SIU at South Dakota State notes

LINK TO THIS WEEK IN MVC FOOTBALL

http://valley-football.org/news/2017/10/2/valley-football-weekly-notebook-oct-2.aspx

QUICK HITS

• Southern Illinois faces No. 9 South Dakota State on Saturday night in Brookings.
• SIU and SDSU are 1-2 in the MVFC in fewest sacks allowed. The Salukis lead the nation in fewest sacks allowed.
• The Salukis have beaten at least one ranked opponent in 15 consecutive seasons. In four meetings while SDSU has been ranked, SIU is 2-2, with wins at No. 9 South Dakota State in 2009 and at No. 7 SDSU in 2013.
• SIU wide receivers Darrell James and Connor Iwema each eclipsed 1,000 career receiving yards last week.
• SIU and SDSU were 1-2 in the league in scoring and total offense last year. SDSU topped the league in scoring offense, while SIU led the league in total offense. The Jacks and Salukis played a 45-39 game in Carbondale that featured 1,092 yards of total offense (888 yards of passing).

SALUKIS AT SDSU

• SIU travel to Brookings, S.D., to a matchup with the ninth-ranked Jackrabbits of South Dakota State.
• SIU and SDSU did not play in 2014 or 2015, and the teams played in Carbondale last season. The last time SIU played in Brookings was a 27-24 win over No. 7 South Dakota State in 2013. No players on the 2017 Salukis played in that game.
• South Dakota State is ranked No. 9 in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 8 in the STATS Media Poll.
o The Salukis are 17-35 all-time against top-10 ranked teams.
o Southern’s last win against a top-10 team was 24-17 at No. 4 Northern Iowa in 2013. SIU beat No. 7 South Dakota State the week prior to that win over Northern Iowa.
o The Salukis have beaten a ranked opponent in 15 consecutive seasons. Five of the remaining seven teams on the schedule are ranked in the top-25.
o The Salukis are 2-0 against ranked SDSU teams in Brookings. SIU won over No. 9 SDSU in 2009 and over No. 7 SDSU in 2013.
• SIU and SDSU were 1-2 in the league in scoring and total offense last year.
o SDSU topped the league in scoring offense, while SIU led the league in total offense.
o The Jacks and Salukis played a 45-39 game in Carbondale that featured 1,092 yards of total offense (888 yards of passing).
o The Salukis had the ball twice in the fourth quarter of that game with a chance to take the lead, but sacks ended both drives.
o Connor Iwema had six catches for 107 yards and a touchdown in that game, one of four career 100-yard games for Iwema.
• Over the last three seasons, SIU is 12-7 at home (.632) and 3-16 on the road (.158).

SALUKI DEFENSE SHOWING MARKED IMPROVEMENT

Saluki Defense 2016 2017
OPP Points Per Game 30.7 22.0
OPP Rush YPG 165.9 99.8
OPP Pass YPG 267.2 260.5
OPP Total YPG 433.1 360.2
Turnovers Forced PG 1.3 2.0
Tackles for Loss PG 6.2 8.0
Sacks Per Game 1.8 3.0
OPP Yards Per Play 5.8 4.8
• SIU limited Mississippi Valley State to negative-eight yards rushing in the season opener.
• Southern’s defense has already forced eight turnovers–more than halfway to its season totals from 2015 and 2016 (14 in each season).
• In the season opener against Mississippi Valley State, Southern Illinois piled up 16 tackles for loss and six sacks.
• SIU’s 16 TFLs during the season opener are tied for the most in FCS this season.
• The 16 TFLs are also the most for the program since at least 2006.
• The Salukis recorded 20 sacks all of last season, and they already have 12 this year.

O-LINE SURGE

Offensive Line First 7G of 2016 Since (8 Games)
Rush Yards 948 1,212
Rush YPG 135.4 151.5
Yards Per Rush 3.58 3.94
Sacks Allowed 24 (3.4 spg) 6 (0.75 spg)
Team Record 2-5
4-4
• Southern Illinois has gone 4-3 in its last seven games, dating back to last season. That has coincided with a surge in offensive line play.
• Starting quarterback Sam Straub has not been sacked this season. He has thrown 146 passes.
• The only sack Southern has given up was in the second half of a 55-3 blowout win over Mississippi Valley State.
• Austin Olsen was named MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week after SIU put up 393 yards, 31 points and allowed no sacks at Memphis.

SIU NOTES PROVIDED BY John Lock of siusalukis.com