SIU at IU: Game Notes & Links

Sept. 1, 2015

No. --/RV Southern Illinois (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) at Indiana (0-0, 0-0 B1G)
Date & Time	Sept. 5, 2015 \| 3 p.m. CT
Location	Bloomington, Ind. \| Memorial Stadium (52,929, FieldTurf) \| Weather
Tickets	Via Indiana \| 877-SALUKIS (Through Thursday)
TV	ESPNews with Roy Philpott (pbp) and David Diaz-Infante (analysis) Producer: Matthew Bartley \| Director: Dave Tasca
Video Stream	ESPN3
Radio	Saluki Sports Network with Mike Reis (play-by-play), Gene Green (analysis) and Connor James (analysis)
Audio Stream	Saluki All-Access \| XM 195 \| SIRI 135 \| SXM 195
Live Stats	GameTracker (via IU)
Southern Illinois	Game Notes \| 2014 Stats \| Media Guide (PDF) \| Fall Camp Central
Indiana	Game Notes \| 2014 Stats \| Media Guide (PDF)
MVFC	Weekly Notes \| 2014 Stats
All-Time Series	SIU leads, 1-0 \| In Bloomington: SIU leads, 1-0 \| Streak: SIU W1
Social Media	@SIU_Football \| @SIUSalukis \| Saluki Football

QUICK HITS

The Salukis travel to Indiana for the seaons opener. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNews.
SIU became the first MVFC school to beat a Big Ten opponent when it beat Indiana 35-28 on Sept. 16, 2006, in Memorial Stadium. Co-Offensive Coordinator Nick Hill was making his second career start at SIU in that game and threw four touchdown passes.
SIU's 2006 win was the first of back-to-back FBS wins by Southern Illinois. The Salukis beat Northern Illinois 34-31 in 2007.
The Salukis return last year's starting QB Mark Iannotti, who was named to the MVFC All-Newcomer team last year after throwing for 22 TDs against only 8 interceptions, and leading tackler Chase Allen, who had 95 tackles in 2014.

SALUKIS OPEN SEASON AT INDIANA

The Salukis travel to Indiana for the opening game of the 2015 season. The game will start at 3:02 CT and will be broadcast by ESPNews.
SIU holds a 1-0 lead in the series against Indiana. Southern Illinois was the first MVFC school to beat a Big Ten opponent when it beat Indiana, 35-28, in 2006.
Nick Hill, now the quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator at SIU, was making his second career start at QB for the Salukis in that game.
Since transitioning to the FCS in 1982, SIU is 18-15 in season openers, including last year's 45-0 win over Taylor at Saluki Stadium.
Last year, the Salukis scored on the first play of the season. After the opening kickoff went out of bounds, Malcolm Agnew took a handoff on the first play and went 65 yards for a touchdown.
Southern is looking for its first win over an FBS team under head coach Dale Lennon and first for the program since winning back-to-back FBS games against Indiana and Northern Illinois in 2006 and 07.
SIU is 3-27 against FBS programs since joining the FCS before the 1982 season. Southern beat New Mexico State in 1983, Indiana in 2006 and Northern Illinois in 2007.
Since 2002, seven of SIU's 12 games against FBS programs have been one-possession games. Three of Southern's losses in that span were by three points or fewer.
The MVFC has 37 wins over FBS programs since 1985.
MVFC schools have combined to win at least two games against FBS schools for four-straight years.
MVFC teams have won six games over Power 5 schools in the last five years: North Dakota State over Kansas (2010), Minnesota (2011), Kansas State (2013), and Iowa State (2014); Youngstown State over Pittsburgh (2012); and Northern Iowa over Iowa State (2013).

