Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football Claims #1 Ranking in I-AA
09/12/2005 | 12:00:00 | Football
Sept. 12, 2005
The Southern Illinois University football team climbed three spots to #1 in the Sports Network media poll released Monday. It is familiar territory for SIU, which spent 10-consecutive weeks at #1 last season.
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I-AA Sports Network Poll (First place votes)
1. Southern Illinois (79)
2. Western Kentucky (4)
3. New Hampshire (5)
4. Montana (8)
5. Eastern Washington (10)
6. Delaware (4)
7. William & Mary (1)
8. James Madison
9. Northern Iowa (1)
10. Furman 1-1
11. Montana State (1)
12. North Dakota State (1)
13. Hampton
14. Georgia Southern
15. Northwestern State
16. Lehigh
17. Coastal Carolina (1)
18. Cal Poly
19. Harvard (1)
20. Texas State
21. McNeese State (1)
22. Western Carolina
23. Hofstra
24. Sam Houston State
25. Massachusetts
Salukis Versus I-A Opponents
Since dropping to I-AA status prior to the 1983 season (63 scholarships), the Salukis are 1-19 against Division I-A teams. The only win came in 1983 against New Mexico State.
MAC Heartbreakers
The Salukis' last two meetings with I-A teams have been Mid-American Conference opponents. Both games ended in heartbreak for SIU. In 2002, Eastern Michigan rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter and eventually won in double overtime, 48-45. In 2004, the Salukis fell just shy at Northern Illinois, 23-22. SIU scored a touchdown with 57 seconds left, but the two-point pass conversion failed. The Huskies finished 9-3 and beat Troy in the Silicon Valley bowl.
Joel Sambursky on Payton Watch List
QB Joel Sambursky (6-0, 195, Sr.) is one of 16 players on the watch list for the 19th Walter Payton Award, presented annually by The Sports Network to the top player in I-AA football. Sambursky was a finalist for the award last year, finishing eighth in the balloting. He currently has a quarterback rating of 180.26, which is fifth-best in I-AA.
Sambursky Breaks Records
Sambursky holds most of the Salukis' major career passing records. He is the career leader in passing yards (5,636), touchdown passes (47) and completion percentage (58.2). The fifth-year senior from Liberty, Mo., ranks second in career pass completions (375).
Sambursky a Winner
Sambursky has started 38-straight games at quarterback for SIU, and in the last two seasons, has guided the team to a 22-4 record and back-to-back Gateway Conference championships and I-AA Playoff appearances.
Little Tops Century Mark Again
WR Brent Little (6-0, 185, Sr.) had 136 yards receiving against Union (Ky.) Saturday, the fourth time in his last nine games he's topped 100 yards. A big-play threat, Little leads SIU with six catches and a 25.5 average this season. He ranks among the school's career leaders in several categories with 17 receiving touchdowns (3rd), 1,675 receiving yards (3rd) and 81 receptions (11th). Little has caught at least one pass in 26 of the last 27 games.
Modern Scoring Record
The 82 points Southern put up against NAIA opponent Union last week were the most in the modern history of Saluki football. In 1914, the Southern Illinois Normal Maroons played a team referred to as the University of Arts & Science and won 118-0. That mark still stands as the school scoring record.
Saluki Offense #1 in I-AA
The Salukis are averaging 70 points per game and 572 yards of total offense per game. They are #1 in the nation in scoring offense and #2 in total offense.
Royal Whitaker Leads Saluki Defense
The premier linebacker in the Gateway Conference has to be considered Royal Whitaker (6-0, 230, Sr.). He has started 32 games in his career and ranks 16th in career tackles at SIU with 260. Whitaker was a first-team all-conference pick last year after leading Southern in tackles and tackles for loss. He has recorded at least 80 tackles in all three seasons at SIU.
Back-to-Back Conference Titles
For the first time since the 1960 and 1961 seasons, Southern has won back-to-back conference titles (2003 and 2004). The Salukis played in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference back in the '60s.
Arkee Whitlock Picks Up Where He Left Off
With Brandon Jacobs now making his mark in the National Football League with the New York Giants, one might guess the Salukis were worried about what to do at tailback in 2005. Not really. Arkee Whitlock (5-10, 200, Jr.) was actually the starter ahead of Jacobs in 2004 and had a fine season with 959 yards and a healthy 6.4 average. In 2005, he has picked up where he left off, averaging 6.1 yards per carry and leading the team with 202 yards.
Craig Turner a Punt Return Threat
Craig Turner (5-10, 190, So.) ranks 8th in the nation in punt returns with a 19.0 yard average. He also ranks 7th in career punt return yards at Southern with 347.
