Football Downs Redbirds, 41-14, Clinches I-AA Playoff Berth

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Nov. 6, 2004

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

By Tom Weber
www.SIUSalukis.com

NORMAL, Ill. - Southern Illinois used a high-powered aerial attack to beat Illinois State Saturday, 41-14, and clinch a share of the Gateway Conference regular-season title and claim the league's automatic bid to the I-AA Playoffs.

The #1-ranked Salukis (9-1, 6-0) lead Western Kentucky by one game in the standings with one game remaining for each team. However, SIU will get the league's automatic bid, regardless of next week's outcome, because it beat Western earlier this season.

Southern has won the Gateway title two years in a row. The last time the Saluki football program won back-to-back conference championships was in 1960 and 1961 when it competed in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The Salukis entered the game averaging 287 rushing yards per contest, and the Redbirds (4-5, 2-4) were determined not to let Southern's ground attack beat them.

Illinois State repeatedly stacked the line of scrimmage, and the strategy worked throughout the first quarter, as ISU forced the Salukis to punt on their first three possessions.

However, Saluki quarterback Joel Sambursky eventually dissected the Redbirds' defense and finished the game with a season-high 256 yards passing and three touchdowns. He also became the school's career leader in touchdown passes with 39.

Neither team scored in the first quarter, but the first big break of the game came when ISU's Joe Walkins fumbled a punt, and it was recovered by Southern's Brad Brachear at the Redbirds' 40.

Six plays later, Sambursky completed a 12-yard touchdown strike to fullback Matt Weishaar.

"We started to settle in," Sambursky said. "We started to get used to what they were showing us defensively."

Southern tacked on two more touchdowns in the second quarter as running back Terry Jackson capped off a 71-yard drive with a two-yard TD plunge, and Kellen Allen caught a 19 yard toss from Sambursky to finish off a 92-yard drive.

"(ISU) put so many guys up to stop the great running backs we have, and that opened up the passing game," Sambursky said. "When guys are keying in on our running game, it opens up other aspects of our offense."

"The last two or three weeks we've been able to run the ball," said Saluki head coach Jerry Kill. "People have been nervous about giving up the big play. Today Illinois State challenged us and had eight or nine guys in the box, and we tried to run it for a while, and then we decided to loosen them up and try to get the ball down the field.

"We're very fortunate to have several receivers who can make plays, and our quarterback played very well. When you're not one-dimensional, it certainly helps you."

SIU appeared content to take a 21-0 lead into the lockerroom at halftime, but as ISU tried to run out the clock, LaShawn Bullock fumbled at the Redbirds' 34, and Saluki linebacker Phillip Doyle picked it up and returned it to the 13 with 10 seconds left before intermission. That allowed Craig Coffin to kick 30-yard field goal and give SIU a 24-0 halftime advantage.

Southern pushed its lead to 31-0 when Sambursky hit Quorey Payne on a crossing pattern, and Payne scampered 24-yards for the touchdown.

Late in the third quarter, Illinois State put points on the board when Yance Vaughan completed a 43-yard touchdown pass to Kevett Mickle.

The Salukis added 10-points in the fourth quarter on a 15-yard touchdown run by Arkee Whitlock and a 31-yard field goal by Coffin. Mickle caught a 10-yard TD pass from Vaughan late in the game to close out the scoring.

Southern finished with 498 total yards to Illinois State's 283.

SIU became the first team in conference history to start back-to-back seasons at 6-0 in conference play.

"It seems like our team has been able to break a lot of streaks and records," Sambursky said. "Now going into the playoffs, it's an awesome opportunity. Last year, it was new to us. At SIU we were trying to be .500, let alone be in the playoffs. This year, we know what it's like to be there, and I think we have a more mature approach."

Sambursky moved into second place in career passing yards at SIU with 4,790.

He also improved upon his school record 57 percent pass completion percentage by completing 14-of-20 passes against the Redbirds.

"What he's done to lead our offense is incredible," Kill said. "He's an amazing young man, and I've always said that he's a better person than he is an athlete. I don't know if I can give anyone a higher compliment than that."

The Salukis suffered a significant injury in the game as starting cornerback Brandon Bruner pulled a hamstring. Kill said Bruner will probably not play next week, with hopes that he will return when the playoffs start on Nov. 27.

Next week's season finale at McAndrew Stadium against Indiana State is critical. A win likely guarantees Southern a top four seed in the playoffs and at least two postseason home games. A loss could drop them out of the top four and send them on the road, similar to last year's loss that left SIU 10-1 at the end of the regular season with a trip to eventual National Champion Delaware.

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