Football Improves to 8-0 With Win Over SMS

Oct. 25, 2003

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University football team's offense proved to be merely mortal Saturday night.

But fortunately, merely mortal was good enough thanks to another outstanding effort by SIU's vastly improved defense, as the Salukis improved to 8-0 with a workmanlike 20-6 victory over Southwest Missouri State in front of 8,800-plus at McAndrew Stadium.

The Gateway Conference's top-ranked defense held SMS to a pair of field goals, giving up just 188 yards of total offense while recording four sacks.

"Defensively, to hold a team to 188 yards, certainly in the Gateway that is pretty good," SIU head coach Jerry Kill said. "But offensively, we haven?t even hit the cylinder gun yet."

Muhammad Abdulqaadir, Tom Koutsos and Brandon Robinson combined for 229 yards rushing, but it was by far SIU?s least overwhelming offensive showing of the year.

On a rainy night, both teams struggled to get a passing game going as each team was able to concentrate on stopping the run.

Still, Abdulqaadir finished with 84 yards on 19 carries, Koutsos had 74 yards on 14 carries and Robinson had 71 yards on just six carries, as SIU racked up 281 yards on the ground.

Not too shabby.

Add in the fact that the Salukis committed zero turnovers and cut down on costly penalties, and Kill is pleased heading into next Saturday's crucial showdown with defending national champion Western Kentucky.

"We did what we had to do to win the game," Kill said. "Hey, we're 8-0."

"I was worried how we would play tonight. I was worried that we would come out flat. I was worried about a lot of things and drove myself crazy. But the kids bail me out all the time. They are relentless. My credit is to the kids. I?m very proud of them."

SIU improved to 4-0 in Gateway Conference play, keeping pace with league co-leader Northern Iowa, which knocked off Western Illinois earlier in the day. The Salukis had lost three in a row to SMS.

The Salukis also clinched their first above .500 conference record since 1991 and could improve on their current No. 4 national-ranking heading into next Saturday?s contest. No. 2 Villanova lost Saturday to UMASS.

SMS's game plan coming in was to attempt to slow down the country's fourth-ranked rushing offense.

"It seemed like they had everyone in the box, like they were crowding the line of scrimmage," Robinson said. "They were putting a lot of people on Mo, even in the option game, so we did what we had to do."

That plan worked to a tee early on, as the Bears stacked nine defenders in the box and held SIU to just 11 yards rushing on six carries in a scoreless first quarter.

"I didn't think (we started the game) really sluggish," Kill said. "I think what people have to understand is that we're the hunted and we're going to get people's best. That is the same team that played Western Kentucky 9-6. They're a very good football team. They have the capability to control the football with their run game because they're so big up front."

SMS then drew first blood early in the second quarter, taking a 3-0 lead on an 18-yard field goal by Jon Scifres.

It was all SIU after that, however.

Robinson got a sluggish SIU offense going by busting loose for a 60-yard run on SIU's first play from scrimmage after the field goal.

Robinson's run was brought back a few yards due to a face mask penalty by the senior, but it was a huge play nonetheless.

"It was a good play," Kill said. "He broke it out of there and we executed it pretty well. He had a nice run, but needs to learn not to stiff-arm the face mask, which hurt it, but it was a big play in the game."

"It sparked the crowd a little bit and us a little bit," Robinson said.

That set up a one-yard Abdulqaadir touchdown run moments later. A Craig Coffin PAT gave SIU a 7-3 lead, and the Salukis would never trail again.

The Salukis missed a chance to extend the lead right before halftime, as a Craig Coffin field goal attempt was blocked seconds before the intermission.

But SIU moved its lead to 14-3 on the first series of the second half, as Joel Sambursky hooked up with Robinson for a 10-yard touchdown strike to complete a 71-yard drive.

SMS cut that lead to 14-6 with a 36-yard Scifres field goal on the ensuing possession, but the Bears simply couldn't muster enough offense the rest of the way to seriously threaten SIU.

Sambursky had a six-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to move SIU's lead to 20-6, effectively sealing the game for the Salukis. The score was set up by a Alexis Moreland blocked punt that gave SIU a short field, as Melvin Vance returned the ball to the SMS 33-yard line.

Moreland had another outstanding game for SIU, finishing with a team-high 13 tackles, including nine of the solo variety.

Cody Pratt had 138 yards rushing for SMS (3-5,0-4 Gateway),including 71 yards in the first quarter alone. He was slowed the rest of the way however, having carried most of the offensive load with 30 carries. Sophomore quarterback Mike Radon made just his second career start for the Bears and struggled mightily, completing just 8-of-19 passes for 64 yards. SIU's front six terrorized Radon all night, as he finished with minus 14 yards rushing thanks in part to the four sacks.

SIU quarterback Joel Sambursky was just 5-of-12 passing for 45 yards, but contributed with his legs, running for 53 yards on 13 carries -- including several gutsy, physical runs.

After winning its first six games by at least three touchdowns, SIU has grinded out wins in its last two games.

"It's really important because earlier in the year we seemed to smoke everybody," Sambursky said. "To have this adversity and dogfights, it's really big to be able to get away with those kinds dogfights.

"Ohio State last year won sloppy every game and won the national championship. That's what it's all about.

"You guys (the media) were talking winning season. We're talking national championship.

"The great thing is we've got so much room to improve. We have not played a game where we've been clicking on all cylinders, so hopefully we can do that. I think when that happens it will be very hard for us to get beat."

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