TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (Interstat) — Indiana State used two long touchdown runs by A.Ball and a steady mix of passing to defeat Valparaiso 39-16 in an NCAA Football Championship Division game Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Memorial Stadium. The Sycamores improved to 2-2, while the Beacons fell to 1-2. Valparaiso was the visiting team. Indiana State was the home team. The Sycamores controlled the game after an early exchange of field goals, scoring in every quarter and pulling away in the second half. Indiana State finished with 39 points, and Valparaiso finished with 16.

The first quarter was largely a field-position battle. Sebastian Lopez put Indiana State on the board with a 36-yard field goal. Valparaiso answered when Luke Scoma connected on a 30-yard field goal. Lopez added a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter, and the Sycamores began to find their footing on the ground. A.Ball broke through the middle for a 59-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, giving Indiana State a lead it would not relinquish. The extra point by Lopez was good, and the Sycamores carried momentum into halftime.

Indiana State expanded the margin in the third quarter. A.Ball again found room up the middle, this time for a 58-yard touchdown run, and Lopez converted the extra point. The Sycamores’ defense also limited Valparaiso’s rushing attack for much of the afternoon. Valparaiso’s best response came through the air. Rowan Keefe completed a short pass to Chris Gundy, who caught the ball near the goal line and finished an 11-yard touchdown reception. A roughing-the-passer penalty on Indiana State was assessed on the play, and Valparaiso added the extra point. Indiana State answered with a 46-yard field goal by Lopez in the fourth quarter.

Valparaiso kept competing in the fourth quarter. N. Ehrlich connected with Daniel White on a deep middle pass for a 34-yard touchdown. Luke Scoma’s extra-point attempt failed, leaving Valparaiso with 16 points overall. Indiana State’s defense held from there, and the Sycamores finished off the victory at Memorial Stadium. The game was played in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Keefe led Valparaiso’s passing game, completing 21 of 30 attempts for 162 yards and one touchdown. Gundy finished with five receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown, and he also contributed on special teams with two kickoff returns for 56 yards and two punt returns for 32 yards. Marty O’Keeffe caught four passes for 56 yards. Devin Yeats added three receptions for 23 yards, and Micah Mackay had two catches for 23 yards. Isaac Tran caught four passes for 22 yards. Colin Hayes added two receptions for 13 yards. Daniel White’s lone reception was a 34-yard touchdown. Ashton Allen carried four times for 19 yards and caught one pass for a loss of one yard. Russell Tye ran four times for seven yards. Cedric Benning III added three rushes for one yard and one reception for five yards.

Indiana State spread the passing workload among three quarterbacks. Elijah Owens completed 7 of 15 passes for 115 yards and added 12 rushes for 66 yards and one touchdown. Brady Allen completed 10 of 15 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown. Brock Riddle completed 2 of 3 passes for 42 yards. Their efficiency helped the Sycamores complement A.Ball’s explosive runs and Lopez’s kicking. Lopez made field goals of 36, 28, and 46 yards and converted extra points after each of Indiana State’s touchdowns.

Valparaiso’s defense was busy throughout. Mark Johnson led the Beacons with 11 tackles. Jason Salman recorded seven tackles. Wyatt Little finished with six tackles. Max Samuel had six tackles, two quarterback hurries, and a 15-yard punt return. Kaiser Wilhelm added six tackles. Anthony Feltrinelli and Alex Goworowski each made five tackles. Caleb Baczek contributed five tackles and half a sack. Nic Lendino recorded four tackles and an interception. Micah Markley had three tackles, while several other defenders, including Hayden Hourany, Emmanuel Olojo, Tyler McBride, Nick Johnsen, Connor Cervantes, Garrett Risley, and Donovan Brown, finished with two tackles apiece. Garrett Risley also recorded two quarterback hurries. Antony Morris had one tackle and half a sack. Gabriel Batres added a quarterback hurry. Will Orlando punted 10 times for 385 yards. Jackson Crawford caught one pass for 9 yards and made one tackle. JQ Harris recorded four tackles. Skyler Slifer, Nathan Harris, Adrian Williams Jr., Bertrand Berry II, Blake Thorp, and O.C. Nurse each made one tackle. Nick Beidl had a 1-yard punt return, and Colten Tripp made two tackles.

Indiana State’s defensive efforts were led by Gavin Hagan and Micah McNair, who each recorded three tackles. Willy Suarez caught one pass for 14 yards. The Sycamores’ special teams also benefited from Lopez’s three field goals, which repeatedly stretched the lead and forced Valparaiso to play from behind.

Valparaiso entered the game after an 18-27 loss at Murray State on Sept. 12 and a 59-13 win over Lawrence Tech on Aug. 29. Indiana State came in after a 42-35 win at Eastern Illinois on Sept. 12, a 44-19 loss at Purdue on Sept. 4, and a 23-21 loss to Southeast Missouri State on Aug. 29. The Sycamores evened their record at 2-2 with the home win. The Beacons dropped to 1-2.

Valparaiso will host Butler on Sept. 26. The Beacons will then visit Morehead State on Oct. 3, host Drake on Oct. 10, visit San Diego on Oct. 17, host Presbyterian on Oct. 24, visit Dayton on Nov. 7, visit Stetson on Nov. 14, and host Saint Thomas of Minnesota on Nov. 21. Indiana State will host North Dakota on Sept. 26. The Sycamores will then visit South Dakota on Oct. 3, host Youngstown State on Oct. 10, visit Illinois State on Oct. 24, visit Northern Iowa on Oct. 31, host Southern Illinois on Nov. 7, host Murray State on Nov. 14, and visit South Dakota State on Nov. 21.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Indiana State 42, Valparaiso 27. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Indiana State with a 93 percent probability to win. Valparaiso had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +24.5. The total score of 55 went over the over-under line of 55.5.