Saturday, October 2
Macomb, IL
3:00 PM
Southern Illinois University
at
Western Illinois
Football travels to Western Illinois on Saturday
09/28/2021 | 5:04:00 | Football
CARBONDALE, Ill. — No. 7-ranked Southern Illinois will look to extend its winning streak to three games when it plays at conference rival Western Illinois on Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN+. The Salukis (3-1) are coming off a 35-17 win over Illinois State, in which they rallied from a 17-0 deficit. Likewise, the Leathernecks (1-3) are coming off a big, comeback win, having overcome a 28-point deficit at Youngstown State.
Series versus the Leathernecks
Opening Statement:
"It was a good win for us [against Illinois State] to start conference play, I feel that it was a good atmosphere, it was just a good way to get a win. We talk about this a lot, we are early into this season. There are going to be a lot of times this season in all three phases that we are going to have to rely on each other and play team football. Our guys were resilient and found a way to win.
I was proud of the guys for staying with it, committed, and trusting each other to find a way to get going in the second half. I felt our defense played well the entire game, came up with some really big plays. Probably two of the biggest plays were after giving up the blocked punt, holding them to a field goal, it wasn't just about a turnover even after getting the ball to the five-yard line. And stopping them at fourth-down when it's 17-7, big play by our defense. What won't go unnoticed was PJ Jules' effort on the long run on second-and-long.
Coach Petrino put them in great positions to play well. Obviously, there were some drives and they had some plays on us, but they gave the offense another opportunity. We are excited this weekend, I tell our team we take everyone with a sense of urgency – like our backs are against the wall – in preparation and in practice. If you don't do that in this league, you are going to get your butt whooped. I've got a ton of respect for Jared [Elliot] and the way he's gotten those guys playing. We're playing a good football team and excited for the preparation."
On Kevin Glajchen and Richie Hagarty:
"I think both are playing at a high level. Richie is just going to continue to get better with the more opportunities that he gets. When you look at where we need to be really good, it's on the defensive line. That's really where things start and stop. Those two guys have not only added depth, but raised the level of play at that position, Kevin playing inside [defensive tackle], Richie on the outside [defensive end]. Both of them are A+ type of kids in practice who not only made us better on the field, but in the whole program."
On Western Illinois:
"Well #1, they have a sixth-year senior quarterback that has played a ton of snaps in the same system. They are a pretty well-oiled machine on offense, pretty streaky – they can score in a hurry. Sometimes you're watching film and they are down, they come back to score in chunks and score quickly. They are fast, you have to be disciplined with your eyes on how they line up. Jared had always done a great job at doing that, so we have our work cut out for us.
I think they've settled in on defense. Their coordinators have changed several times over the last few years. That is what we have settled into: not looking at scores or records. It's really about what they are capable of doing, and they've put together some really good series, quarters, halves against some good teams. I think they have a good football team."
On WR Izaiah Hartrup:
"It's no secret he had a coming out party, he had that big catch last Saturday which was unbelievable. He's a phenomenal player, he's going to continue to learn and grow into his role on this team. We're always trying to find ways to get him the ball, he's going to continue to grow in this offense."
Series versus the Leathernecks
- WIU leads the series 36-24-4 largely because it won all 18 games played by the teams between 1984 and 2001.
- SIU is 11-18-3 in games played in Macomb, Ill.
- The last meeting was in 2019. The teams had met every season since 1981 until WIU opted out of the scheduled game in Carbondale.
- SIU won the 2019 game in Macomb, 45-21. Javon Williams, Jr. gained 148 yards scored three rushing touchdowns in the game as SIU rushed for 375 yards.
- The average score of a SIU-WIU game since 2012 is SIU 34 WIU 25.
- SIU rallied from a 17-0 third quarter deficit.
- It is one of the three biggest comebacks in school history and the biggest since rallying from a 21-point deficit at Northern Illinois to win in 2007.
- Qua Brown led SIU with 11 total tackles in the game. He has 23 total tackles in his last two games vs. ISU.
- WR Lance Lenoir caught a team-high seven passes in the game, one for a TD.
- KR Izaiah Hartrup's first kickoff return of the season was a 70-yarder that ignited the Saluki rally.
- In his first season-opening start as a college QB, Baker set the school record for passing yards in one game when he passed for 460 yards in the win at SEMO on Sept. 2, 2021.
- Though he's quarterbacked just 10 games in his Saluki career, he is in 20th place on SIU's career passing yards list.
- Baker was 16-for-27 for 176 yards 0 TDs and 1 interception Week Two at Kansas St. He turned the ball over three times (2 fumbles and 1 interception).
- Baker was 16-for-21 for 235 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 interceptions vs. Dayton. He played two quarters, plus the opening drive of the third quarter.
- He was 21-for-32 for 227 yards, two TDs and two interceptions in the Illinois State win.
- Williams is in 14th place on SIU's career rushing yards list with 1,839
- Should he rush for 1,000 yards in 2021, Williams would move into sixth place in career rushing with 2 years of eligibility remaining.
- If Williams leads SIU in rushing this season, he will be the first Saluki to lead his team in rushing in three consecutive seasons since Tom Koutsos led SIU in rushing from 1999-2001. Also, Williams would be the second since Burnell Quinn did it 1976-78.
