Southern Illinois (1-4, 0-2 MVFC) at No. 12/12 Illinois State (4-1, 1-1)
Date & Time	Oct. 13, 2018 | 2 p.m. CT
Location	Normal, Illinois | Hancock Stadium (13,391)
TV/Video Stream	ESPN3, Brad Wells, Danan Hughes, Kelly Burke
Live Stats	Provided by ISU
Radio	Saluki Radio Network with Mike Reis (play-by-play), Gene Green (analysis) and Connor James (analysis)
Radio Stream	TuneIn (free)
Southern Illinois	Game Notes (PDF) | Stats | Media Guide (PDF)
Illinois State	Game Notes | Stats | Media Guide (PDF)
MVFC	Weekly Notes | Stats
All-Time Series	Salukis lead, 41-36-3 (H: 24-16-1, A: 17-20-2)
Social Media	@SIU_Football   |  @SIUSalukis   |  Saluki Football

Series versus Illinois State
The teams have met every season since 1970. Since 2002, SIU holds a 9-7 series lead, but interestingly, the outcomes of the games have been lopsided. The average margin of victory for either team since 2002 is 19 points, and only once has a game been decided by less than a touchdown.

QB Sam Straub expected to return
QB Sam Straub (6-4, 247, Sr.) missed last week’s game versus Youngstown State with a concussion, but he is expected to return this week. Straub also missed the last three games in 2017 with a broken wrist. In 15 career starts, Straub has passed for more than 300 yards eight times and has a 7-8 career record. He holds the school record for career 300-yard passing games (8), career 30+ completion games (4), and ranks ninth at SIU in career passing yards (4,208) and sixth in touchdown passes (37). His career high in passing is the school-record 450 yards versus Western Illinois on Nov. 19, 2016. 

S Jeremy Chinn has created 12 turnovers in the last 17 games
In the last 17 games, S Jeremy Chinn (6-2, 211, Jr.) has six interceptions and six forced fumbles. A preseason All-MVC pick, he is tied for second all-time at Southern in forced fumbles (6), trailing only Tyler Williamson (8, 2012-14). Chinn has started 22-straight games at safety for SIU — the longest active starting streak on the team. Chinn will not play during the first half against Illinois State due to a targeting penalty he received in the Youngstown State game.

RB D.J. Davis leads league in All-Purpose Yards
RB D.J. Davis (5-8, 168, Jr.) opened the season with four-straight 100-yard rushing games. The last Saluki to do that was Deji Karim, who had five-straight 100-yard games in 2009. Also a prolific receiver and return man, Davis leads the league in All-Purpose yardage per game (167.8). He is sixth all-time at SIU with 3,424 career all-purpose yards (1,155 rushing, 632 receiving, 1,637 return).

WR Raphael Leonard second in MVFC in catches
WR Raphael Leonard (6-2, 193, Sr.) is second in the MVFC with 28 catches and ranks second in touchdown catches with four. He has caught at least one pass in all 16 games he has played at Southern. Prior to SIU,  Leonard played at East Mississippi Community College football team in 2016, where he was part of Season 2 of the popular Netflix documentary Last Chance U.

Anthony Knighton — sack leader
DE Anthony Knighton (6-4, 253, So.) is the active team leader in career sacks (10.0) and tackles for loss (16.0). In 2017, he was runner-up for MVFC Freshman of the Year after recording 6.5 sacks. This year, he leads SIU with 3.5 sacks. He has started all 16 games in his career and also has two forced fumbles, five pass breakups and one blocked kick. 

