SIU at FAU: Notes & Links

Southern Illinois (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) at Florida Atlantic (0-0, 0-0 CUSA East)
Date & Time	Sept. 3, 2016 \| 5 p.m. CT
Location	Boca Raton, Fla. \| FAU Stadium (29,419 // Grass)
Video Stream	ConferenceUSA.com ($6.95 for 24-hour pass)
Live Stats	GameTracker via FAU
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 \| 2015 Stats \| 2016 Media Guide
Florida Atlantic	Game Notes \| 2015 Stats \| 2016 Media Guide
MVFC	Weekly Notes \| Stats
All-Time Series	First Meeting
Social Media	@SIU_Football \| @SIUSalukis \| Saluki Football

QUICK HITS

Southern Illinois plays at Florida Atlantic at 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 3, in Boca Raton, Fla.
The game will be the head coaching debut for SIU head coach Nick Hill.
SIU is 3-28 all-time vs. FBS opponents, beating New Mexico State in 1982, Indiana in 2006 and Northern Illinois in 2007. Hill was the starting quarterback for SIU in 2006 and 2007.
SIU's trip to Boca Raton is the third-longest trip ever for SIU to face an FBS opponent. SIU played at Fresno State in 1987 and at Nevada in 1989.
WR Billy Reed and LB Chase Allen both return for their senior seasons in 2016. Both were second-team All-MVFC honorees in 2015.
RB Daquan Isom, S Jefferson Vea and WR Jimmy Jones were all named to the MVFC All-Newcomer team last year. All three are sophomores in 2016.

SALUKIS OPEN NICK HILL ERA AT FAU

SIU opens the 2016 season at Florida Atlantic on September 3 in Boca Raton, Fla.
The game will be video streamed through a subscription service ($6.95 for a 24-hour pass) on conferenceUSA.com.
A free audio stream will be available on the Saluki Radio Network and SIUSalukis.com.
SIU and Florida Atlantic have never met in football.
The game marks the head coaching debut for Nick Hill.
Hill played quarterback for SIU from 2005-07 and spent the 2014-15 seasons on the coaching staff.

SIU VS. THE FBS

SIU is 3-28 against FBS programs since the Salukis transitioned to the FCS before the 1982 season. Southern beat New Mexico State in 1983, Indiana in 2006 and Northern Illinois in 2007.
Head coach Nick Hill was the starting quarterback for SIU in two of its three FBS wins, beating Indiana and Northern Illinois in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
Since 2002, eight of SIU's 13 FBS games have been one-possession games. Four of SIU's losses in that span have been by three points or fewer.
Last year, SIU lost a heartbreaker at Indiana, 48-47. Southern scored a touchdown with less than 20 seconds remaining in the game and went for a 2-point conversion, but was unsuccessful.
SIU recorded 394 yards of total offense in the first half alone vs. Indiana last year. SIU had 659 yards of total offense in the game vs. the Hoosiers.
The Missouri Valley Football Conference is widely considered the best conference in the FCS. The MVFC has 38 wins against FBS schools since 1985, including at least one win in six-straight seasons.
SIU's trip to Boca Raton, Fla., (1,069 miles) is its longest trip to face an FBS opponent since traveling to Reno, Nev., to face Nevada in 1989.
The trip to FAU is the third-longest trip for the program to face an FBS program. Southern went to Fresno State in 1987 and Nevada in 1989.

WHAT RETURNS

RUSHING: 58.3 percent (1,280 of 2,196 yards)
PASSING: 1.2 percent (40 of 3,283 yards)
RECEIVING: 83.5 percent (2,740 of 3,283 yards)
DEFENSE: 60.8 percent (591 of 972 tackles)
SIU returns its top four receivers and four of its top five receivers from last season.
Top receiver Billy Reed led the team and ranked fourth in the MVFC in receiving yards per game last season. Reed was named second-team All-MVFC after the season.
SIU receivers caught 26 touchdown passes last season, and 23 of those TD receptions returned to the team in 2016.
Last year's leading rusher, quarterback Mark Iannotti, graduated. The team's top returning rusher, Daquan Isom, averaged 7.0 yards per rush last season and was named to the MVFC All-Newcomer team.

WHAT'S NEW

Southern Illinois will play a new defensive scheme in 2016. After playing the 3-4 defense for the last eight seasons, SIU will play the 4-3 defense under new defensive coordinator Kraig Paulson this year.
Head coach Nick Hill announced that at least two true freshmen will not be redshirted in 2016. Running back D.J. Davis and defensive tackle Malik Haynes are expected to play at Florida Atlantic.
SIU has 11 new transfers in 2016. Six of those are listed on the opening-week 2-deep: CB Craig James (Minnesota), CB Roman Tatum (Delaware), CB C.J. Jennings (Wyoming), LB Kyron Watson (Kansas), OL Devin Brunnetti (Mesa College), and QB Josh Straughan (Stillman College).
James, Tatum and Straughan are slated to start at Florida Atlantic.

COACH KILL CONNECTION

Head coach Nick Hill played for former SIU and Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill from 2005-07 while Kill was at SIU.
In Hill's senior season, 2007, SIU advanced to the national semifinals of the FCS Playoffs, when the Salukis lost to Joe Flacco and Delaware in Carbondale.
Four assistant coaches on Southern's staff have direct ties to Coach Kill.
Safeties coach Marty Rodgers played for Kill at SIU in his first two seasons, 2006 and 2007.
Offensive line coach Trevor Olson played for Kill at Northern Illinois.
Olson, running backs coach Nate Griffin and tight ends coach Jay Nunez were on the quality control staff under Kill at Minnesota before Hill hired them at SIU.
Defensive coordinator Kraig Paulson coached against Kill and Hill in 2006. Paulson was the defensive coordinator at Montana, leading it to a 20-3 win over the Salukis in the second round of the 2006 FCS Playoffs.

STRAUGHAN TO START AT QB

Graduate transfer Josh Straughan won a year-long battle for the starting quarterback position.
Straughan beat out third-year sophomore Sam Straub for the starting job.
Straughan transferred to SIU from Division II Stillman College, where he was a three-year starter before losing his senior season to injury in 2015.
After graduating from Stillman in December 2015 (3.98 GPA), Straughan transferred to SIU for 2016 spring ball.
Straughan was a preseason All-American in 2015 before missing the season due to injury.
Straughan threw for 5,470 yards and 53 touchdowns in 24 games at Stillman.
Straughan grew up in a small town in Washington and played eight-man football in high school.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Players Mentioned

Chase Allen

D.J. Davis

Malik Haynes

Mark Iannotti

Daquan Isom

Craig James

C.J. Jennings

Jimmy Jones

Billy Reed

Sam Straub

Josh Straughan

Roman Tatum

Jefferson Vea

Kyron Watson

Scoreboard

Southern Illinoise University Athletics

SIU at FAU: Notes & Links

Related News

Players Mentioned

Chase Allen

D.J. Davis

Malik Haynes

Mark Iannotti

Daquan Isom

Craig James

C.J. Jennings

Jimmy Jones

Billy Reed

Sam Straub

Josh Straughan

Roman Tatum

Jefferson Vea

Kyron Watson

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