TEAM NOTES

Southern Illinois returns just nine starters on offense and defense combined, the fewest in the MVFC.
Head coach Dale Lennon on this year's team: "Right now, we have a team full of nobodies. There's not a whole lot of preseason recognition for any of our guys. We're comfortable with that. We've got some guys that will be somebodies; it's just a matter of them going out there and proving it."
SIU returns two of its top players from last season. Quarterback Mark Iannotti threw for 22 TDs last season and earned a spot on the MVFC All-Newcomer team, and linebacker Chase Allen led the team in tackles last year with 95.
The Salukis did not have any players named to the preseason first-team All-MVFC list.
Linebacker Chase Allen and offensive lineman Ethan Wirth were named to the preseason honorable mention All-MVFC team.
Lennon announced plans to play six true freshmen in 2015: RB Daquan Isom, RB Chris Perkins, LB Cody Crider, LB Withney Simon, DL Nate Sylvester, and CB Torian Lewis.
The Salukis have 13 players who are true freshmen or redshirt freshmen on the two-deep entering the season opener.
Head coach Dale Lennon earned his 150th win as a head coach when SIU won at Missouri State last season. Lennon has 48 wins in his seven seasons as head coach of the Salukis.
Eight of the 10 FCS opponents for SIU last year were ranked in the top-25 at some point during the 2014 season.
Six of the 10 FCS opponents on Southern's 2015 schedule were ranked in the preseason top-25, four of whom SIU will play at home in Saluki Stadium.
SIU has won at least one game against a ranked team in all seven of head coach Dale Lennon's seasons in Carbondale.
SIU has 14 wins over top-25 teams under Lennon.

Right now, we have a team full of nobodies. There's not a whole lot of preseason recognition for any of our guys. We're comfortable with that. We've got some guys that will be somebodies; it's just a matter of them going out there and proving it.

Head Coach Dale Lennon

TEAM ROAD SUCCESS

Since 2005, SIU has won 12 road games against ranked teams, which is two more than any other MVFC team.
Southern Illinois has excelled in road games under head coach Dale Lennon. SIU is 20-19 overall on the road in Lennon's six-plus seasons. If you take out SIU's seven FBS opponents in that time--all of which were road losses--Lennon's squads have gone 20-12 in road games.
SIU is 9-7 on the road against ranked teams in head coach Dale Lennon's tenure at SIU.
SIU went 4-0 in road games against FCS opponents in 2013, including back-to-back road wins over top-10 opponents with a 27-24 win over No. 7 South Dakota State and a 24-17 overtime win over No. 4 Northern Iowa.
The Salukis shut out No. 9 Illinois State in Normal, Ill., 17-0 in 2012 and beat No. 15 Youngstown State by 17 on the road in 2012.
Under Lennon, SIU is 17-11 in MVFC road games, and six of his 11 road losses were in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. In his other five seasons (2008, 09, 12, 13, 14), SIU is 15-5 in MVFC road games, with three of those five losses coming at the Fargodome against North Dakota State.
SIU has won six games against top-10 teams on the road under Lennon and nine games against ranked opponents away from Carbondale.

TEAM DEFENSIVE NOTES

SIU returns five starters on defense (NT Raysean Golden, DE Adam Brandt, ILB Chase Allen, S DJ Cameron, and S Kenny James).
Three other returners have starting experience (NT TJ Beelen, S Anthony Thompson and CBRyan Neal).
Five true freshmen or redshirt freshmen are listed on the 2-deep (LB Tori Millender, LB Cody Crider, CB Torian Lewis, CB Jefferson Vea, S Chris Adkins).
The Salukis have recorded at least one sack in 61 of the last 64 games.
While only four of SIU's last 50 opponents have rushed for more than 200 yards, the Saluki offense has eclipsed 200 yards rushing 18 times in that span, including four times in 2014.

