SIU vs. MSU: Game Notes & Links

Oct. 6, 2015

RV Southern Illinois (1-3, 0-1 MVFC) vs. Missouri State (1-3, 0-1 MVFC)
Date & Time	Oct. 10, 2015 \| 6 p.m. CT
Location	Carbondale, Ill. \| Saluki Stadium (15,000, FieldTurf) \| Weather
Tickets	877-SALUKIS or SIUSalukis.com
Video Stream	Saluki All-Access
Live Stats	GameTracker
Radio	Saluki Sports Network with Mike Reis (play-by-play), Gene Green (analysis) and Connor James (analysis)
Audio Stream	Saluki All-Access
Southern Illinois	Game Notes \| Stats \| Media Guide (PDF) \| Fall Camp Central
Missouri State	Game Notes \| Stats \| Media Guide (PDF)
MVFC	Weekly Notes \| Stats
All-Time Series	SIU leads, 19-18 \| In Carbondale: SIU leads 10-8 \| Streak: SIU W1 \| Last Meeting: SIU 32, MSU 22 (11/8/14)
Social Media	@SIU_Football \| @SIUSalukis \| Saluki Football

QUICK HITS

The Salukis host Missouri State on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. in Saluki Stadium.
SIU is 27-7 in home night games since the 2002 season, when lights were re-installed at McAndrew Stadium for the first time since 1973. The Salukis have won five of six home night games over the last season and a half, including a 34-13 win over No. 10 Liberty earlier this season.
Chase Allen and Kenny James rank 1-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in tackles per game. Allen ranks fifth nationally, and James ranks 12th nationally. Allen has 51 tackles through four games. For perspective, consider that Kayon Swanson was SIU's leading tackler in 2011 with 52 tackles in 11 games.
Southern Illinois scored on offense, defense and special teams at Western Illinois, the first time SIU scored in all three phases since 2012.
Brandon Williams has blocked a kick in back-to-back games. He blocked a field goal vs. Liberty and returned his own blocked punt for a touchdown at Western Illinois. Williams has four blocked kicks in his career.

SALUKIS HOST MISSOURI STATE

Southern Illinois and Missouri State face off on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. CT in Saluki Stadium.
SIU has won three of the last four overall in the series and 10 of the last 12.
Southern has won five of the last six home games, but MSU's one win in that time came the last time the Bears were in Carbondale. Missouri State won 37-27 in Saluki Stadium in 2013.
The last five meetings between the programs have all been decided by 10 points or fewer. SIU's last home night game against Missouri State resulted in a Saluki win after Jackson MacLachlan hit a game-winning field goal with less than a minute remaining to give SIU a 20-18 win.
SIU leads the all-time series with Missouri State 19-18. SIU will be going for its first two-game lead in the all-time series since 1989.
SIU has won six of its last eight home games, dating back to the end of the 2013 season.

PROMOTIONS

Any resident within the 618 Area Code can buy an advance ticket for $10 at participating locations. Call 877-Salukis to get your ticket or visit your local chamber of commerce. No day of game sales for this deal!
Businesses who purchase 15 or more tickets will receive an in game recognition on the video board.
Youth Football Night - All youth football players and coaches can participate in a High-Five Tunnel to welcome the Salukis onto the field before the game. Youth and parent tickets are $10/ticket. For more information please contact Bryce Williams at (618) 453-8941
FCA Night - The annual FCA Night allows FCA Huddles and Faith groups access to discounted ticket options. Pregame tailgate and games included. For more information, contact Bryce Williams at (618) 453-8941 or visit SIUsalukis.com
Postgame Fireworks - Immediately after the game, the lights will dim and fans will be treated to a spectacular fireworks show!

SUCCESS IN HOME NIGHT GAMES

Southern Illinois will play its second home night game of the season when Missouri State comes to town for a 6 p.m. kick on Oct. 10.
Lights were reinstalled at McAndrew Stadium prior to the 2002 season. Since then, SIU is 27-7 in home night games, including a Sept. 26 34-13 win over No. 10 Liberty.
SIU has won five of its last six home night games after going 4-1 last season.
SIU is 11-4 in MVFC play in home night games since 2002, including a pair of wins last season over Western Illinois and South Dakota.
Southern Illinois and Missouri State have only met once under the lights in Carbondale since 2002. SIU topped MSU 20-18 with a last-minute field goal in 2011.
The Salukis are 4-3 against ranked teams under the lights in Carbondale in that span, which includes the win earlier this season over No. 10 Liberty.

ALLEN, JAMES 1-2 IN MVFC IN TACKLES/G

Junior linebacker Chase Allen and sophomore safety Kenny James are 1-2 in the MVFC in tackles per game.
Allen (12.8 tpg) ranks fifth nationally, and James (11.3 tpg) ranks 12th nationally.
Allen already has 51 tackles through four games in 2015. For perspective, Kayon Swanson led the 2011 team in tackles with 52 total tackles in 11 games.
Allen is on pace for 140 tackles, a mark no Saluki has reached in the last 21 seasons.
Against Southeast Missouri, Chase Allen had 19 tackles and Kenny James and 15 tackles. Allen's 19 tackles are the most in the MVFC this season and the most by a Saluki since All-American Alexis Moreland in 2002.
James followed that game up with 16 tackles against No. 10 Liberty. James' back-to-back 15+ tackle games were also a first since Moreland in 2002.

