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November 5, 2005 SYCAMORES CAN'T STOP WESTERN OFFENSE IN SENIOR DAY LOSS TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State recorded its most offensive points of the season, but the Sycamore defense could not find an answer to a potent Western Illinois offense that racked up 63 points and over 600 yards of total offense in a 63-35 victory over ISU on Senior Day at Memorial Stadium. ISU fell to 0-10, 0-6 GFC, while Western moved to 4-6, 2-4 GFC. Senior quarterback Blayne Baggett found junior wide receiver Carl Berman on a scoring pass to cap the Sycamores’ first drive and stake ISU to a quick 7-0 lead with 11:25 left in the first quarter. Western Illinois’ Travis Glasford scored back-to-back rushing touchdowns to give the Leathernecks a 14-7 lead midway through the first period. The Leatherneck lead would grow on a Steve LaFalce pass to Carl Sims for a 21-7 advantage with two minutes showing on the first quarter game clock. Junior Cornell Johnson tied a school-record on the ensuing kickoff with a 97-yard kickoff for a touchdown to get ISU back within one score at 21-14 just before the end of the first quarter. Western added a score of their own on a LaFalce run, then Baggett hooked up Berman for another score to get ISU within striking distance at 28-21. The Leathernecks went on to score the next 28 points in the contest, with Baggett finding Sam Logan for a five-yard touchdown to inch the Sycamores closer at 56-28 late in the third quarter. Baggett tossed his fourth score of the contest, when he found Ben Schmidt on a 27-yard score early in the fourth quarter before Western tacked on a final TD for a 63-35 win. Baggett set a career-high with four touchdown passes in the contest, as he tossed for 353 yards. It was the second week in a row that Baggett eclipsed the 300-yard passing mark. ISU was paced in receptions by Berman, who caught 11 balls for 78 yards in the contest. Logan went over the 100-yard mark for the seventh time in his career, with eight catches for 165 yards and a TD. Cornell Johnson had two kickoff returns for 107 yards, including the 97-yard return for a TD in the second quarter. It was ISU’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since the 2002 season opener when Soso Dede had a 95-yarder at Western Michigan. Indiana State will look to avoid their first winless season since the 1950’s when they finish the season at Illinois State next Saturday. No ISU has team has ever started a season 0-10 until today, and no team has ever lost more than 10 games in a season. The 2000 squad was 1-10, with its lone win at Southern Illinois.
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