CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. – The Southern Illinois football team earned a hard-fought, 35-17 win over Southeast Missouri on Saturday night.
“I think our upperclassmen showed the way here–Ryan Neal and Jeremy Chinn and guys who have played,” SIU head coach Nick Hill said. “I thought overall it was a great week of practice and preparation. The coaching staff did a great job of staying together on the sideline and figuring out a way to come out with a win.”
The win snapped a 12-game road losing streak that went all the way back into the 2014 season, including a loss to SEMO at Houck Field in 2015. In that 2015 game, Southern turned it over on the first play of the game and never recovered en route to seven turnovers and a 27-24 loss. In this game, Southern (2-0) turned it over on the first play of the game but immediately recovered.
The defense held SEMO to a field goal, then the offense rattled off 21-straight points to take a 21-3 lead. Southeast Missouri (0-3) got within 21-10, but the Saluki offense immediately answered with a five-play, 58-yard scoring drive that took just 43 seconds. SIU took a 28-10 lead into halftime.
“Forcing that field goal on the first drive was really big,” Hill said. “I told our guys that there would be some kind of adversity for us to overcome in order to get this 12-game road losing streak over.”
Sam Straub threw for 126 of his 206 yards in that second quarter spurt. Darrell James had 112 yards in the first-half alone, thanks to 37- and 38-yard touchdown catches. Straub also hit Connor Iwema and Raphael Leonard for big plays.
Nearly every SIU score was set up a big play on special teams. After SEMO took the 3-0 lead, D.J. Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards; the Salukis scored nine plays later. Craig James returne a punt 14 yards; the Salukis scored six plays later. After SEMO got within 21-10, Davis again had a big kick return–this time 38 yards; the Salukis scored five plays later.
And the lone SIU score of the second half was set up by a punt. Lane Reazin boomed one 60 yards, and SEMO’s returner dropped it heading backwards; the Salukis scored four plays later to make the lead 35-10.
While the big plays came in the passing game, SIU still maintained nearly a 50-50 split between runs and passes at halftime, which paid off in the second half. With a big lead, SIU turned to power back Jonathan Mixon. Thirteen of Mixon’s 17 rush attempts came in the final 19 minutes. The Salukis controlled the ball for 13 of those final 19 minutes, icing the victory.
“I think it says a lot about our team that we were able to just keep grinding and take the air out of the football to do what we had to do to win,” Hill said. “We could have opened it up and spread it out, but if we’re going to win championships we have to be able to run the ball, play good defense and play great special teams.”
UP NEXT: Southern Illinois travels to FBS opponent Memphis next Saturday, Sept. 23. The Tigers are 2-0 and beat nationally-ranked UCLA earlier on Saturday.
NOTES
SIU has won 10 of the last 12 meetings against SEMO … In regular season games since 2003, SIU is 35-4 against non-conference, non-FBS opponents … The Salukis snapped a 12-game road losing streak. SIU’s last road win before tonight was Nov. 8, 2014 at Missouri State … SEMO now leads the all-time series, 40-37-8, and the series in Cape 19-18-4 … The Salukis have won six of the last seven SIU-SEMO meetings played in Cape Girardeau … The Salukis are 2-0 for just the second time since 2007 (SIU started the season 3-0 in 2014) … Dating back to the end of last year, SIU has won four of its last five games.
http://www.siusalukis.com/boxscore.aspx?path=football&id=7831
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