TERRE
HAUTE, IN (11-2-2002) - The Indiana State Sycamores utilized a stirring
fourth-quarter offensive surge to defeat Northern Iowa, 21-19, Saturday
afternoon at Memorial Stadium. The win, Indiana State's first home victory
over Northern Iowa since the 1990 campaign, upped the Sycamores record to
4-6/2-3 Gateway, while Northern Iowa fell to 4-5/1-4 Gateway.
Northern Iowa struck early, driving 80-yards in nine plays on the game's opening drive to take a 7-0 lead. The Panthers next tally came with 5:30 left in the second quarter, as Mackenzie Hoambrecker hit a 38-yard field goal to put UNI up, 10-0. While the Sycamore defense allowed Northern Iowa to post 243 yards in total offense during the first half, the Sycamores also forced four Panther first half turnovers.
Indiana State got on the board during its initial possession of the second half, driving 80 yards in 10 plays, capped by quarterback Julian Reese's 7-yard pass to tight end Ryan King. Mike Megyesi's point after made the score 10-7, UNI.
The Panthers looked to put things away when tailback Adam Benge went up the middle for 12 yards and a TD, giving UNI a 17-7 lead as the third quarter expired.
That's when the Sycamores got on a roll. After Northern Iowa intercepted a Reese pass at the UNI one-yard line, the Sycamore defense stiffened, forcing the Panthers to punt from deep in their own territory.
Tailback Jake Shields, who entered the fourth quarter with two carries and zero yards gained, went on a running spree, posting 136 yards and two TDs in the final stanza alone. He scored from seven-yards out to pull the Sycamores within 17-14 with 10:33 remaining. Key plays during the 7-play, 41-yard drive were QB Damion Cunningham scrambling for a first down on third and long, and Shields' 16-yards gainer which put Indiana State inside the UNI 20-yard line.
After forcing another Northern Iowa punt on the Panthers' next possession, the Sycamores again looked to Shields, who had rushes of nine, 11, 22 and 15 yards to set up the Sycamores' go-ahead score. On first-and-goal from the UNI three-yard line, Reese tried a QB sneak. Finding the middle stuffed, Reese tried to reverse his field. But Shields came up from behind, took the ball from Reese and scampered three yards around right end for the game-winning score. After the Sycamore defense forced the Panthers to turn the ball over on downs, the Indiana State offense had only to run out the remaining time on the clock. Reese took an intentional safety on the game's final play to seal the Homecoming win and set off a blue and white celebration.