ST.
LOUIS - After leading the Indiana State football team to a
46-24 victory on Homecoming over Western Illinois, sophomore tailback Shakir Bell and junior defensive end Ben Obaseki have been named this week's Missouri
Valley Football Conference's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.
Bell racked up 213 yards and three
touchdowns on 21 carries against WIU on Saturday, his third game of at least
200 rushing yards this season. The Indianapolis, Ind., and Warren Central High
School product pushed his season total for rushing yards to 1,125 after seven
games played, becoming the quickest Sycamore to reach the 1,000-yard milestone
in a season. He busted touchdowns runs of 51 and 47 yards in the fourth
quarter, as the Sycamores pulled away from the Leathernecks. For the season,
Bell is averaging 160.7 yards per game and 9.1 yards per carry.
Obaseki had 22 tackles (seven solo, 15 assisted) with five tackles for loss and
a trio of sacks against Western Illinois. Obaseki fell just three tackles short
of tying the school record for single-game stops, set by Quintin Mikell in 1983
and Chris Libaire in 1995. The junior defensive end made three stops as the
Leathernecks went for it on fourth down, making one tackle for loss and a pair
of sacks to give the ball back to Indiana State. The 22 stops are tied for
third most in the league in a single game in the past 10 years, and is believed
the 22 tackles are the most ever by a defensive lineman in a league game. For
the season, Obaseki leads the team with 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss while
placing third with 54 tackles in 2011.
Indiana State hits the road for their next contest, a matchup at Illinois State
this upcoming Saturday, Oct. 22, at 2:00 p.m. (ET). The game will be available
online on ESPN3.com.
