Southern Illinois University
2-6 , 0-5
Missouri St.
4-4 , 2-3
SIU's lead slips away in 38-35 loss at Missouri State
10/29/2016 | 7:27:00 | Football
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Southern Illinois football team fell in a heartbreaker at Missouri State, 38-35. SIU (2-6, 0-5 MVFC) led 21-7 at halftime, but Missouri State (4-4, 2-3 MVFC) stormed back in the second half and kicked the go-ahead field goal with 10 seconds left in the game.
"As a head coach, I want to see it go right for (our) guys really badly. They need that taste of winning because they deserve it," SIU head coach Nick Hill said. "But that's the way this game goes, and they ultimately made more plays than us throughout the game and really in the fourth quarter."
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SIU lost a one-possession game for the fifth time this season. SIU made the big plays of a winning team—the Salukis scored on defense (Craig James pick-six), didn't turn the ball over on offense, got a fourth-quarter interception (Jefferson Vea), and broke a 54-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter (Israel Lamprakes)—but for each SIU big play, Missouri State had one more.
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Playing with a 20-mph wind at their backs in the first quarter, the Bears took their shot downfield in the final 30 seconds and connected for a 76-yard touchdown to tie the game. SIU took the momentum and a 21-7 lead into halftime, but Missouri State scored less than two minutes after halftime to get back within range.
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MSU had the wind in the fourth quarter and immediately took advantage. A rolling SIU punt gave MSU's All-MVFC return-man Deion Holliman enough room to take it 57 yards back for a touchdown. SIU re-took the lead on Lamprakes's catch-and-run and held the lead thanks to Vea's interception in the end zone. But in the game's final five minutes, MSU got a long pass over the top, a defensive stop and a drive into field goal range. Zach Drake hit the game-winner with 10 seconds left in the game.
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"We're not lacking playmakers, just lacking making the plays at specific moments," Hill said. "That's what you have to do to be a great team."
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Southern Illinois was playing without a slew of starters due to injury. Running back Daquan Isom missed his third-straight game with a hamstring injury. Linebacker Chase Allen missed the first game of his career with an injured knee. Starting guard Josh Podzielinski also missed the game, along with wide receiver Jimmy Jones, who was leading the team in receptions before his season-ending injury.
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Despite that, the Dawgs put up a fight. Quarterback Josh Straughan went 29-for-39 for 315 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He spread around the ball to 12 different receivers. Jonathan Mixon returned from his injury and had two touchdowns, and Cameron Walter led the team in rushing again. The team's top three tacklers for the game—Kyron Watson, Jeremy Chinn and Cody Crider—are all first-year players.
"Whatever we're lacking, whenever it happens in multiple games, then you know we have to get better," Hill said. "It's not just gonna happen overnight. We go back to the drawing board in practice and then do the things. Obviously at 2-5, on the road, these guys came out here and battled and played hard, and did those things. So as a coach, you wish that the outcome would be different, because I know what they're putting into it, and it's just like I keep saying every week. People are tired of hearing it, but in football it's not easy whenever you come and compete and do those things."
SIU fell to 2-11 in its last 13 one-possession games. Since the start of last year, SIU is 3-3 in games decided by more than one possession and 2-11 in games decided by eight points or fewer. The Salukis are 0-7 in "coin flip" games (decided by 3 points or fewer) over the last two seasons.
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SIU hosts South Dakota next Saturday, November 5, at 2 p.m. in Saluki Stadium.
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Team Stats
SIU 7, MSU 0
SIU - Mixon, Jonathan 1 yd run (Sotiropoulos, M kick), 15 plays, 80 yards, TOP 5:37
SIU 7, MSU 7
MSU - Zac Hoover 76 yd pass from Brodie Lambert (Zach Drake kick) 2 plays, 81 yards, TOP 0:45
SIU 14, MSU 7
SIU - Iwema, Connor 9 yd pass from Straughan, Josh (Sotiropoulos, M kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:07
SIU 21, MSU 7
SIU - Mixon, Jonathan 1 yd run (Sotiropoulos, M kick), 9 plays, 67 yards, TOP 4:30
SIU 21, MSU 14
MSU - Erik Furmanek 13 yd pass from Brodie Lambert (Zach Drake kick) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:31
SIU 28, MSU 14
SIU - James, Craig 43 yd interception (Sotiropoulos, M kick)
SIU 28, MSU 21
MSU - ColeChristensen 10 yd pass from Brodie Lambert (Zach Drake kick) 12 plays, 82 yards, TOP 5:00
SIU 28, MSU 28
MSU - Deion Holliman 57 yd punt return (Zach Drake kick)
SIU 35, MSU 28
SIU - Lamprakes, Isra 54 yd pass from Straughan, Josh (Sotiropoulos, M kick) 4 plays, 65 yards, TOP 0:42
SIU 35, MSU 35
MSU - Zac Hoover 36 yd pass from Brodie Lambert (Zach Drake kick) 7 plays, 60 yards, TOP 2:50
SIU 35, MSU 38
MSU - Zach Drake 32 yd field goal 9 plays, 52 yards, TOP 1:54
