Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football Opens MVFC Play Saturday at Home Against NDSU
09/22/2009 | 12:00:00 | Football
Click here to view complete version of SIU Football notes 
Sept. 22, 2009
By Jason Clay
www.SIUSalukis.com
Game Day Quick Facts
TELEVISION: None
RADIO: Saluki Sports Network with Mike Reis (play-by-play), Gene Green (color analyst) and Joel Sambursky (sideline) on WVZA-FM 105.1 in Carbondale (See PDF version of notes for complete listing of radio affiliates).
INTERNET AUDIO/VIDEO: Saluki All-Access (sign up at www.siusalukis.com) LIVE STATS: www.siusalukis.com
No. 8 Southern Illinois (1-1, 0-0 MVFC) hosts North Dakota State (1-2, 0-0) in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both schools, Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. in McAndrew Stadium... Fans can listen to all the action with "Voice of the Salukis" Mike Reis, color analyst Gene Green and sideline reporter Joel Sambursky with the Saluki Sports Network beginning at 5 p.m. on WVZA-FM 105.1 in Carbondale... Live stats as well as video and radio streaming of the game are available at www.SIUSalukis.com... Saturday is Military Appreciation Day and at McAndrew Stadium, where there will be a Black Hawk fly-over... The Salukis are looking to avenge their loss to NDSU last season - it was their only conference loss on the year... An offensive outburst could be on hand, as both the Bison and Salukis are ranked in the Top six nationally in scoring offense... SIU has won its last seven conference openers and are 12-12 all-time in MVFC openers... The Dawgs are coming off one of the most prolific offensive outbursts in school history. In the 59-7 win over Southwest Baptist last weekend, SIU stacked up the second most yards (699) in a game in program history... The Salukis have been ranked in the Top 10 of the FSC Coaches poll in each of the last nine voting periods. SIU's streak of being ranked in the Top 20 of either the Coaches of Sports Network Poll hit 85 this week... Southern Illinois enters the game seeking its 399th all-time victory. The Dawgs are 398-467-32 in their 94th season of intercollegiate football... Sophomore center Bryan Boemer was named the MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Sept. 21...
Saluki Headlines
• Southern Illinois has a 24-4 reocrd at home since 2005.
• The Salukis have forced at least two turnovers in each of their last seven games.
• Sophomore center Bryan Boemer was named the MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Sept. 21.
The North Dakota State Bison
North Dakota State comes into Carbondale this weekend averaging 40.3 points per game, but have just a 1-2 record. The Bison started the year off with a loss at Iowa State, then fell in a nail-bitter at Sam Houston State, 48-45. This past weekend, NDSU hammered Wagner 59-28. Its offense enters the game running in full-gear, as they have 950 yards of total offense in the last two games. NDSU sports a balanced attack and averages 245.3 yards rushing the ball and 200.7 passing.
Defensively, the Bison have given up 110 points in three games (36.7 per contest). Two weeks ago, Sam Houston State put up 620 yards of total offense and Iowa State went for 442 in the opener. NDSU has created five turnovers in three games (two interceptions and three fumbles). The Bison have registered just four sacks on the year, but get in the backfield and have 15 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Running back Pat Paschall is the primary back for NDSU. He has accounted for 489 yards this season, averaging 9.6 yards a carry with four touchdowns. Quarterback Nick Mertens completes 55.4 percent of his passes and has nine total touchdowns (five passing, four rushing). Shamen Washington is a threat returning punts and kickoffs. He averages 31.5 yards per kickoff return and brought back one kick 70 yards. Preston Evans leads their defense with 26 tackles, two tackles for a loss, one quarterback hurry and a forced fumble.
SIU and NDSU - The Series
Southern Illinois and North Dakota State have played three games against each other, with the Salukis winning two of the three. The lone loss came last season in Fargo, N.D. The Dawgs jumped out to a 20-0 lead in that game, only to see the Bison come back with 21-fourth quarter points to win 35-27. It was the only conference loss for Southern Illinois in 2008, but it didn't hold them back from capturing a share of its fourth Missouri Valley Football Conference championship since 2003. That was the only meeting between the two in Fargo. Southern Illinois has won both meetings with the Bison in Carbondale, with the last game being played here in 2005 - a 9-0 SIU win. The first game played between the two schools was in 1963 and the Dawgs came out on top, 20-15, at McAndrew Stadium.
Starting Conference Play
Saturday's game is the first conference game of the season for both Southern Illinois and North Dakota State. The Salukis enter this 2009 conference season, its 24th in the MVFC (previously called the Gateway Football Conference), having won their last seven league openers. SIU has the longest current winning streak in MVFC openers and are 12-12 all-time in its first league game of a season. The Dawgs are 8-5 at home in conference openers and 4-7 on the road. Northern Iowa has the most league-opening wins with 17.
