Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football announces 2011 non-conference schedule
05/11/2010 | 12:00:00 | Football
May 11, 2010
By Jason Clay
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois football program has finalized its 2011 non-conference schedule, which is highlighted by its early September game at the University of Mississippi.
The Salukis will play two of their three non-conference games on the road in 2011. SIU opens up the year at Southeast Missouri State, Sept. 3, before traveling to Oxford, Miss. to take on the Ole Miss Rebels, Sept. 10, in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Southern's game at Ole Miss will be televised as part of the SEC/ESPN agreement. The game time or channel won't be announced until the weeks leading up to the game.
SIU's only home non-conference game lies on Nov. 12, when the Salukis entertain Eastern Illinois in Carbondale. SIU and EIU renew the in-state rivalry, as the two schools have played 65 games against one another since 1913, but have not met in the regular season since 2001. The success of both programs has been highlighted in their last three meetings, which all came in the playoffs (2005, '07 and '09).
Southern Illinois has played 18 Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly D-1A) schools since becoming a FCS member in 1982. The Salukis are scheduled to play at Illinois in 2010 and its 2011 game at Ole Miss will mark the eighth-straight year that Southern has faced a FBS school.
The Salukis have had success playing up a level. In 2006, SIU won at Indiana and the next season they defeated Northern Illinois. Last year, the Salukis fell by three points at Marshall and three of Southern's four losses to FBS schools since 2004 have been by seven points or less.
The Sept. 3 game at SEMO will be the season opener for the Salukis. The last time the Salukis opened up a season against the Redhawks was in 2005. SIU won that game in Cape Girardeau, 58-23, before going on to finish the year with a 9-4 record.
