SIU vs. SEMO: Game Notes and Links

Sept. 8, 2014

No. 14/20 Southern Illinois (2-0) vs. Southeast Missouri (1-1)
Date	Sept. 13, 2014
Time	6 p.m. CDT
Location	Carbondale, Ill. — Saluki Stadium (15,000)
Promotion	(618) Salukis: Marion and Harrisburg night: $6.18 tickets for Marion and Harrisburg residents if bought in advance of game day Military Appreciation Day All military, both veterans and active duty, receive free admission Scout Night: $6 for Boy and Girl Scouts; $10 for parents and leaders FCA Night: Discounted ticket prices for FCA Huddles and Faith Groups FULL PROMOTIONAL LIST
Tickets	Ticket Home | Seating Map | Parking Map
Live Stats	GameTracker | Valley Scoreboard
Radio	Saluki Sports Network with Mike Reis (play-by-play), Gene Green (analysis) and Connor James (analysis)
Video Stream	Saluki All-Access
Audio Stream	Via SIUSalukis.com (Free)
Game Notes	Southern Illinois | Southeast Missouri | MVC
Season Stats	Southern Illinois | Southeast Missouri | MVC
All-Time Series	Overall: SEMO leads 37-34-8 In Carbondale: SEMO leads 19-16-4
Series Streak	SIU W3
Social Media	@SIU_Football   |  @SIUSalukis   |  Saluki Football

QUICK HITS

• No. 14/20 Southern Illinois hosts Southeast Missouri in Saluki Stadium (15,000) at 6 p.m. on Saturday night.
• Southern won at No. 14 Eastern Illinois, 38-21, last Saturday to improve to 2-0 for the first time in head coach Dale Lennon’sseven seasons at SIU.
• The Salukis are ranked eighth nationally in both scoring offense (41.5 ppg) and scoring defense (10.5 ppg).
• SIU is going for its first 3-0 start since starting the 2007 season 6-0.
• Running back Malcolm Agnew leads the FCS in rushing touchdowns with five and ranks sixth in rushing yards (292).
• Quarterback Mark Iannotti ranks third in the FCS in completion percentage at 72 percent.
• SIU’s game at Purdue is set for an 11 a.m. CDT start time and will be televised by Big Ten Network.

SALUKIS VS. SEMO

• SIU closes FCS non-conference play with a game against Southeast Missouri at 6 p.m. on Sept. 13 in Saluki Stadium.
• SIU has won seven of the last eight matchups with Southeast Missouri, with the lone loss coming in 2010.
• SIU trails the all-time series with the Redhawks 34-37-8 and trails the series in games played in Carbondale 16-19-4
• Since SIU transitioned to FCS play in 1983, SIU is 16-6 against SEMO, including a 7-4 mark in games played in Carbondale.

PROMOTIONS

• The Salukis have four promotions for the season opener, the (618) Salukis program for Marion and Harrisburg residents, Military Appreciation Night, Scout Night and FCA Night.
• Residents of Marion and Harrisburg can get $6.18 tickets in advance of game day with proof of residents. Pick up your tickets at the Old National Bank at 2 E. Locust St or 719 Rollie Drive in Harrisburg or the Old National Bank at 2306 Williamson County Parkway in Marion.
• All military, both veterans and those in active duty, will receive free admission into the game. The Traveling Viatnam Wall will be at the football practice fields on Thursday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 14. It will be open 24 hours a day and is 80 percent of the wall in Washington D.C.
• Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts can attend the game for discounted prices of $6 for scouts and $10 for adults and leaders. T-shirts will be available as well.
• The annual FCA night allows FCA Huddles and Faith groups access to discounted ticket options. For more information, contact Alex Rhodes at (618) 453-8941.
• Weather permitting, SIU will shoot off fireworks at the conclusion of the game. The Salukis will have postgame fireworks at all five home night games in 2014.
• For a complete list of promotions for the 2014 season, visit http://www.siusalukis.com/fanzone/football-promotions.html.
• In addition to the promotions for the SEMO game, SIU introduced a four-game mini-season ticket package available for the final four home games of the 2014 season. Ticket buyers can get season in sections 4 and 8, which are not available on a single-game basis, and have right of first refusal for those seats for next year’s season tickets. For more information, call the SIU Ticket Office at 877-SALUKIS.

