not combat the production of first-time starting QB Taryn Christion.
Game 6: No. 21 Indiana State 39, Southern Illinois 36 – Oct. 17, 2015 – Memorial Stadium
Recap | Highlights
The Sycamores returned to Memorial Stadium to host Southern Illinois for Homecoming, and the excitement leftover from the Southeast Missouri game was still palpable. The Sycamores were up by as many as 12 in the fourth quarter, but the Salukis made it interesting late to ultimately come up short, 39-36.
Wide receiver Gary Owens had the finest day of his career, hauling in 128 yards and three touchdowns to tie a school-record for single-game TD receptions. Also helping keep the momentum on Indiana State's side was two blocked punts by true freshman Adrian Butler.
Game 7: No. 8 North Dakota State 28, No. 18 Indiana State 14 – Oct. 24, 2015 – Memorial Stadium
Recap | Highlights
The Sycamores' loss to then four-time defending national champions North Dakota State was the beginning of a four-game slide that ended Indiana State's playoff hopes. But, at times during the game it didn't seem like that would be the case.
The 8th-ranked Bison were without star quarterback Carson Wentz, who ended up being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Philadelphia Eagles, following a wrist injury in a loss to South Dakota at home the previous week. NDSU would be without Wentz until the national title game – where he helped the Bison win their unprecedented fifth-straight title – so NDSU had to start redshirt freshman Easton Stick.
The Sycamores looked to pounce on this opportunity and were tied 14-14 with the Bison in the third quarter, but the Bison did what they do best: hold onto the ball. NDSU held onto the ball for an absurd 39 minutes and 31 seconds, 23:06 of which came in the second half.
Game 8: No. 3 Illinois State 27, No. 21 Indiana State 24 – Oct. 31, 2015 – Hancock Stadium
Recap | Highlights
The most heartbreaking loss of the year came at Illinois State, where the Sycamores were up 15 points on the 3rd-ranked Redbirds and were actively stuffing the best offensive duo in the nation in quarterback Tre Roberson and running back Marshaun Copprich.
Indiana State was up 24-9 in the third quarter thanks to three receiving touchdowns by Robert Tonyan Jr. (including one that was the No. 4 play on SportsCenter's Top-10), but Roberson and Copprich turned it on amid a chilly monsoon at Hancock Stadium to snare victory away from the Sycamores.
Game 9: No. 17 Northern Iowa 59, No. 23 Indiana State 13 – Nov. 7, 2015 – UNI-Dome
Recap | Highlights
The Sycamores followed that up with a truly disheartening defeat at the UNI-Dome against the red-hot Northern Iowa Panthers. Preseason All-MVFC quarterback Aaron Bailey scored five total touchdowns on the Sycamores, and UNI had an average starting position at the Sycamores' 45-yard line to facilitate the big win.
Coach Sanford summed up the game succinctly afterward: “I don't know what to say. That was not the Indiana State Sycamore football team that I know that played out there today.”
Game 10: Western Illinois 37, Indiana State 30 (OT) – Nov. 14, 2015 – Memorial Stadium
Recap | Highlights
Indiana State followed the devastating loss at UNI with another heartbreaker against Western Illinois in what essentially decided the playoff fate of both teams. The Sycamores held a 17-point lead in the first half, but the Leatherneck offense exploded over the back half to force overtime and take a 37-30 win over the Sycamores in an extra frame.
The Sycamore offense had the production it needed with 416 total yards, but it couldn't keep it up down the stretch as the lethal WIU offense tallied 524 – 301 of which came in the second half and overtime.
Game 11: Indiana State 27, Youngstown State 24 – Nov. 21, 2015 – Memorial Stadium
Recap | Highlights
Despite all the heartbreak of the previous four games, the Sycamores had a positive ending to the season with an exciting win over Youngstown State in the snow at Memorial Stadium. Not only were the Sycamores able to withstand the sudden snowstorm right before kickoff, but ISU also overcame giving up two quick kickoff return touchdowns to YSU's Jody Webb.
Special teams were the name of the game, as Indiana State stole the momentum of the first kickoff return touchdown right back with a 37-yard scoop-and-score fumble return by outgoing senior Alex Stowers. The crux of the game came to the last drive, where redshirt freshman Isaac Harker – in for the injured Matt Adam – led the Sycamores on its game-winning drive to setup Eric Heidorn's 38-yard field goal to win the game.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Football team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.
