Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football visits Illinois State in regular-season finale Saturday
11/22/2008 | 12:00:00 | Football
Nov. 21, 2008
Game Facts
Date: Saturday, November 22, 2008
Kickoff Time: 1:30 p.m., CT
Site: Hancock Stadium (15,000)
Surface: AstroPlay Turf
The Series: SIU leads, 35-32-3
Coaches: Dale Lennon (8-2, 6-1 MVFC/First Year at SIU. Career Record: 110-35/12th Year); Denver Johnson (48-53, 28-33 MVFC/Ninth Year at ISU. Career Record: 69-65 (12th Year).
Saluki Radio Network: 92.7 FM WVZA (Flagship Station/Carbondale), 95.3 FM WRXX (Centralia), 102.3 FM WEBQ (Eldorado/ Harrisburg), 97.3 FM WRUL (Carmi), 97.3 FM KYRX (Cape Girardeau, Mo.), 920 AM WMOK (Metropolis), 1380 AM KSLG, 1490 AM WFFX (St. Louis, Mo.),1230 AM WHCO (Sparta). (Mike Reis, play-by-play; Gene Green, color analyst; Joel Sambursky, sideline reporter)
Audio Webcast: siusalukis.com (Saluki All-Access)
Live Stats: goredbirds.com
Salukis Go for Fourth MVFC Title
With a win over Illinois State, Southern Illinois University will earn a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title and secure the league's automatic postseason berth. The Salukis have won or shared the Valley Football title three times (2003, 2004, 2005), third-most in the league behind Northern Iowa (14 titles) and Western Illinois (5 crowns). SIU also boasts the second-longest FCS playoff streak with five consecutive postseason appearances.
Lennon in the MVFC
If SIU beats ISU, Dale Lennon will become just the third coach in league history to win (or share) a conference title in his first year coaching in the MVFC. If it happens, he'll join Northern Iowa's Darrell Mudra (1985) and Mark Farley (2001).
Series History
Saturday marks the 71st meeting between in-state rivals SIU and ISU. The Salukis are 1-4 in their last five trips to Normal, with their only win over that span coming in 2004 (41-14).
Closing In
Larry Warner needs 398 yards to break SIU's single-season record in all-purpose yardage. Warner ranks fifth with 1,933 yards. Arkee Whitlock currently holds the record with 2,330 yards in 2006.
