Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football Set To Take On Western Illinois
10/17/2003 | 12:00:00 | Football
Oct. 17, 2003
By Seth Whitehead
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE -
The Western Illinois University football team has won five of six games so far this season.
And in those five wins, the Leathernecks have beaten their opponents by an average score of 43-13.
But it's WIU's one loss that has Southern Illinois University coach Jerry Kill worried going into Saturday's 1 p.m. matchup in Macomb between the second-ranked Leathernecks and seventh-ranked Salukis.
At face value, the Leathernecks got stomped in their one setback - 35-7.
But anyone who cares to look deeper will realize that game is the best indication of just how good this WIU team can be.
First of all, they played Louisiana State University. LSU is sometimes referred to as the No. 10 team in Division I-A. Furthermore, the Leathernecks stayed with LSU far longer than the lopsided final score would indicate.
The Leathernecks trailed 14-7 in the third quarter before the Tigers finally pulled away.
That's what impresses Kill the most.
"First of all, I think we're playing the best team in the country in my personal opinion," Kill said. "Second of all, with our schedule and their schedule, we didn't play LSU 14-7 in the third quarter. I think that's what caught my eye. I'm sitting here watching them play LSU and go toe-to-toe. "I think they're a great football team. I'd like to sit here and say that there is some type of weakness or something."
The Leathernecks have a lot going for them, to put it mildly.
They are led by quarterback Russ Michna, a Walter Payton Award candidate and NFL prospect. They play great defense and are senior-laden, hungry team. The team picked to win the Gateway Conference title this year is 16-3 over the last two seasons. Those losses were to LSU, eventual national-champion Western Kentucky and - as Saluki fans will always remember - a last-second 54-52 loss to SIU in the "McAndrew Miracle" last year.
Unfortunately, the Leathernecks remember that game, too. And they have every reason to be confident coming into this game. They pasted the fourth-ranked defensive team in the nation last week, rolling to a 54-20 win over Youngstown State on the road.
"I'm not worried about an emotional letdown," Western Illinois head coach Don Patterson said. "How could we have one? We're playing the seventh-ranked team in the country and a team that beat us a year ago. "We never talk about revenge. We do talk about redemption. We do talk about redeeming ourselves and playing better than we did last year. That certainly applies this week."
Led by Michna and three solid receivers, the Leathernecks can flat throw the ball. Stacy Hall and R.J. Luke burned SIU's secondary a year ago. They are gone, but have been replaced by Terrence Hall, James Norris and Reggie Gray, who each average about 50 yards a game.
They will present the biggest challenge SIU's improved secondary has faced this year.
But WIU's biggest strength may be stopping the run. WIU's defense features a solid five-man front and two monster linebackers in Lee Russell and Phil Archer. Russell, a Buck Buchanon Award candidate, has 63 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss and two sacks this year. Archer has been even better with 67 tackles, six sacks and 11 tackles for a loss.
Fortunately SIU's biggest strength is running the ball. The Salukis are averaging 297 yards a game on the ground, fourth-best in the nation. And the Salukis will have Muhammad Abuldqaadir back this week after he missed all but two snaps of the last two games with a sore knee. Abdulqaadir went ballistic on Western a year ago, running for 261 yards and four touchdowns. Along with Tom Koutsos and Brandon Robinson, SIU's running game should present the Leathernecks some problems.
Western has a solid, but not spectacular running game, led by Travis Glasford, who had five touchdowns last week against Youngstown and was the Gateway Offensive Player of the Week. He leads WIU with 549 yards rushing. SIU is second in the nation in run defense.
The most intriguing matchup may be between the veteran QB Michna and SIU's up-and-coming Joel Sambursky.
Michna has thrown for nearly 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns, completing 55 percent of passes. Sambursky has comparable numbers, with 818 yards passing and eight touchdowns, completing 57 percent of his passes.
Each coach has a tremendous amount of respect for the two play-callers.
"They have an outstanding passing game that compliments the running game very well," Patterson said. "It all starts with the quarterback of course. I voted for him as "Freshman of the Year" a year ago because I thought he very definitely deserved it. I think he played with a poise far beyond his year and it looks like he's doing that all over again this year."
"Western's got a lot of talented players," Kill said. "But you're only as good as your leader and nobody wins championships without a great quarterback. I think that's the thing that special about Western Illinois. I think that guy (Michna) is a magician.
"He's one of the best quarterbacks I've seen in a long, long time."
This is clearly the biggest game the SIU program has had in ages. The Salukis will be playing a team that has won four of the last six Gateway titles in front of what is expected to be a sellout crowd.
At 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the Gateway, a win could solidify SIU as a legitimate conference-title contender. But a lot of things will have to go right. SIU will have to minimize mistakes. One of its few weaknesses this year has been foolish penalties. A Western Illinois team that is experienced and always plays hard will be sure to exploit every SIU miscue.
"There is no question we've improved as a football team," Kill said. "But how much and enough to go to Macomb (and win)? We'll find out. It's definitely a big challenge for us.
"We'll have to be mistake-free and we'll have to have a break or two to be in the game. I really believe that."
