Owens accounts for 2 TDs, engineers late drive to give Indiana State 31-27 win over Murray State

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Elijah Owens threw for one touchdown, ran for another and Rocco Ciocca scored on a 1-yard plunge with 11 seconds to go to lift Indiana State to a 31-27 win over Murray State on Saturday.

The Racers, down 24-10, tied the game as Jayden Johannsen threw short touchdown passes on back-to-back drives and took the lead on James London's 25-yard field goal with 1:57 to play.

Owens then engineered a 75-yard drive, completing 2 of 3 passes and picking up 22 yards on two keepers before Shen Butler-Lawson burst up the middle for 32 yards to the Murray State 1. With 43 seconds left the Sycamores tried a pair of unsuccessful “tush push” quarterback sneaks before Owens handed the ball off to Ciocca, a backup tight end.

Owns was 25-of-34 passing for 218 yards with an 18-yard scoring pass to Kai Rios and he scored on a 3-yard run, helping the Sycamores (2-5, 1-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference) build a 21-10 halftime lead.

Johannsen completed 20 of 38 for 256 yards. He had a 2-yard toss to Kade Neely with 3:53 to go in the third and an 11-yard connection with Justice Hill on the next possession. Hill had seven catches for 103 yards for the Racers (1-5, 0-3).