SIU picked eighth in preseason MVFC poll

MVFC Release

ST. LOUIS – The Southern Illinois football program was picked eighth in the preseason Missouri Valley Football Conference poll, the league announced Tuesday. Chase Allen was a preseason first-team All-MVFC pick, and Billy Reed and Daquan Isom were honorable mention selections.

The poll consists of votes from the coaches, local media and sports information directors in the 10-team conference. North Dakota State was picked to win the league, gathering 37 of a possible 39 first-place votes. Northern Iowa was picked second and garnered the other two first-place votes, followed by South Dakota State, Illinois State, Youngstown State, Western Illinois and South Dakota. Indiana State and Missouri State were picked ninth and 10^th, respectively.

Chase Allen was a second-team All-MVFC selection in 2015 as a junior. He led the Salukis in tackles last season with 120 and ranked third in the league in tackles per game at 10.9. He recorded double-digit tackles in seven of 11 games and was named MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking two kicks and recording 10 tackles in the second half alone in a win vs. Youngstown State.

Daquan Isom was named preseason honorable mention All-MVFC as a return specialist. He earned second-team All-MVFC as a return specialist last year as a true freshman. He was an MVFC All-Newcomer team selection and a two-time MVFC Newcomer of the Week. Last year, he ranked seventh nationally in all-purpose yards per game and led the MVFC in kick return average.

Billy Reed was also named to the preseason honorable mention All-MVFC team. He was a second-team All-MVFC selection last year after totaling 805 receiving yards, good for fifth in SIU single-season history. He set a school record with 14 receptions against Illinois State last year and had four 100-yard receiving games. Reed ranked third in the MVFC in receptions per game and fourth in receiving yards per game in 2015.

Team (first-place votes) – Points
North Dakota State (37) – 388
Northern Iowa (2) – 343
South Dakota State – 284
Illinois State – 274
Youngstown State – 254
Western Illinois – 176
South Dakota – 146
Southern Illinois – 124
Indiana State – 115
Missouri State - 41

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Players Mentioned

Chase Allen

Daquan Isom

Billy Reed

Scoreboard

Southern Illinoise University Athletics