Salukis test FBS Memphis, but fall 44-31

by John Lock – siusalukis.com

SIU quarterback Sam Straub throws out of the pocket over a Memphis defender

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Southern Illinois football team gave a highly touted Memphis team a fight, but the Salukis ultimately fell short, 44-31. SIU had a 21-17 lead at halftime, but Memphis outscored SIU 17-3 in the third quarter and held on for the win.

“I was proud of our guys,” SIU head coach Nick Hill said. “We didn’t come down here just to be proud of our effort and play it close and feel good. Really, we’ve never questioned this team’s effort. We knew they were going to come out here and play hard. They wouldn’t be travelling if they weren’t a guy that commits and plays hard and battles.”

Memphis was a 30-point favorite after beating nationally-ranked UCLA last weekend, and the Tigers came into the game ranked No. 31 in the FBS in both major polls. But Southern Illinois (2-1) dominated the Tigers in the first half. SIU rolled 78 yards on the opening drive of the game to set the tone. At the end of the first quarter, SIU had outgained Memphis 167-27.

“We started out hot. We just have to finish,” SIU safety Ryan Neal said. “That’s the thing about it. We’ve got to come out the canon and keep it on them. That’s the way you play the game.”

Memphis (3-0) controlled the second quarter and took a 17-14 lead; but with less than two minutes remaining before halftime, Sam Straub guided a five-play, 65-yard touchdown drive in less than a minute. Darrell James broke a tackle on the 33-yard touchdown reception, his second of the half. SIU led at the break, 21-17.

The Tigers won the game in the third quarter. They got the ball first and scored within 90 seconds. After an SIU 3-and-out, they scored again, this time a field goal to take a 27-21 lead.

Then, Southern controlled the ball for nearly nine minutes on its next possession, converting two fourth downs on a 16-play drive. But Memphis held Southern to a field goal, then immediately returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to take a 34-24 lead, its biggest of the game, with five second left in the quarter.

“On that drive, we only got three. Then they housed the kickoff. That’s tough to respond from, but I was happy with the way that we continued to come back and finish for four quarters,” Hill said

Memphis added a field goal to take a 37-24 lead, but the Salukis nearly came back to win anyway. Straub finished a 13-play drive with a touchdown pass to Jaylon Graham with five minutes to go. Southern’s defense appeared to get a defensive stop–which would have given SIU the ball back with a chance to win–but a facemask penalty was called on the play. Memphis took advantage of the break and punched in the touchdown to set the final score at 44-31.

The script felt familiar for SIU. Southern hasn’t been blown out of a game against an FBS opponent since a 35-3 loss at Illinois in 2010. But despite being close in every game since (SIU has outgaining its FBS foes cumulatively over those seven games), SIU fell to 0-7 in the so-called “guarantee games.” What this game in particular showed was that the Salukis can compete with a top-30 team in all of college football.

“We both put on our pads the same way. We both put on our helmets the same way. We both play football the same way. It really doesn’t matter,” Straub said of the FCS vs. FBS matchups. “We just try to come out here and compete and give it our all.”

Straub threw four touchdowns in the loss. Connor Iwema caught nine passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, and Raphael Leonard caught six passes for 70 yards. Defensively, Ryan Neal led the team with 10 tackles. Cody Crider(9), Kyron Watson (8 and a TFL) and Jeremy Chinn (7) also had big days on defense.

Southern Illinois opens conference play next weekend at home against Northern Iowa on Family Weekend. The Salukis are trying to snap a three-game losing streak against the Panthers. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., and tickets are available at SIUSalukis.com or by calling 877-SALUKIS.