Last seasons conference opener pitted the 13th-ranked Salukis agaisnt No. 5 UNI. The Panthers had the ball with 1:13 left to go and the score all tied up at 24 before Brandin Jordan recovered a fumble for the Salukis at UNI's 29-yard line. SIU ran down the clock and Kyle Dougherty came on and kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired. That win was SIU's 11th over a Top 10 team.
Match-Up of the Top Two
North Dakota State running back Pat Paschall and Southern Illinois back Deji Karim rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the Football Championship Subdivision in rushing yards per game. Paschall is averaging 163.0 yards per game and has scored four touchdowns while Karim averages 138.5 a game with two scores.
Southern Illinois is leading the nation in rushing, as the Salukis average 270.0 yards per game on the ground. North Dakota State comes in at No. 5 with 245.3. Other factors that point to this being an offensive shootout is that SIU ranks No. 3 in the nation in scoring offense (43.5) and NDSU is No. 6 (40.3). The Salukis are No. 2 nationally in total offense at 505 yards per game while the Bison are No. 11 with 446 yards a game.
Karim Goes for 200+
Fifth-year senior Deji Karim had a career-night last Saturday against Southwest Baptist. The Oklahoma City native rushed for 210 yards on just 10 carries and finished the game with 290 all-purpose yards. His 21.0 yards per rush shattered the old school record by nearly seven yards a carry for a back with at least 10 attempts. The previous record was set in 2003 when Saluki Muhammad Abdulqaadir averaged 14.2 yards on his 10 carries against Quincy.
Karim's 210 yards rushing in the game was the seventh-most by a Saluki back in the last 10 years and it tied for the 13th most in school history. It was the 26th 200-yard rushing performance in school history and the 13th in the last 10 years. Adding on to his highlight reel from the home-opener in the final season at McAndrew Stadium was his 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that ignited the Salukis assult on the scoreboard. Karim's 290 all-purpose yards are the fourth most in the last four seasons.
Four Hundred Thirty Five
It wasn't just Deji Karim that did all the work running the ball against Southwest Baptist. SIU as a team racked up 435 rushing yards last Saturday - the seventh most in school history. The Salukis ran it 54 times and averaged 8.1 yards per carry with five rushing touchdowns. Seven different Salukis had at least two carries and five of them finished with over 40 yards. Fullback Lucien Walker registered a career-high 78-yards on the ground with one score, Richard White had 53 yards in his return from a toe injury and senior Jonate Govan had 42 yards on four carries. Anton Wilkins and Chris Dieker both has rushing TDs. It was the first score in Wilkins' career and it was the third score on the ground for Dieker this season.
Six Hundred Ninety Nine
In all, Southern Illinois clocked out with 699 yards of total offense last Saturday. That is the second most yardage in a single-game in school history and the sixth most ever in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Aside from the 435 rushing yards, SIU had 264 yards passing the ball and 238 of that came in the first half. The only other game in school history where Southern Illinois has racked up more yardage came on Halloween night in 1970. In a 69-3 win over Bradley, the Dawgs went for 754 yards of total offense.
Don't Forget About That "D"
The Saluki defense can easily go unnoticed with all the big numbers that the offense spit out last Saturday. However, the SIU defensive unit had a big game itself. The Dawg held Southwest Baptist quarterback Steven Gachette to just 210 yards passing and 63 rushing. He came into the game ranked No. 2 in Division II with 410 yards of total offense per game and he threw for 459 yards in his previous game. If you take away SBU's opening drive, where they went nine-plays for 78-yards and its only score of the night, the Salukis only allowed 239 yards in the remaining 57 minutes and forty seconds of the game. In the third quarter alone, SIU only gave up 11 yards on nine plays and Southwest Baptist only netted 25 yards in the fourth quarter on 10 plays. The Dawgs finished the game with four sacks, seven tackles for a loss and three interceptions. Southern Illinois has now forced at least two turnovers in its last seven games.
Lindsey Cracks Top 10
Junior cornerback Korey Lindsey intercepted two passes in the game against Southwest Baptist, giving him 10 for his career. He is currently tied with four other Salukis for the seventh most picks in program history. Lindsey has intercepted five passes in the last three games, which goes back to the 2008 playoff game against New Hampshire. He now has three career multi-interception games and has picked off a pass in seven of the 28 games he's played in. Oh yeah, Lindsey is also the teams leading tackler after two games with 14 total stops.
James Impresses
Sophomore inside linebacker Connor James made the second start of his career last Saturday and finished with a team-high nine tackles in the 59-7 victory. James registered a half sack, which was the first of his career. Last year as a redshirt freshman, James played in all 12 games and recorded 24 tackles. His previous career-high was the five tackles he had at Illinois State.