Dawg Bites

• SIU has led at halftime in all five games. The Salukis are +30 in scoring in the first half and -40 in the second half.
• Against Youngstown State, SIU played without seven injured starters — QB Sam Straub, TE Jacob Varble, OLB Cody Crider, OLB Withney Simon, S Qua Brown, CB James Ceasar and LS Dan Heilbron. During the game, four more starters exited with injuries — LT Ernest Dye Jr., C Jacob Marnin, TE Nigel Kilby and CB Torian Lewis, plus S Jeremy Chinn due to targeting.
• SIU has had a 100-yard rusher in all five games this year (D.J. Davis/Matt DeSomer) — the longest streak since 2009 (Deji Karim). The last time SIU had six-straight games with a 100-yard rusher was in 2006 (Arkee Whitlock/Nick Hill).
• The defense has recorded 10+ Tackles For Loss in consecutive games (12.0 vs. South Dakota, 10.0 at Youngstown State) for the first time since 2007. The last Saluki team with three-straight games with 10+ TFL was the 2001 squad.
• After starting the season +4 in the turnover battle at Murray State, the Salukis are -7 in the last four games.
• SIU ran 63 plays on offense at Youngstown State after averaging 95 plays during the first four games.

Saluki offense posting historic numbers

• SIU had 1,703 yards of total offense in Weeks 2-4 — the most yards in a three-game span in school history.
• SIU topped 500 yards of total offense in Weeks 2-4  — the longest streak since the 2002 squad did it four-straight games.
• SIU recorded 70 first downs in Weeks 3-4. The 37 versus SEMO was a school record and the 33 versus South Dakota ranked fourth all-time.

Dawg Bites II

• The last time SIU beat a team ranked in the top 12 on the road was at No. 9 Illinois State on Oct. 6, 2012. SIU won, 17-0, despite gaining only 182 yards of offense. SIU blocked a punt for a TD and had four interceptions.
• LB Bryce Notree (6-2, 235, So.) leads the team with 36 tackles. He had 11 as a freshman last year. Notree also has 4.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, one interception and three QB hurries.
• SIU’s defense has 16 sacks and 41 TFL through five games and is on pace to top last year’s marks of 23 sacks and 65 TFL.
• RB Jonathan Mixon (5-11, 230, Sr.) is the team’s active scoring leader with  16 career touchdowns (96 points). He has missed two games this year due to injury.
• Twelve different players have scored touchdowns for SIU this season, including three players on defense.
• QB Matt DeSomer has rushed for 100 yards twice in his career. The school record for career 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback is three, set by Fred Gibson in 1987-88.
• TE Nigel Kilby has caught 12 passes this year and four have been for TDs.
• TE Logan Crouse is a 22-year-old true freshman who played three seasons of pro baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system prior to SIU.
• K Nico Gualdoni (6-0, 227, So.) missed his first career field goal (from 44 yards) last week at Youngstown State. He is 8-for-9 on field goals, with a career long of 39 yards, and 30-for-30 on PATs.
• The offensive line allowed only four sacks during Weeks 1-4 (183 pass attempts), but yielded four during Week 5 (36 attempts). Last year, the Saluki offensive line surrendered just 10 sacks for an MVFC leading average of 0.91 sacks per game.

Darrell James climbing career receiving list
With 1,744 career receiving yards, WR Darrell James (6-0, 209, Sr) needs 66 yards to pass Justin Roebuck into fourth place all time at SIU. James has caught at least one pass in 22-straight games — the team’s longest active streak.

Matt DeSomer’s versatility
Backup QB Matt DeSomer (6-0, 215, Sr.) made his second-career start at quarterback last week. He has played quarterback, wide receiver, safety and special teams during his 35-game career at SIU. His career stats include 648 rushing yards, 416 passing yards, 110 receiving yards, six rushing touchdowns, three passing touchdowns and seven tackles.

WR Landon Lenoir with breakout season
Entering the year with nine catches, slot receiver Landon Lenoir (5-11, 190, So.) has already caught 23 passes this season, is second on the team in catches and has caught at least two balls in every game. Lenoir has two relatives currently in the NFL. Brother Lance Lenoir (age 23), who holds the Western Illinois school record for career touchdown catches (28), is currently a member the Dallas Cowboys. Cousin Laquon Treadwell (age 23) is a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings