SIU at YSU: Notes & Links

Southern Illinois (3-6, 1-5 MVFC) at No. 15 Youngstown State (6-3, 4-2 MVFC)
Date & Time	Nov. 12, 2016 \| 11 a.m. CT
Location	Youngstown, Ohio \| Stambaugh Stadium (20,630 // PowerBlade HP+) \| Weather
Run With Us	Watch at Tres Hombres, the Home Away from Home for Saluki Athletics
Video Stream	ESPN3 with Jim Campbell and Tim Porzsigai
Live Stats	Provided by Youngstown State
Radio	Saluki Sports Network with Mike Reis (play-by-play), Gene Green (analysis) and Connor James (analysis)
Audio Stream	Saluki All-Access (Free all season)
Southern Illinois	Game Notes \| Stats \| Media Guide
Youngstown State	Game Notes \| Stats \| Media Guide
MVFC	Weekly Notes \| Stats
All-Time Series	Overall: YSU leads, 14-12-1 \| In Youngstown: YSU leads, 8-5 \| Streak: SIU W1 \| Last: SIU 38, YSU 31 (OT) (2015)
Social Media	@SIU_Football \| @SIUSalukis \| Saluki Football

QUICK HITS

Southern Illinois hits the road for the final time in 2016 for a matchup with Youngstown State. The 'Guins and Salukis will kick off at 11 a.m. CT in Stambaugh Stadium. SIU and YSU have split the last four meetings between the programs, with each program winning once at home and once on the road.
SIU third-year sophomore quarterback Sam Straub started his first career game last week against South Dakota. Straub accounted for 407 yards total offense and three touchdowns in the 35-28 win.
SIU leads the MVFC and ranks sixth nationally in third down defense. Southern Illinois holds opponents to 28 percent on third down. The Salukis limited South Dakota to 1-for-15 on third down last week.
SIU ranks among the top-21 nationally in both red zone offense and red zone defense. SIU scores on 87 percent of its red zone appearances, and SIU has limited opponents to just 72 percent on their red zone appearances.
Through nine games, there is only a one-point difference in SIU's scoring margin. The Salukis have scored 282 points; opponents have scored 283.
WR Billy Reed has 104 career catches. With three more, he will crack the top-10 in school history. Derrick Taylor (1981-84) is 10th with 107 career receptions.

STRAUB SHINES IN FIRST START

Sophomore quarterback Sam Straub earned his first career start last week vs. South Dakota.
Straub threw for 339 yards and ran for 68 more in last week's 35-28 win over the Coyotes.
Straub's 407 yards total offense rank seventh in SIU single-season history. Three of the six games in front of him were accomplished by last year's starter, Mark Iannotti, who led the FCS in total offense in 2015.
Heading into the South Dakota game, Straub was 2-for-6 for 32 yards and a touchdown in his career.
Straub completed passes of 25 yards or longer to five different receivers last week.

CHINN NAMED MVFC NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK

True freshman safety Jeremy Chinn was named MVFC Newcomer of the Week after last Saturday's win over South Dakota.
Chinn had seven tackles, an interception, a tackle for loss and the game-saving pass break-up in Southern's win.
Chinn, who did not play the first three weeks due to injury, is second on the team in tackles per game since returning to action for the first MVFC game.
Chinn also is tied for the team lead in interceptions with two.
Chinn earned SIU its third MVFC honor of the year. Quarterback Josh Straughan earned MVFC Newcomer of the Week twice earlier in the season.

DEFENSE COMING ON STRONG

Opponents are converting only 28 percent of their third downs against the Salukis. SIU's defense ranks sixth nationally and leads the MVFC in that category.
Illinois State had only 11 total first downs and was 2-for-14 converting on third down. South Dakota went 1-for-15 on third down, and South Dakota State went 4-for-14.
SIU had five interceptions all of last year. This year's Salukis have five interceptions in the last two games alone. All five picks the last two weeks were made by different people, and all five of those Salukis will return in 2017.
SIU has held seven of nine opponents under six yards per play. Last year, the Salukis only accomplished that four times.
SIU is on pace to allow about 500 fewer yards than it did a year ago.
Deondre Barnett ranks 14th nationally in forced fumbles per game. He had three strip sacks in the first month of the season.
Khari Waithe-Alexander has four sacks and an interception.

POUND THE ROCK

SIU ran the ball 60 times last week against South Dakota. The Salukis had 235 yards rushing in the game.
Southern's 60 rush attempts were the most for the program since running the ball 64 times against Illinois State in 2010.
SIU's 60 rush attempts last week were the second-most single-game rush attempts for the program in the last decade.
Four different players got at least 10 carries, and three different players had at least 50 yards rushing in the game.

YOUTH MOVEMENT

SIU is among the youngest teams in the nation.
Of the 44 players listed on this week's offensive and defensive 2-deep, only nine are seniors.
Only four of the projected 22 starters are seniors.
Eleven of the projected 22 starters are either freshmen or sophomores.
SIU has played seven true freshman this year and started five of them. Against Indiana State, the Salukis started three true freshmen on defense (DT Blake Parzych, S Jeremy Chinn and CB James Ceasar).
SIU's top six rushers will return in 2017.
Six of SIU's top seven receivers will return in 2017.
Eight of SIU's top 10 tacklers will return in 2017.

SIU OFFENSE AMONG NATION'S BEST

Last year, SIU's offense led the MVFC in total offense, scoring offense, and passing offense. This year, the Salukis rank second in the league in total offense (459.9) and passing (316.0 ypg) offense. SIU ranks third in scoring (31.3 ppg).
SIU ranks eighth nationally in passing offense, averaging 316.0 yards per game through the air.
Southern ranks 15th nationally with 459.9 yards per game of total offense.
Since the start of the 2015 season, SIU has scored at least 28 points in 16 of 20 games and at least 21 points in 19 of 20 games.
Since that time, SIU's low in point total and total offense came earlier this year vs. Indiana State.
Since the start of the 2015 season, SIU has put up at least 200 yards of total offense in 31 of 40 halves of play. SIU has at least 200 yards in 12 of 18 halves in 2016.

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