SPECIAL TEAMS, SPECIAL PLAYS

SIU's special teams have been exceptional in 2015.
Punter Derek Mathewson and the punt coverage unit rank seventh nationally in net punting (40.23).
Mathewson would rank in the top-20 nationally in punting average (43.0), but SIU hasn't punted enough to make him eligible.
Opposing punt return units have 16 yards on seven punt returns (2.3 yards per return).
Of Mathewson's 13 punts this season, four have been covered inside the 20-yard line and three have been 50 yards or longer.
SIU has blocked two punts in 2015 and returned both blocked punts for touchdowns.
Against Indiana, Chase Allen blocked a punt and Kenny James fell on it in the end zone for a TD. At Western Illinois, Brandon Williams blocked a punt, recovered it and ran in 27 yards for a touchdown.
Williams also blocked a field goal against Liberty, which means he has blocked kicks in back-to-back games coming into the Missouri State game. Williams is the only player in the country with two blocked kicks in 2015.
Williams has four career blocked kicks. The rest of the roster combined has one (Allen's block @IU).
Daquan Isom has had an explosive play in every game so far this season. The true freshman had a 52-yard kickoff return last week at Western Illinois and a 34-yarder at SEMO.
Austin Johnson hit a 51-yard field goal at Western Illinois, tied for the fifth-longest field goal in SIU history.
Johnson became the seventh kicker in school history to hit a field goal from 50+ yards.

SALUKI OFFENSE AMONG NATION'S BEST

Southern Illinois offense ranks fifth nationally in total offense per game (508.8).
SIU's offense ranks in the top-10 nationally in completion percentage (72.4, 1st), third-down conversion percentage (.544, 4th) and passing efficiency (159.68, 9th).
SIU's passing offense ranks 15th nationally (290.8 ypg).
SIU's rushing offense leads the conference (218.0 ypg).
SIU's 50 rush attempts at Western Illinois were the most by the program since 2010 (also against WIU).
Southern Illinois piled up 659 yards of total offense at Indiana, ninth most in the nation this year.
Southern's 659 yards at Indiana is third-most in school history and most against a Division I opponent since 1970.
SIU has recorded at least 200 yards of total offense in seven of eight halves this year, including 394 yards of total offense in the first half at Indiana.
The Saluki offensive line fewer than a sack per game, ranking 13th nationally. SIU's O-Line has not given up a sack in back-to-back games:
- 123 minutes, 27 seconds of game time
- 152 plays
58 pass attempts
SIU has allowed the fewest sacks in the MVFC since assistant head coach Bill O'Boyle took over as the offensive line coach.

TOUGH SCHEDULE AWAITS

Southern Illinois has the second-toughest schedule in the nation. SIU's FCS opponents are 20-6 against FCS competition this year (.769). Western Illinois (24-6, .800) is the only school nationally with a tougher slate.
SIU's seven remaining opponents are 16-4 against FCS teams (.800), also the second-toughest road behind WIU (18-4, .818).
Five Missouri Valley Football Conference teams are ranked in the top-10 nationally. SIU faces four of those teams in the next seven games (NDSU, YSU, UNI and ILS).
Five of SIU's MVFC games come against teams currently ranked in the top-25.
Four of SIU's five home games are against top-10 opponents. Liberty was ranked 10th in both polls when SIU beat them 34-13. North Dakota State, Illinois State and Youngstown State are all currently ranked in the top-10.
SIU has won at least one game against a ranked team in all eight of head coach Dale Lennon's seasons in Carbondale.
SIU has 15 wins over top-25 teams under Lennon.

IANNOTTI'S HOT START

Southern Illinois quarterback Mark Iannotti ranks sixth nationally in total offense per game (352 ypg).
He also ranks second nationally in completion percentage (.732). Iannotti's completion percentage is on pace to break Nick Hill's school record (71 percent) that he set in 2007.
While ranking second nationally in completion percentage, Iannotti also ranks ninth nationally in yards per pass attempt (9.27).
Iannotti ranks ninth nationally in passing efficiency (163.3), 10th in yards per game (285.0) and 12th in points responsible for per game (16.5).
Iannotti ranks 12th nationally among quarterbacks in rushing yards per game (67.0).
Iannotti put up 517 yards of total offense at Indiana, a school record and second in MVFC history, earning him National and MVFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Iannotti broke the previous school record of 443 set by co-offensive coordinator Nick Hill in 2007.
He put up 411 yards passing and 106 yards rushing against Indiana, becoming the first player in school history with more than 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in the same game

For a complete set of game notes in PDF format, click here.

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Players Mentioned

Chase Allen

Mark Iannotti

Daquan Isom

Kenny James

Austin Johnson

Derek Mathewson

Brandon Williams

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