TEAM OFFENSIVE NOTES

SIU set a school record for touchdown passes in a season in 2014 with 29.
Southern converted 47.7 percent of its third downs last year, which ranked 11th in the FCS.
The Salukis outgained Purdue 147-26 in the third quarter last season but scored only seven points in the quarter and couldn't overcome a 28-3 halftime deficit.
Southern Illinois returns four starters on offense in 2015 (QB Mark Iannotti, RG Jake Notario, RT Ethan Wirth and WR Billy Reed).
RB Cameron Walter, WR Connor Iwema, C Garrett Clark, FB Hans Carmien and TE Adam Fuehne all have starting experience.
SIU returns just 26 percent of its rushing yards from 2014 (454 yards 1,717) and five of 17 rushing touchdowns. SIU's top returning rusher by yards is Cameron Walter (323 yards last year).
SIU returns 27 percent of its receiving yards (764 of 2,840). SIU's top returning receiver by yardage is Billy Reed (148 yards last year).
Last year, SIU attempted 425 passes and completed 265, both marks the second-most in school history.
Last year, SIU passed for 2,840 yards, the fourth-most in school history and most since the Nick Hill-quarterbacked 2007 team set a school record with 3,293.

INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE NOTES

Chase Allen returns for his junior season after leading SIU in tackles last year with 95.
Allen played outside linebacker as a redshirt freshman in 2013 before transitioning to inside linebacker last year, where he started all 12 games.
DJ Cameron has started 34 consecutive games at SIU, 22 more than anyone else on the team.
Cameron earned a starting nod in the third game of his redshirt freshman season and has started every game since.
Cameron has piled up 191 career tackles and five interceptions in his career. With nine more tackles, Cameron will become the 40th player in program history with 200 career tackles.
Anthony Thompson is sixth in SIU history with 133 career interception return yards. Thompson had a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown in 2012 at Youngstown State.
Adam Brandt caught a tipped pass for an interception at EIU in 2014. Brandt is the first SIU defensive lineman with an interception since Kendrick Young against New Hampshire in 2008.

INDIVIDUAL OFFENSIVE NOTES

QB Mark Iannotti enters his second season as the starting quarterback at SIU. He transferred from Eastern Michigan after the 2013 season and joined the team for spring practices. He had not completed a collegiate pass before coming to SIU.
Iannotti threw 22 touchdown passes in his first season as SIU's starter. That tied for third-best in SIU single-season history.
Iannotti is also in the single-season record books for passing yards (2,241, 5th), completion percentage (63.0%, 4th), 250-yard+ passing games (4, 2nd), lowest interception percentage (2.51%, 6th) and passing efficiency (139.8, 10th).
Iannotti was named to the MVFC All-Newcomer team in 2014.
Iannotti tied SIU's single-game touchdown passes record with six against Southeast Missouri last year.
Iannotti was named the MVFC Newcomer of the Week after tying SIU's single-game passing TD record with six vs. SEMO.
SIU sophomore running back Cameron Walter is the only running back on the roster who has played in a game for SIU. Walter originally came to SIU has a priority walk-on.
Walter's first career start came last year at Missouri State, and he rushed for 210 yards on 37 carries, earning National Freshman of the Week honors.
Walter became the first SIU back with more than 200 yards rushing since Deji Karim in 2009. Karim was a sixth-round NFL draft pick in 2010 and played four seasons in the NFL.
Walter is the first SIU freshman with more than 200 yards rushing since Tom Koutsos in 1999.
Walter's 37 carries at Missouri State tied for 10th in school history for most carries in a game.
The Greenville, Ill., native came into the game against Missouri State with just 26 carries and 66 yards rushing in the first nine games of the season combined. He rushed 37 times for 210 yards against the Bears.
In his second career start, Walter tied a school record for receptions in a game with 13 against Northern Iowa. He led the team with 13 catches and 90 receiving yards.
Aaron Stanton transfered from Ventura College and was in Carbondale for spring ball in 2015. He averaged more than nine yards per carry in three spring scrimmages.
Stanton also returned kicks at Ventura and averaged better than 29 yards per return.
Two true freshmen running backs, Daquan Isom and Chris Perkins, will have their redshirts pulled and will play immediately for SIU. Isom will also return kicks.
Billy Reed is SIU's leading returning receiver, in terms of yards. Reed had 148 yards last year. All of SIU's returning 2014 receiving yardage combined (764 yards) doesn't equal last year's total from MyCole Pruitt (861).
Cameron Walter (144 yards), Josh Sullivan (131 yards) and Connor Iwema (117 yards) are SIU's only other receivers with at least 100 yards receiving last year. Iwema, who is the roommate of quarterback Mark Iannotti, averaged a team-best 14.6 yards per catch last year.
Right tackle Ethan Wirth (28 career starts) and right guard Jake Notario (17 career starts) bolster the right side of the line.
Center Garrett Clark was named to the College Sporting News preseason Fabulous 50 All-America team.
Both of SIU's projected starters on the left side of the line (LT Austin Olsen and LG David Meyerhoff) will be making their first career start.

