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Bears hosts sycamores on homecoming
- The red-hot Missouri State Bears return to Robert W. Plaster Stadium on Saturday to entertain Indiana State on Homecoming (2 p.m.). MoState has won 4 straight and ranks No. 20 in this week's AFCA FCS Top 25 poll.
- Missouri State's four-game win streak matches the 10th-longest active streak in the FCS ranks headed into this week's competition. Likewise, the Bears enter the week ranked 20th nationally in the championship subdivision in home attendance average (10,880), third-best in the MVFC.
- In a campus tradition that dates back to 1921, the Bears are 22-20 on homecoming during their Division I era (since 1982) with 3 straight wins. Over the last 50 years, the Bears are 28-22 in homecoming games.
- MSU has scored two or more touchdowns in 19 of its last 20 home games, dating back to March 13, 2021. In that span, MoState is 15-5 at home (11-4 in MVFC games), while scoring 30 or more points 15 times.
- A Missouri State win against Indiana State would give the Bears a 3-0 start in conference play for the first time since 1997 (coach Del Miller)
- 5-game winning streak for the first time since 2001-02 (Oct. 27, 2001 to Sept. 7, 2002) (coach Randy Ball) Fourth consecutive homecoming victory
- 3-0 home record for the first time since 2021 (coach Bobby Petrino). Winning home record for the fourth straight season and a seventh .500 or better home season in eight years.
- Quarterback Jacob Clark (Sr., Rockwall, Texas) is coming off his third MVFC Offensive Player of the Week honor of the season (fourth of his career) after completing 24-of-31 passes for 343 yards and 3 touchdowns against Illinois State (Oct. 12). He engineered scoring drives on 5 of MSU's first 7 drives to help the Bears top No. 16-ranked Illinois State, 41-7, in Normal. It marked Clark's fourth 300-yard passing game of the season and sixth in 10 career starts. Clark is the MVFC leader in total offense (318.5), passing yards per game (312.2), total passing yards (1,873), completions per game (23.5) and passing touchdowns (13), ranking in the top 11 nationally in each category. See p. 6 for complete Clark national rankings.
- In his first start as a Bear, senior Tavier Williams (S, Many, La.) brought down 8 ball carriers and snagged 2 interceptions against Illinois State. He became the first MoState player to post multiple interceptions in a game since Jared Beshore (2) at South Dakota State on Nov. 3, 2018.
- Missouri State's 41-7 win at No. 16 Illinois State last week marked the fifth-largest road margin of victory in a "ranked vs. ranked" MVFC game in the history of the league. There have been 237 games in which two ranked MVFC teams played one another.
- MoState's offense ranks in the top 25 nationally in the following categories: 4th in passing offense (314.7); 5th in completion percentage (.710); 6th in pass efficiency (.168.75); 17th in fewest turnovers (5); 20th in scoring offense (32.7); 21st in total offense (414.5); 21st in yards per pass completion (13.30); 22nd in fewest interceptions (3); 22nd in 3rd down efficiency (.451). The Bears lead the MVFC in passing offense and rank second in completion percentage, pass efficiency and yards per completion.
- Missouri State is playing Indiana State on homecoming for the seventh time. The Bears are 5-1 against the Sycamores in six previous homecoming matchups, including four straight wins in that span.
- Jacardia Wright (Sr., Decatur, Ill.) has 401 carries for 1,803 yards and 22 touchdowns in 26 games as a Bear. He is 197 yards away from becoming the 11th Missouri State player to rack up 2,000 career rushing yards, while his 22 rushing scores already ranks 9th on MSU's career list.
- MoState's defense ranks in the national top 25 in the following: 6th in defensive touchdowns; 7th in turnover margin (1.33); 9th in fumble recoveries (6); 13th in takeaways (13); 17th in interception takeaways (7); 24th in sacks (2.50), all of which are tops in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
- Series HistoryMSU leads the all-time series against the Sycamores, 22-14, with the Bears owning wins in five of the last six meetings.
- MSU is 13-5 all-time at Plaster Stadium against Indiana State, in addition to a 9-9 ledger in Terre Haute.
- Two years ago in Terre Haute (11/19/22), a season-high 247 ground yards pushed Missouri State to a 24-7 road victory in the season finale for both clubs. The Bears got 100 rushing yards from Kevon Latulas – his third career 100-yard game – and 85 more from Jacardia Wright who scored a pair of touchdowns. MoState's defense was up to the task, allowing just one first down and 27 total yards in the second half and holding the Sycamores to 283 yards for the game with three takeaways. After leading 10-7 at the half, Missouri State put things on ice late with Jason Shelley and Wright did the heavy lifting on a 12-play, 72-yard march that chewed up just under seven minutes and culminated in a 5-yard TD run by Wright. Wright's second score of the afternoon made it a 17-7 game and gave the visitors some breathing room on a day with wind chills in the upper teens. Final Stats
- In the last meeting in Springfield (10/16/21), Missouri State got a stellar defensive performance, some critical special teams plays and had the offense rolling when it counted as part of a 37-7 homecoming win. The Bears held Indiana State to 1-for-11 on third down and surrendered just one score late in the fourth quarter to secure their largest margin of victory since 2018. MSU forced the visitors into seven punts in their first nine possessions. Coach Bobby Petrino's squad racked up 21 first downs and 442 total yards in an efficient performance that featured scoring drives in six-of-seven possessions during a critical juncture of the game.
- Jason Shelley became the first Missouri State quarterback to rack up 200 passing yards in his first six career games as he finished 11-for-21 for 225 yards, no interceptions and three touchdowns. Ty Scott finished with 3 catches for 106 yards and two TDs.
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