The 2016 Indiana State Sycamores football team represented Indiana State University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Mike Sanford and played their home games at Memorial Stadium. They were a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. They finished the season 4–7, 2–6 in MVFC play to finish in a three-way tie for eighth place.
On December 16, head coach Mike Sanford resigned[1] to join the staff at WKU where his son, Mike Sanford Jr., had recently been named the head coach. Sanford leaves Indiana State with a four year record of 18–30.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|
| September 3 | 3:00 pm | Butler* | | | ESPN3 | W 41–25 | 5,625 |
| September 10 | 12:00 pm | at Minnesota* | | | ESPNews | L 28–58 | 41,026 |
| September 17 | 7:00 pm | at Southeast Missouri State* | | | OVCDN | W 27–24 | 7,637 |
| September 24 | 3:00 pm | No. 9 Illinois State | | - Memorial Stadium
- Terre Haute, IN
| ESPN3 | W 34–31 | 6,561 |
| October 1 | 3:00 pm | Missouri State | No. 24 | - Memorial Stadium
- Terre Haute, IN
| ESPN3 | L 24–45 | 6,871 |
| October 8 | 4:00 pm | at No. 13 Western Illinois | | | ESPN3 | L 35–36 | 5,487 |
| October 15 | 3:00 pm | South Dakota | | - Memorial Stadium
- Terre Haute, IN
| ESPN3 | L 30–33 2OT | 3,297 |
| October 22 | 3:00 pm | at Southern Illinois | | | ESPN3 | W 22–14 | 9,603 |
| October 29 | 2:00 pm | at Youngstown State | | | ESPN3 | L 10–13 | 15,082 |
| November 5 | 1:00 pm | Northern Iowa | | - Memorial Stadium
- Terre Haute, IN
| ESPN3 | L 6–39 | 3,409 |
| November 12 | 3:30 pm | at No. 4 North Dakota State | | | ESPN3 | L 17–41 | 18,276 |
|
Game summaries
Butler
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Bulldogs
|
0
|
6
|
6
|
13 |
25 |
| Sycamores
|
14
|
3
|
21
|
3 |
41 |
At Minnesota
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Sycamores
|
7
|
0
|
14
|
7 |
28 |
| Golden Gophers
|
14
|
24
|
10
|
10 |
58 |
At Southeast Missouri State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Sycamores
|
7
|
3
|
3
|
14 |
27 |
| Redhawks
|
7
|
3
|
7
|
7 |
24 |
Illinois State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| #9 Redbirds
|
0
|
7
|
7
|
17 |
31 |
| Sycamores
|
7
|
10
|
7
|
10 |
34 |
Missouri State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Bears
|
10
|
14
|
7
|
14 |
45 |
| #24 Sycamores
|
14
|
10
|
0
|
0 |
24 |
At Western Illinois
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Sycamores
|
7
|
7
|
21
|
0 |
35 |
| #13 Leathernecks
|
0
|
20
|
7
|
9 |
36 |
South Dakota
|
|
|
|
|
| | |
Total |
| Coyotes
|
17
|
0
|
10
|
0 | 3 | 3 |
33 |
| Sycamores
|
10
|
0
|
7
|
10 | 3 | 0 |
30 |
At Southern Illinois
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Sycamores
|
3
|
7
|
6
|
6 |
22 |
| Salukis
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
7 |
14 |
At Youngstown State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Sycamores
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
10 |
| Penguins
|
0
|
6
|
0
|
7 |
13 |
Northern Iowa
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Panthers
|
13
|
14
|
6
|
6 |
39 |
| Sycamores
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
0 |
6 |
At North Dakota State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Sycamores
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
10 |
17 |
| #4 Bison
|
21
|
13
|
7
|
0 |
41 |
Ranking movements
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes | Week |
|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
|---|
| STATS FCS | RV | RV | — | RV | 24 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|---|
| Coaches | — | RV | — | — | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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References
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| Venues | |
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| Bowls & rivalries | |
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| Culture & lore | |
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| People | |
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| Seasons | |
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