Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football faces Redbirds for 73rd time on Saturday
09/27/2010 | 12:00:00 | Football
Sept. 27, 2010
By Jason Clay
SIUSalukis.com
Game Day Quick Facts
KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. CT
LOCATION: Hancock Stadium (15,000) - Normal, Ill.
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. Click Here for Complete Radio Network Listing
INTERNET AUDIO: Game Central at SIUSalukis.com
LIVE STATS: SIUSalukis.com
The 23rd-ranked Southern Illinois football team looks to snap a three-game skid when it travels to No. 19 Illinois State for Saturday's 1 p.m. game at Hancock Stadium...Fans can listen to the game on the Saluki Sports Network beginning at noon on WVZA 105.1-FM in Carbondale. "Voice of the Salukis' Mike Reis, Gene Green (analyst) and Joel Sambursky (sideline) are calling the action...Senior safety Mike McErloy will miss the remainder of the year with an ankle injury and he is the third Saluki starting defensive back to be lost for the season with an injury (joining Rashad Graham and James McFadden)...The Salukis maintained a Top 25 ranking (No. 23 in Coaches/No. 24 in The Sports Network) to give them 96-straight weeks in the Top 25, which matches the all-time MVFC record...The Salukis are 33-57 all-time against ranked opponents, but have gone 24-20 versus Top 25 teams since 2000. SIU is 5-4 in games where both teams are ranked and its opponent has a higher national ranking...Southern Illinois has turned the ball over seven times in the last two games and its opponents have held possession of the ball for nearly 17 minutes more than the Salukis have...Senior quarterback Chris Dieker threw for a career-high 274 yards and two touchdowns in last seasons meeting with Illinois State...The Salukis have won three-straight over the Redbirds and their last trip to Hancock Stadium resulted in a 17-10 overtime victory.
Saluki Headlines
• SIU has been ranked in 96-consecutive regular-season polls, matching UNI's league record for consecutive appearances in the Top 25.
• This game is SIU's first of the season against a ranked opponent. SIU has a 2-2 record against Illinois State since 1985 when the Redbirds are ranked.
• Southern Illinois has a 22-3 record against Illinois State when it scores 21 or more points.
Note
The last time SIU played Illinois State when coming off a loss was in 2001. The Salukis fell at Western Illinois the week before facing the Redbirds, but came back to defeat ISU, 23-17 at home.
