Southern Illinois University
5-0 , 1-0
Indiana St.
3-3 , 0-1
Football Beats Indiana State 37-14, Improves to 5-0
10/04/2003 | 12:00:00 | Football
Oct. 4, 2003
By Seth Whitehead
www.SIUSalukis.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Last week, Southern Illinois University quarterback Joel Sambursky showed off his arm against Division II St. Joseph's because he could.
Saturday, the sophomore threw the ball because he had to. And he showed once again that the Salukis are not going to be a one-dimensional offensive team.
With All-American tailback Muhammad Abdulqaadir sidelined with a bruised knee and Indiana State stacking as many as nine defenders in the box to contain a banged-up Tom Koutsos, Sambursky was forced to go to the air early and often.
The results: 8-for-10 passing and 120 yards in the first half, including two touchdown strikes and a TD run that staked SIU to a commanding 20-0 lead early in the second quarter.
It was a lead SIU would never surrender, as the Salukis cruised to a 37-14 victory over Indiana State in their Gateway Conference opener.
Sambursky finished with 173 yards on 12-for-20 passing, including three touchdown strikes, as the top-scoring team in Division I-AA didn't skip a beat despite their Walter Payton Award candidate sitting out.
Sambursky also had a touchdown run, as 11th-ranked Salukis did a couple things they haven't done since their current players were in grade school.
The Salukis are 5-0 for the first time since 1991 and beat the Sycamores for the first time since 1993. The Salukis surpassed their win total for all of last year in addition to stopping another head-to-head losing streak. SIU broke three-game losing skids to Southeast Missouri State and Murray State this year and stopped an 18-game skid to Western Illinois last year.
Slowly but surely, the program is putting past demons behind them while proving their hot start has been no fluke.
"We've never won here," Koutsos said. "We came out and took it to them and showed we are a real-deal team in this conference.
"We've got a lot of things to prove to a lot of people, so hopefully we made a real statement right here."
"After nine years of frustration it's just nice to get one more off our back," SIU head coach Jerry Kill said.
Sambursky's second big passing game should quiet any of the skeptics who felt he was solely and option quarterback with a limited arm. His second TD strike of the game was a 40-yard bomb to Brent Little.
"I've heard it all about Joel," Kill said. "That he doesn't throw the ball good enough, that he doesn't do this good enough.
"All Joel does is win. And Joel's a special kid, and I've said that since day one. The kid knows how to get it done.
"He really played well today and gave us an opportunity to win the game. I told him I'm very proud of him. I'm glad he's on my team. I wouldn't want to play against him."
Little was Sambursky's primary target throughout, pulling down four catches for 71 yards. Tight end Chris Kupec also got in on the air assault, as he had two touchdown receptions and 37 yards on three catches.
The Salukis shut down the passing game late in the game to eat some clock.
Koutsos led the Salukis with workman-like 91 yards rushing on 30 carries. The senior got off to a slow start, but came through big in the second half, especially on key third down conversions.
"Those were probably the toughest 91 yards he'll ever have," Kill said. "He played hard. And he had to with Mo out."
The Salukis struck early and often, building a 23-0 lead early in the first half and never looking back. Once again, SIU's defense gave the offense a spark with their relentless play.
SIU forced two fumbles, recovering both, picked off two passes and had three sacks. For most of the game, ISU's most effective offensive strategy was taking advantage of SIU penalties. The Salukis had eight flags tossed against them for 74 yards, while ISU had none.
ISU committed the first of their turnovers on the very first play from scrimmage, as a Frank Johnson hit knocked the ball out of tailback Jake Shields' hands. SIU recovered the ball on ISU's 26-yard line, and Sambursky hooked up with Kupec for a seven-yard touchdown strike four plays later.
Johnson was all over the place throughout the afternoon, recovering two fumbles and recording six tackles.
"Frank continues to play well," Kill said. "He's been a good pick-up. And let's face it, good players make good coaches."
Yemi Akisanya then came up with his team-leading third interception of the year on ISU's next possession, setting up Sambursky's long touchdown strike to Little.
ISU went three-and-out on its next possession. They then failed to take advantage of a penalty that nulified a Justin George 55-yard punt return moments later, going three-and-out once again.
The Salukis responded by marching 69 yards to the end zone, capped by a two-yard run by Sambursky, to take a commanding 20-0 lead. Craig Coffin added a 32-yard field goal late in the half to move the lead to 23-0, before Indiana finally got on the board just before intermission with the help of a couple SIU penalties.
The Salukis drew first blood in the second half as they methodically marched downfield and wideout Courtney Abbott scored from 12 yards out on a reverse to give SIU a 30-7 lead.
Sambursky hooked up with Kupec for SIU's final score in the fourth quarter.
Shields led the Sycamores (3-3, 0-1 Gateway) with 123 yards rushing and a touchdown. Jake Schiff threw for 176 yards, but the Saluki secondary held him to 11-for-32 passing. SIU has outscored its five opponents 236-42 this season.
Team Stats
SIU 7, ISU 0
SIU - Chris Kupec 7 yd pass from Joel Sambursky (Craig Coffin kick) 5 plays, 26 yards, TOP 2:08
SIU 14, ISU 0
SIU - Brent Little 41 yd pass from Joel Sambursky (Craig Coffin kick) 6 plays, 51 yards, TOP 2:46
SIU 20, ISU 0
SIU - Joel Sambursky 1 yd run (Craig Coffin kickfailed), 13 plays, 69 yards, TOP 6:44
SIU 23, ISU 0
SIU - Craig Coffin 32 yd field goal 15 plays, 64 yards, TOP 7:30
SIU 23, ISU 7
ISU - King, R. 29 yd pass from Schiff, J. (Hooper, K. kick) 5 plays, 81 yards, TOP 1:55
SIU 30, ISU 7
SIU - Courtney Abbott 12 yd run (Craig Coffin kick), 2 plays, 2 yards, TOP 0:55
SIU 30, ISU 14
ISU - Shields, J. 17 yd run (Hooper, K. kick), 7 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:40
SIU 37, ISU 14
SIU - Chris Kupec 15 yd pass from Joel Sambursky (Craig Coffin kick) 11 plays, 63 yards, TOP 4:33