ISU Sycamores fall at Western Kentucky, 41-3

BOWLING GREEN, KY (10-28-2006) — Indiana State showed marked improvement in the second quarter of today’s game against Western Kentucky, but 14 points allowed in the first and 10 more in the third undid the Sycamores’ efforts against the Hilltoppers as WKU took a 41-3 victory over ISU.

The Sycamores fall to 1-8, 1-4 GFC, while WKU improves to 5-3, 4-1 GFC. Trailing 17-0 with time ticking away in the game’s second quarter, senior kicker Kyle Hooper put the Sycamores on the board with a career-best tying 47-yard field goal to make the score 17-3. The kick came with 6:44 left in the period. The Hilltoppers marched right back down the field and threatened to extend their halftime advantage, but Justin Haddix’s pass with just under one minute showing on the clock was picked off by senior Kyle James. It was James’ first interception of the season, and the fourth of his career.

Up 17-3 in the third quarter, the Toppers added a short field goal off the leg of Chris James for the 20-3 advantage. Disaster struck for the Sycamores on the ensuing kickoff when Carl Berman fumbled the return and the Toppers recovered. Seven plays later, the Toppers got on the scoreboard again with a one-yard touchdown run by tailback Lerron Moore. With the score, WKU led 27-3 with just over six minutes left in the third quarter.

With 6:13 showing on the clock, the Sycamores ran their first offensive play of the third quarter. With Reilly Murphy inserted into the quarterback position, he snook around right end for a 10-yard gain. Behind the strong running of freshman tailback Robert Barcliff, the Sycamores moved the ball inside WKU territory until Murphy could not handle a snap on third-and-short and the Hilltoppers recovered to stymie the drive. ISU extended a drive of its own in the game’s first quarter when a Chris Johannsen punt was touched by a Hilltopper blocker and recovered deep in WKU territory by freshman Josh Jones. Because of a still wind in its face, the Sycamores were forced to attempt a fourth down conversion and the pass was broken up by a pair of Hilltopper defenders.

In the game, ISU quarterback Ben Schmidt was 7-of-22 passing in the game for 56 yards. Alex Thomas led the team with 32 yards rushing, while Robert Barcliff added 31. Bryan Jackson caught five passes for 88 yards in the game.

Scoring Summary:
1st 06:11 WKU - Ronnie Lilly 17 yd run (Matt Lange kick), 10 plays, 73 yards, TOP 4:42, INSU 0 - WKU 7
    01:03 WKU - Ronnie Lilly 1 yd run (Matt Lange kick), 6 plays, 71 yards, TOP 2:21, INSU 0 - WKU 14
2nd 10:14 WKU - Matt Lange 26 yd field goal, 9 plays, 49 yards, TOP 4:26, INSU 0 - WKU 17
    06:44 INSU - Hooper, Kyle 47 yd field goal, 12 plays, 50 yards, TOP 3:25, INSU 3 - WKU 17
3rd 08:41 WKU - Matt Lange 24 yd field goal, 12 plays, 73 yards, TOP 6:28, INSU 3 - WKU 20
    06:24 WKU - Moore, Lerron 1 yd run (Matt Lange kick), 4 plays, 26 yards, TOP 2:03, INSU 3 - WKU 27
4th 13:51 WKU - Ronnie Lilly 4 yd run (Matt Lange kick), 10 plays, 59 yards, TOP 5:18, INSU 3 - WKU 34
    04:55 WKU - Teco Dickerson 3 yd run (Matt Lange kick), 10 plays, 68 yards, TOP 6:06, INSU 3 - WKU 41

GAME STATISTICS

The Sycamores return to action next week when they travel to Western Illinois for their final Gateway Football Conference road contest of the season. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m., CST (2:00 p.m., EST) from Macomb, Ill. Live Internet radio coverage begins with the pregame show at 12:40 p.m., CST on www.USA-365.com.

SYCAMORE NOTES: Redshirt freshman Chris Mobley earned his first career start against the Hilltoppers at strong safety, filling in for Bryan Jackson, who is out for the remainder of the year with a broken jaw. Junior Alex Thomas earned his first career start at tailback. He had started five earlier contests at wide receiver. Senior linebacker Andy Jones came into the contest as the reigned national defensive player of the week. He finished the game with 14 tackles versus the Hilltoppers.

Senior wide receiver Sam Logan finished the game with five pass receptions for 36 yards. He now has a school-record 185 catches for 2,256 yards. His 185 receptions are fourth in the history of the Gateway.

Senior kicker Kyle Hooper has amassed 208 career points scored with his second quarter field goal of 47 yards. That field goal tied his career best, set last year against Southern Illinois, and again in this season’s contest versus the Salukis. It is the third time he has booted a 47-yarder in his career. Hooper’s 47-yard field goal was his first since hitting a 21-yard field goal on October 7^th versus Youngstown State.

Indiana State is 0-7 this season when trailing at the half. The Sycamores were behind the Hilltoppers 17-3 at the break tonight. ISU entered the contest having been outscored 105-44 in the second quarter this season. Tonight’s game versus the Hilltoppers was much more favorable as the Sycamores won the second stanza, 3-0. Senior Kyle James posted his first interception of the season just before halftime versus the Hilltoppers. It was the fourth pick of James’ career.