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Indiana St. markedly improved
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo
North Dakota State defenders, including Coulter Boyer (92) and Cole Jirik (93) chase after Indiana State quarterback Ronnie Fouch (4) during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010, in Fargo, N.D. North Dakota State won 27-15. (AP Photo/The Forum, Dave Wallis)
By Joe Scalzo
YOUNGSTOWN
After going 1-22 in his first two seasons at Indiana State, Sycamores coach Trent Miles said he knew this season would be better just by looking at the team’s uniform order.
“This is the first time instead of ordering small and medium, I’m ordering large and extra large,” he joked before the season.
The rest of the conference didn’t expect much from the league’s perennial doormat — the Sycamores were picked last in the preseason poll — but Indiana State opened eyes immediately with a 57-7 win over St. Joseph’s (Ind.) in its opener.
The Sycamores (5-4, 3-3) have won four of their last six games and, with a win over Youngstown State on Saturday, can finish with four league wins for just the second time in 25 years.
“Coach Miles gets my vote for coach of the year in the conference,” said Penguins coach Eric Wolford. “We did a spring evaluation of them and in the summer, when I had a little bit of free time, I went back and watched them again. They have a done a good job of developing their players. I see them moving around a lot better on field and developing players.
“They’re drastically improved.”
The Sycamores’ success starts with their quarterback, junior Ronnie Fouch.
Fouch has thrown for 16 TDs this year, the most for a Sycamore signal caller since Jeff Miller tossed a school-record 17 in 1985. Fouch’s 1,962 passing yards this season is tied for third-most in INS history.
“Ronnie’s had a great year,” said Miles. “Obviously, he’s been the reason behind much of our offensive success. He’s a student of the game, a great kid, he’s got a really good strong, accurate arm and he’s got a good pocket presence. He doesn’t get rattled.
“We need to get more weapons around him, but I find it hard to believe there’s better out there than him.”
Fouch’s main targets are receivers Justin Hilton (36 catches, 643 yards, 7 TDs) and Bryant Kent (36 catches, 476 yards, 3 TDs). The Sycamores like to throw vertically, so YSU’s shaky secondary will get tested deep.
On the ground, Darrius Gates has run for 805 yards and a staggering 15 TDs and leads the country with 102 total points. Shakir Bell (627 yards) is also a threat.
“Darrius has run the ball well,” Miles said. “He’s not the biggest guy in the world and he gets worn down a little bit, so we like to sprinkle in Bell a little bit.”
The Sycamores are fourth in the Missouri Valley in total defense and are especially good in defending the pass, where they rank second.
Their biggest weakness has been in road games, where they haven’t won since 2004, when they beat Eastern Illinois. Indiana State’s last road conference victory came against Southern Illinois in 2002, and it’s been even longer since it beat YSU.
The Penguins are 18-1 all-time against the Sycamores, with the lone loss coming in 1995. Indiana State has only won four league games one other time, in 1986.
“We’ve got a challenge ahead of us,” said Miles, who plays at Southern Illinois next week. “We’ve got to try to figure out how to win on the road.
“Hopefully we can find a way to get a winning season.”