INDIVIDUAL SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

SIU lost last year's starting kicker, Thomas Kinney, and long snapper, Thor Hadfield. Kicker Austin Johnson and snapper Josh Jahnke are slated to fill those roles.
Johnson kicked for SIU as a true freshman in 2012. Thomas Kinney won the job in 2013 and 14, and Johnson used a redshirt year in 2013.
Johnson went 7-12 with a long of 42 as a true freshman in 2012. He hit 49- and 50-yard field goals in the first scrimmage of the 2015 fall camp.
Chris Adams is resuming his role as the kickoff specialist. Adams piled up 143 kickoffs from 2011-13 before redshirting last year while Kinney handled the duty.
Adams averaged 60.1 yards per kickoff and had 27 touchbacks in 2011-13.
Derek Mathewson will start at punter in 2014. Mathewson backed up Nicholas Neidig last season, totaling six punts for 200 yards (33.3 average).
Nicholas Neidig was SIU's primary punter in 2014, averaging 39.4 yards on 43 punts. He had six punts of 50+ yards and pinned 13 inside the 20.
Neidig boomed a 75-yard punt that was downed on the one-yard line against Western Illinois in 2014.
Neidig's 75-yard punt was the fifth-longest punt in SIU history and the fifth-longest punt in the FCS in 2014.
Neidig earned National Punter of the Week honors from the CFPA after averaging 51.8 yards on four punts vs. WIU, including three that were downed inside the 20.

SECOND-HALF STRONG

Southern outscored its opponents by 97 points in second halves in 2014 (210-113), including second-half shutouts three times (vs. Taylor, at Eastern Illinois and vs. South Dakota).
In SIU's six wins in 2014, it outscored opponents 114-12 after halftime. Southern didn't allowed a second-half touchdown in any of its six wins.
SIU didn't allow a second-half touchdown to an FCS opponent until the seventh game of the year (at NDSU).
SIU went into halftime facing deficits at Eastern Illinois (21-14) and vs. Western Illinois (14-10). Southern outscored EIU 24-0 and Western Illinois 24-3 in the second half to win both games by 17 points.
SIU was tied with South Dakota at 10 heading into halftime but outscored the `Yotes 31-0 after the break.

COACHING STAFF INTACT

Southern Illinois had six new coaches on staff for the 2014 season, the most coach turnover for SIU since head coach Dale Lennon was hired before the 2008 season.
The entire staff returns intact for the 2015 season.
David Elson, who coached the secondary in 2014, was promoted to defensive coordinator for the 2015 season. Head coach Dale Lennon served as the defensive coordinator in 2014 before promoting Elson to DC and returning to traditional head coaching duties in 2015.
Offensive coordinator Bill O'Boyle was promotoed to assistant head coach, and quarterbacks coach Nick Hill was promoted to co-offensive coordinator, along with O'Boyle.
Hill is the passing game coordinator, and O'Boyle, who also coaches the offensive line, is the run-game coordinator.
O'Boyle was the offensive coordinator at Division II Chadron State from 1999-04 before becoming Chadron State's head coach from 2005-11. O'Boyle was the Division II National Coach of the Year in 2007.
Hill and running back coach Larry Warner were both players at SIU. Hill remains SIU's single-season passing leader with 3,175 yards in 2007, and Warner was an All-American running back in 2008.
Hill and Warner coached together at Carbondale High School before becoming assistants at SIU.

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