Saluki Football at UMass | First Meeting Since 2007 Playoffs - Southern Illinois University Athletics

Southern Illinois (0-1) at UMass (0-1)
Date & Time	Sept. 7, 2019 \| 3:30 p.m. ET
Location	Amherst, Mass. \| Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium (17,000)
TV/Video Stream	FloFootball.com, NESN+
Live Stats	Provided by UMass
Radio	Saluki Radio Network Mike Reis, Gene Green, Connor James
Radio Stream	TuneIn (free)
Southern Illinois	Game Notes (PDF) \| Stats \| Media Guide
UMass	Game Notes \| Stats \| Media Guide
MVFC	Weekly Notes \| Stats
All-Time Series	Salukis lead 1-0 (H: 1-0, A: 0-0, N: 0-0)
Social Media	@SIU_Football \| @SIUSalukis \| Saluki Football
Video Channel	Vimeo

Series versus UMass
   The Salukis and UMass have met once before, with SIU winning in the Elite Eight of the 2007 I-AA Playoffs, 34-27. SIU head coach Nick Hill was the starting quarterback in that game and passed for 216 yards and three touchdowns to help the No. 4-ranked Salukis improve to 12-1 on the season. The teams combined for 984 yards of total offense. Southern advanced to the Final Four where it lost to the Joe Flacco-led Delaware Blue Hens. The Salukis have never played an FBS opponent from the northeast. Their last trip to face an opponent from that region was at FCS Delaware State on Sept. 25, 2004, where the Salukis won, 49-0.

RB D.J. Davis has rushed for 100+ yards in seven of the last 12 games
   Dating back to last season RB D.J. Davis (5-8, 170, Sr.) has recorded seven 100-yard rushing games in the last 12 games. In last week's opener against SEMO, he rushed for 125 yards and two TDs. Davis is one of 40 players on the 2019 preseason watch list for the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) FCS National Performer of the Year trophy. Davis led the Missouri Valley Football Conference last season and ranked 14th in the nation in all-purpose yards per game with 140.3. He rushed for 1,118 yards in 2018 — the most by a Saluki running back since Jewel Hampton in 2011 — and averaged 6.28 yards per carry.

S Jeremy Chinn named "Top FCS Target" by Senior Bowl
   Preseason All-American S Jeremy Chinn (6-3, 212, Sr.) was named the "Top FCS Target" by the Senior Bowl last week. A year ago, Delaware's Nasir Adderley earned the Senior Bowl's distinction and ended up as a San Diego Chargers 2nd round pick. Last season, Chinn led the team in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (9) and also forced two fumbles and blocked a field goal. A starter since his freshman season, he ranks among the school's career leaders in three categories — interceptions (13th/9), pass breakups (3rd/24) and forced fumbles (2nd/6).

Versus FBS opponents
   Since becoming a IAA/FCS member in 1982, the Salukis are 3-31 against FBS opponents. The wins came in 1983 (New Mexico State, 41-3), 2006 (Indiana, 35-28) and 2007 (Northern Illinois, 34-31).
   Salukis head coach Nick Hill was the team's quarterback in the wins at Indiana and NIU, and he combined to complete 31-of-51 passes for 370 yards, 7 TDs and 0 interceptions in those wins.

QB Stone Labanowitz wins QB competition
   QB Stone Labanowitz (5-10, 187, So.) completed 16-of-28 passes (57.1%) for 217 yards and 1 INT in his first-career start last week at SEMO. In 2017, he was 9-1 as the starting quarterback for ASA College (N.Y.), and passed for 2,275 yards and 23 touchdowns with a 71.9 percent completion rate. Last season, he redshirted at SIU after appearing in one game at Ole Miss and completing one pass for six yards. Labanowitz edged out junior college transfer Karé Lyles (6-1, 225, Jr.) and redshirt freshman Nic Baker (5-8, 191, rFr.) in a three-way training camp competition.