- Williams is tied for fourth place on SIU's career rushing TDs list with 31. Williams scored 19 of his rushing touchdowns in his redshirt freshman 2019 season.
- Williams is in fourth place on SIU's career TDs list with 33.
- Williams is in 10th place on SIU's career points list with 198.
- All-American and All-MVFC First Team WR Avante Cox is averaging 24.9 yards per reception through the first four games of the 2021 season.
- The Walter Payton Award finalist is in sixth place on SIU's career pass receptions list with 127.
- Cox is in sixth place on SIU's career receiving yardage list with 1,804.
- Cox is tied for ninth place (teammate L. Lenoir) on SIU's career receiving touchdowns list with 12.
- Cox is bidding to become the first Saluki to lead his team in receptions in three consecutive seasons since Brent Little (2003-05).
- Going into the WIU game, Cox has caught passes in 26 consecutive games.
- Cox is averaging 5 receptions per game. He's averaging just three receptions per game the last three games.
- He and QB Nic Baker were teammates at Rochester (Ill.) High School.
- Baker and Cox connected on a 99-yard TD pass on the first play of the 2021 season at Southeast Missouri.
- The sixth year WR is in third place on SIU's career receptions list with 167.
- Lenoir is in fourth place on SIU's career receiving yardage list with 2,065.
- Lenoir is tied for ninth place (teammate A. Cox) on SIU's career receiving TDs list with 12.
- He is averaging six receptions per game this season and seven per game the last three games.
- Going into the WIU game, Lenoir has caught passes in 24 consecutive games.
- His brother, Lance, is Western Illinois' all-time leader in pass receptions, receiving yardage and receiving TDs.
- For the second consecutive year began the season as the team's lone captain.
- Furcron shared the role with LB Bryce Notree, WR Lance Lenoir and injured CB James Ceasar in last week's game vs. Illinois St.
- The sixth-year senior has started every game the last three seasons, has started 37 games consecutively and has started all but three games in his 48-game career.
- He is pre-season All MVFC in 2021 and was All-MVFC first team in 2020-21.
- Furcron graduated in 2020 and is currently pursuing a masters-degree in kinesiology.
- Has moved into the top 35 in career total tackles at SIU with 220.
- Had a career-high 12 total tackles in the Illinois St. win. He has 23 total tackles in his last two games vs. ISU.
- Brown has yet to force a fumble in 2021 and is still tied for sixth place on SIU's career forced fumbles list.
- Is there a more dominant DE in the nation in the last 8 games than Jordan Berner?
- 8-game stats — 30 Tackles, 5.5 Sacks, 9.0 Tackles For Loss, 3 Forced Fumbles
Opening Statement:
"It was a good win for us [against Illinois State] to start conference play, I feel that it was a good atmosphere, it was just a good way to get a win. We talk about this a lot, we are early into this season. There are going to be a lot of times this season in all three phases that we are going to have to rely on each other and play team football. Our guys were resilient and found a way to win.
I was proud of the guys for staying with it, committed, and trusting each other to find a way to get going in the second half. I felt our defense played well the entire game, came up with some really big plays. Probably two of the biggest plays were after giving up the blocked punt, holding them to a field goal, it wasn't just about a turnover even after getting the ball to the five-yard line. And stopping them at fourth-down when it's 17-7, big play by our defense. What won't go unnoticed was PJ Jules' effort on the long run on second-and-long.
Coach Petrino put them in great positions to play well. Obviously, there were some drives and they had some plays on us, but they gave the offense another opportunity. We are excited this weekend, I tell our team we take everyone with a sense of urgency – like our backs are against the wall – in preparation and in practice. If you don't do that in this league, you are going to get your butt whooped. I've got a ton of respect for Jared [Elliot] and the way he's gotten those guys playing. We're playing a good football team and excited for the preparation."
On Kevin Glajchen and Richie Hagarty:
"I think both are playing at a high level. Richie is just going to continue to get better with the more opportunities that he gets. When you look at where we need to be really good, it's on the defensive line. That's really where things start and stop. Those two guys have not only added depth, but raised the level of play at that position, Kevin playing inside [defensive tackle], Richie on the outside [defensive end]. Both of them are A+ type of kids in practice who not only made us better on the field, but in the whole program."
On Western Illinois:
"Well #1, they have a sixth-year senior quarterback that has played a ton of snaps in the same system. They are a pretty well-oiled machine on offense, pretty streaky – they can score in a hurry. Sometimes you're watching film and they are down, they come back to score in chunks and score quickly. They are fast, you have to be disciplined with your eyes on how they line up. Jared had always done a great job at doing that, so we have our work cut out for us.
I think they've settled in on defense. Their coordinators have changed several times over the last few years. That is what we have settled into: not looking at scores or records. It's really about what they are capable of doing, and they've put together some really good series, quarters, halves against some good teams. I think they have a good football team."
On WR Izaiah Hartrup:
"It's no secret he had a coming out party, he had that big catch last Saturday which was unbelievable. He's a phenomenal player, he's going to continue to learn and grow into his role on this team. We're always trying to find ways to get him the ball, he's going to continue to grow in this offense."
Players Mentioned
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LB
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