Southern Illinoise University Athletics
SIU's Game Notes For Southwest Missouri
03/19/2001 | 12:00:00 | Football
October 16, 2000
After passing the halfway mark of the season . . . with a solid 35-23 win over an undefeated Drake (I-AA non-scholarship) team last Saturday, SIU's head coach Jan Quarless would be the first to admit his 2000 club isn't exactly where he would prefer with a 2-4 overall record and 1-1 Gateway Conference mark. Nevertheless, the Salukis have four league games remaining to improve on the 1-1 and even an additional single victory would be the first time since 1995 that SIU has won as many as two games in the Gateway.
Even though three of their remaining four . . . conference games are on the road, the Salukis have to be reasonably optimistic over their chances of at least breaking even in the Gateway as season's stats are more impressive than in recent past years.
For the second time this season, the Salukis . . . did not allow their opponents plus yardage on the ground Saturday. The Bulldogs, who had averaged rushing for 192.5 yards per game in rolling to five wins this season, were limited to just 53 yards gained while losing 62 for a net of minus-9. Earlier this season, Southeast Missouri State was forced to settle for a minus-17 against SIU.
While pleased with their overall defensive efforts . . . this season which show opponents with a 299.8 yards per game average as opposed to the 485.2 they gave up in 1999, the Salukis are aware their final five opponents are all capable of damaging present averages.
Western Illinois managed to gain 380 yards . . . in total offense against the Salukis while claiming a 42-17 win two weeks ago. The SMS Bears, who are giving up just 319.7 yards per game in six games this season, allowed WIU 309, or 71 fewer yards than the Leathernecks got against SIU. And, Western Illinois needed a dramatic finish which produced two touchdowns in the final 3:59 of the game to win 14-10.
Both SMS and the Salukis will be taking identical . . . 2-4 records into Saturday's game. Western Illinois is the only common opponent both teams have faced while the Bears' other losses have been to Arkansas (38-0), McNeese State (26-19) in OT, and to Youngstown State (19-13).
A win over the Bears could be a major step . . . for the Salukis in their efforts to finish in the middle of the pack in final Gateway Conference standings. Indiana State is still winless in the league as well as overall. Southwest Missouri is already 1-2 in the league with both of its remaining conference games on the road (at Northern Iowa and at Illinois State) following this week's game in Springfield.
SIU trails in the series with the Bears . . . 9-13 after winning a year ago 52-49. The Salukis, however, have not won at SMS in their last six trips to Springfield.
QB Sherard Poteete's bid to become . . . SIU's all-time touchdown passing leader received somewhat of a boost last week when he hooked up with Mark Shasteen for a pair of long strikes. Without a TD pass for three weeks, Poteete boosted his career total to 29 as he passed Kent Skornia who had 28 in his two record-setting seasons at SIU. Even with the two touchdowns against Drake, Poteete has only five touchdown passes in SIU's first six games this season after having connected for 24 six-pointers last season.
Nevertheless, Poteete continued to advance . . . in all three major categories -- TD passes, most yards gained in a career and most career completions -- in his last four games.
While Poteete has fallen off his torrid pace . . . of a year ago, Saluki running back Tom Koutsos is continuing at a level that will soon have him challenging SIU's all-time leaders in several categories. The sophomore had still another strong effort against Drake as he gained 130 yards against the Bulldogs giving him his fifth 100-yard plus game of the season and ninth of his career with the Salukis. Only three other former SIU standouts have collected more and the sophomore from Oswego, Ill., is hopeful of becoming one of only two to rush for more than 100 yards in six or more games in a season.
In the first five games of the 2000 season, the . . .Salukis had maintained ball possession for 31:48 minutes of their games as compared to their opponent's 28:12. They dominated even more against Drake with a 33:27 to 26:33 edge.
Teddy Sims, a senior transfer from Florida, is . . . continuing his strong drive to unseat Bart Scott as SIU's defensive leader. Sims had 10 stops against Drake in last Saturday's Saluki win and six were unassisted efforts. For the season Sims now has 50 with his closest teammate -- Andre King -- well back in the pack with just 32. Rod Graddy, another newsomer to the Saluki program, is third with 27, one more than Scott who has been SIU's leader for the past two seasons.
Despite their 2-4 record, the Salukis . . . have bettered their opponents in total offense. SIU is averaging 175.5 yards on the ground and 133.3 through the air for 308.8 yards per game. Opponents are averaging 104.3 and 195.5 for 299.8 per game, a difference of plus 9 yards per game in favor of SIU. Koutsos and Poteete are responsible for practically all of the rushing yardage as together they've gained 979 of the club's 1053 net yards. That's 93 percent. Only one other ball-carrier -- Donnie Reeves -- has reached double digit rushing yardage and he did that just Saturday against Drake when he collected 46 in seven carries and now has 55.
Somewhat of the same situation is true . . . of SIU's receivers as Mark Shasteen, Brian Hamlett and Tom Koutsos have caught 42 of the Salukis' 66 receptions for 570 of the 800 yards gained.
