Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football Set To Host Illinois State In Homecoming Game
10/08/2003 | 12:00:00 | Football
Oct. 8, 2003
By Seth Whitehead
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE - With a No. 8 national ranking and a 5-0 record, the Southern Illinois University football Salukis find themselves in pretty exclusive company heading into Saturday's 1:30 p.m. homecoming match-up with Illinois State.
They are one spot ahead of defending I-AA national champion Western Kentucky in the polls and are one of just 10 undefeated teams left in the country.
The Salukis haven't been 5-0 since George Bush was in office - that's George Herbert-Walker Bush - and they can also clinch their first winning season since 1991 with one more victory.
Not too shabby.
It would be easy for all this early-season success to go to the Salukis' heads. But they know better - wouldn't be prudent at this juncture.
Besides, injury reports and the Gateway Conference have a funny way of keeping you on your toes.
Especially when those injury reports feature the names Muhammad Abdulqaadir and Tom Koutsos. Both remain questionable to play on Saturday.
"We've got to take it as a challenge," Saluki quarterback Joel Sambursky said of the possibility of "Thunder and Lightning" sitting out. "But we don't know their status yet. They could be out, or Mo could rush for 300 yards Saturday. Or, you know, Tom could rush for 300 yards. So we don't know."
Even if they do play, the Redbirds are no pushovers.
"We know it's going to be a war, and it's going to be a war from here on out," SIU head coach Jerry Kill said. "You can basically say the same thing every week. There's nothing to guard against. I think we already know we have our work cut out for us."
The Redbirds (3-3, 0-1) have brought the Salukis back down to earth before.
They humbled SIU in Normal last season, rolling to a lopsided victory right after SIU had knocked off nationally-ranked Western Illinois and Northern Iowa in back-to-back weeks.
They've also won four of the last five meetings between the two teams.
"We were rolling a little bit last year when we got to their place and they kind of gave it to us," said fullback Brandon Robinson. "And we had a healthy Mo then. It's going to be a tough game."
Abdulqaadir has yet to practice this week due to a bruised knee that kept him out of last Saturday's 37-14 win over Indiana State. Kill is listing him as doubtful for Saturday.
Ditto for Koutsos, who labored through last week's game against Indiana State with a pulled hamstring and a sore knee.
If both of them can't go, Robinson will move to tailback and get a majority of the carries. Fortunately, he's proven more than capable in the past.
"I'm definitely ready," Robinson said. "It's really my natural position anyway."
Robinson won't be the only one who'll have to step it up if Koutsos and Abdulqaadir are out.
"I know one thing, it definitely movtivates you to pick your game up," Sambursky said. "I know everybody on our team is going to have to pick our game up and try to fill those holes. That's what we've got to do. We've got to take it as a challenge."
The Salukis proved they could win without Abdulqaadir last week, as Sambursky completed eight of his first 10 passes to establish an air attack, and Koutsos and Robinson picked up the slack in the running game.
But they saw nothing the likes of linebacker Boomer Grigsby last week. The Redbird All-American and Buchanan Award candidate had 21 tackles Saturday against Northern Iowa and leads an ISU front seven that has recorded 15 sacks this season.
"I don't think we lost a step last week when we played Indiana State, but at the same time I don't think they're that good," Robinson said. "I think Illinois State is going to be a lot better. I think we'll definitely need him (Abdulqaadir) this game. If not, hopefully one of us can keep it rolling."
But the Redbirds' defense - like much of the rest of the team - has been somewhat of an enigma this year.
The Redbirds are last in the Gateway in total defense (317.3) and points allowed per game (22.7). Their secondary has been torched by I-AA standards (182.5 ypg).
ISU has good offensive numbers, but has really struggled in recent weeks.
The Redbirds piled up 461 yards of total offense against Illinois and are second in total offense in the conference (396.8), but are next to last in points per game (21.0).
Versatile quarterback Mike Souza leads the Gateway in total offense (212.7), but has completed just 48 percent of his passes. Wideout Dwayne Smith is averaging 70 yards a game, but SIU's secondary has held every big-time receiver it's faced in check so far this season.
Demetru Johnson (80.8 ypg) and Sha-Ron Edwards (69.2 ypg) have given the Redbirds a poor-man's Abdulqaadir-Koutsos backfield duo, but have struggled recently. Ditto for the Redbird's offensive line.
They will face a Saluki defense that is third in the nation in rush defense.
"In this conference you have to run the football to be able to win," ISU head coach Denver Johnson said. "That's something that's plagued us the last few weeks. We haven't run the ball effectively. We need to correct that."
Granted, numbers can be deceiving in football. Records can be as well - ISU's three losses were to Northern Iowa, Florida Atlantic and Illinois.
The bottom line: It should be a great football game.
"We know we will get the best Illinois State team possible on Saturday," Kill said. "I know Denver Johnson well enough to know he'll have them very, very ready to play.
"They played their best game, I think, against us a year ago. They just played a heck of a ballgame. They've got talent and some match-up problems for us."
Illinois State needs a win if it has any intentions of staying in the Gateway hunt. A loss would drop them to 0-2 in conference play.
"It is a big game, and we're looking forward to it," Johnson said. "Southern Illinois is a greatly improved football team. Coach Kill and his staff deserve a lot of credit. We're looking forward to going down there and be a part of their homecoming festivities."
"I hope we can go down there and hold up our end of the bargain and play well. I'm sure they will. And if both teams play well it should be a heck of a game."