Coffin Chases PAT Record
K Craig Coffin (6-0, 215, Jr.) needs just three PATs to break the school record for extra points held by Ron Miller. Coffin currently has 133. He also ranks 5th in career scoring (218 points) and 6th in career field goals (27) at Southern.
Defense Dominates First Quarter
The Saluki defense has been especially tough to score on in the first quarter of games the last two year. Opponents have not scored in the first quarter against Southern this year, and they scored just 29 first-quarter points against SIU last year. Nine of SIU's last 14 opponents were held scoreless in the first quarter.
Red Zone Warriors
The Salukis have been especially proficient in the red zone (inside the 20 yardline) this year. They have made 14 trips to the red zone and come away with 12 touchdowns (85.7 percent).
Kill Takes Home Eddie Robinson Award
Saluki head coach Jerry Kill won the Eddie Robinson "Coach of the Year" Award in 2004. After posting a 5-18 record in his first two seasons at SIU, Kill recorded back-to-back 10-2 seasons and now has a 27-22 lifetime record at Southern. He is only the second head coach in the last 40 years at SIU to have a .500 or better record. The other is Rey Dempsey, who was 54-37 from 1876-83.
Justice Leads Inexperienced O-Line
At the end of the 2004 season, the Salukis had five linemen who had combined to start 133 games. Four of the those players graduated, however, including two-time All-American center Elmer McDaniel. The lone returnee is Will Justice (6-4, 290, Jr.), who with 14 career starts, is the only lineman on the team with starting experience. Justice slides over from guard to take McDaniel's spot at center.
How Far Has SIU Come?
The Salukis are 22-4 combined in the last two seasons with back-to-back conference titles and playoff appearances. To put those accomplishments in perspective, consider that in SIU's 18-year affiliation with the Gateway prior to the 2003 season, it had never won a conference title or made the playoffs. In fact, it had just two winning seasons (1986 and 1991) and had finished no higher than fifth place every year since 1993.
Division I-A Transfers
Because of his emphasis on team chemistry, Kill has been very selective when it comes to bringing in Division I-A transfers. Many I-AA rosters are filled with I-A transfers because players are not required to sit out a year when they transfer to the I-AA level. Southern's active roster has just three I-A transfers: TE Braden Jones (Northwestern), OT Dave Shipula (Wyoming) and DE Lorenzo Wims (Ball State). All three are new to the team this year, and none have earned a starting assignment to date. Blake Sims (Western Michigan) is another I-A transfer who will redshirt this season.
Coffeyville Connection
Although still selective when it comes to transfers, the Salukis have sprinkled the roster with junior college players, including six from powerhouse Coffeyville Community College. DT Linton Brown, S Frank Johnson, S Jamarquis Jordan and RB Arkee Whitlock are all Coffeyville alums who start for the Salukis. DE Jon Hamm and CB Larry Taylor are two, more Coffeyville players are contributors in 2005. Two of Southern's assistant coaches, Tom Matukewicz (LBs) and Bryce Saia (DLs) used to coach at Coffeyville.
Punt Block Specialists
The Salukis blocked two punts in the opener against SEMO. In the 4+ years that Jerry Kill has been head coach, SIU has blocked 18 punts. Jay Sawvel is the special teams coach in charge of punt block schemes.
First and 10!
This year's team has already accomplished a feat that last year's team did not. In the opener, SIU recorded 30 first downs. The school record for first downs in a game is 34 against Bradley in 1970.
Braden Jones Named Gateway Conference Special Teams Player of the Week
Saluki TE Braden Jones (6-4, 255, Sr.), playing in his first game at SIU and first game in two years since transferring from Northwestern, was named the Gateway Conference's Special Teams Player-of-the-Week on Sept. 5. Jones blocked one punt against Southeast Missouri State and returned a fumbled punt attempt 26 yards for a touchdown.
Scoring Records Fall in 2004
The Salukis' 2004 scoring records on offense and defense will be tough to beat in '05. SIU broke the school record for points scored with 511 a year ago. It also broke the school mark for fewest points allowed in an 11-game regular season with 123.
Former Salukis in the NFL
Former Saluki LB Bart Scott is in his fourth year with the Baltimore Ravens and has one tackle this season as a back up All-Pro Ray Lewis. RB Brandon Jacobs, a fourth-round pick of the New York Giants last spring, has made a big impression in the Big Apple. The 6-4, 267-pound tailback hadbacks up Tiki Barber and has 39 yards rushing on six carries (6.5 ave) and one TD.
Salukis Versus Division II/NAIA
SIU scored 82 points against Union College Saturday, the second-most points in school history. In 1914, Southern scored 118 points against University Arts & Science.
Saluki Playoff History
Southern Illinois has qualified for the I-AA Playoffs the last two years in a row and three times in school history. In 1983, SIU won a National Championship.