Two true freshmen contribute
   RB Romeir Elliott (5-5, 188, Fr.) carried 9 times for 39 yards (4.3 ave) and 1 TD at SEMO, and WR Tanner Corum (5-11, 185, Fr.) made one tackle on special teams. True freshmen can play up to four games and still apply for a redshirt.

The Leg from Down Under
   A native of Melbourne, Australia, P Jack Colquhoun (6-2, 190, Jr.) is the first Australian to play for the Salukis. He made not only his collegiate debut, but his football debut, last Saturday, punting five times for an average of 40.4 yards. A decorated rugby player back home, it was the first American football game Colquhoun (pronounced KUH-hoon) had seen in person.

WR Landon Lenoir extends streak
   WR Landon Lenoir (6-0, 190, Jr.) has caught at least two passes in 12-straight games, dating back to the start of 2018. He has two relatives currently in the NFL. Brother Lance Lenoir (age 24), who holds the Western Illinois school record for career touchdown catches (28), is currently a member the Dallas Cowboys. Cousin Laquon Treadwell (age 24) is a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings.

Personnel notes
• LB Bryce Notree (6-4, 248, Jr.) suffered a broken foot at SEMO and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. He led the team with 78 tackles and ranked 14th in the MVFC with 7.1 stops per game in 2018 to earn MVFC honorable mention status.
• K Griffin Cerra (6-0, 157, rFr.) has not missed a kick in his brief four-game college career. He is 21-for-21 on PATs and 3-for-3 on field goals, including a 50 yarder against South Dakota State — the 7th-longest field goal in school history.
• The Salukis have depth at kicker. K Nico Gualdoni (6-0, 228, Jr.) handles the kickoff chores and also has experience as a placekicker. In two seasons, he is a combined 9-of-11 on field goals with a long of 39 yards, and 33-of-33 on PATs.
• D.J. Davis is the school record holder in career kickoff return yards with 1,706. He has the second-longest kickoff return in school history — 98 yards versus Murray State as a freshman in 2016.
• Starting LT Ernest Dye Jr. (6-2, 307, Sr.) is the son of Ernest Dye, who played offensive tackle at South Carolina and six seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams. His offensive line coach with the Cardinals was Saluki Hall of Famer Carl Mauck, who also coached at SIU (2006-07) under Jerry Kill.
• DT Keenan Agnew (6-0, 274, So.) is the son of Ray Agnew, who was the 10th overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and played six seasons in the NFL at defensive tackle. Ray Agnew is now the Director of Pro Personnel for the Los Angeles Rams.
• Both of Keenan Agnew's brothers played football at SIU. Fullback Ray Agnew (2010-13) played one season in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns. Running back Malcolm Agnew (2013-14) rushed for 1,708 yards and scored 19 touchdowns in two seasons. He is currently the running backs coach for North Dakota.
• OLB Bryson Strong (5-10, 241, So.) and S Justin Strong (6-0, 212, rFr.) are brothers, but no relation to CB Tre Strong (6-1, 195, Sr.).
• The father of DT Blake Parzych (6-3, 293, Sr.) is 6-foot-8 Scott Parzych, who played basketball for Jim Valvano at North Carolina State. Scott was a starter for the Wolfpack in 1982, the year before they won the NCAA title.
•The Salukis have four players from Jones High School in Orlando — WR Je'Quan Burton, CB PJ Jules, DT Tyree Jackson and G Calvin Francis Jr.

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Saluki Football at UMass | First Meeting Since 2007 Playoffs

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Players Mentioned

Keenan Agnew

Nic Baker

Je'Quan Burton

Griffin Cerra

Jeremy Chinn

Jack Colquhoun

Tanner Corum

D.J. Davis

Ernest Dye Jr.

Ro Elliott

Calvin Francis

Nico Gualdoni

Tyree Jackson

PJ Jules

Stone Labanowitz

Landon Lenoir

Bryce Notree

Blake Parzych

Bryson Strong

Justin Strong

Scoreboard