SALUKIS KNOCK OFF NO. 14 EIU

• Southern won at No. 14 Eastern Illinois, 38-21, last Saturday to improve to 2-0 for the first time in head coach Dale Lennon’sseven seasons at SIU.
• In the second half, the Salukis shut out the high-powered Eastern offense and the offense scored on its first four possessions to come back from a 21-14 halftime deficit.
• After taking a 14-7 lead with six minutes remaining before halftime, the Salukis were outgained by EIU 179 yards-to-8 and outscored 14-to-0 the rest of the half. SIU responded by outgaining EIU 155 yards-to-11 in the third quarter.
• In the second half, SIU won the time of possession 18:54 to 11:06.

SIU PLAYERS EARN HONORS AFTER ROAD WIN OVER RANKED TEAM

• Senior linebacker Tyler Williamson and senior placekicker Thomas Kinney earned weekly honors from the Missouri Valley Football Conference after SIU’s 38-21 win over No. 14 EIU.
• Williamson was named MVFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording 11 tackles–including seven solo stops and a sack–and leading the defense to a second-half shutout of the Panthers.
• Thomas Kinney hit a 50-yard field goal against the wind to give SIU a two-score lead in the third quarter, becoming just the second player in school history with two career 50-yard field goals. He also went 5-for-5 on extra points and had three touchbacks on kickoffs.
• Malcolm Agnew was named the conference’s offensive player of the week by College Sports Madness. He had 182 all-pupose yards and three rushing touchdowns on just 19 touches (9.6 yards per touch) in the win.

SALUKIS HIGH IN NATIONAL RANKINGS

• SIU ranks eighth nationally in scoring offense (41.5 points per game) and scoring defense (10.5 points per game allowed).
• The Salukis also rank in the top 15 nationally in completion percentage (72 percent, 3rd), sacks (4.0 per game, 7th), third-down conversion percentage (54 percent, 10th), punt return average (18.3 yards per return, 10th), passing efficiency (158.47, 12th) and passing efficiency defense (92.09, 13th).
• Malcolm Agnew leads the nation in rushing TDs with five. He also ranks second nationally in scoring (18.0 points per game), fourth in points responsible for (36), sixth nationally in rushing yards (292), eighth in rushing yards per game (146.0) and ninth in all-purpose yards per game (194.5).
• Mark Iannotti leads the MVFC and ranks third nationally in completion percentage at 72 percent. He also ranks 10th in passing efficiency (160.0) and 11th in passing touchdowns (4).
• LaSteven McKinney ranks sixth nationally in punt return average (18.6), thanks to a 62-yard return at EIU.

NIGHT GAMES

• SIU is playing a school-record five home night games (6 p.m. or later start times) in 2014. Southern also played five home night games in 2004, going 5-0.
• SIU is 2-0 in 2014 in night games overall and 1-0 at home after a season-opening 45-0 win over Taylor.
• Five of Southern’s first six games will be night games. SIU’s lone day game will be an 11 a.m. CDT game at Purdue on Sept. 20.
• The Salukis are 11-7 in night games under head coach Dale Lennon and 11-5 against FCS opponents in night games.
• Dating back to 2002, when lights were reinstalled at McAndrew Stadium, Southern Illinois has gone 24-6 in home night games. (For all SIU night game results since 2002, visit the PDF game notes at the top of the page).

SALUKIS MAKE BIG JUMP IN TOP 25

• SIU made the biggest jump of any team in the FCS Coaches Poll this week, jumping from No. 25 to No. 14 after beating No. 14 Eastern Illinois 38-21 in Charleston. The Salukis jumped to No. 20 in The Sports Network media poll after being unranked last week.
• Before this season, the last time SIU was ranked was Oct. 3, 2011.SIU is 87-33 all-time when ranked in the top 25 in the coaches poll, including a 26-12 mark under head coach Dale Lennon.
• Southern was picked fifth in the preseason MVFC poll. The Salukis have finished tied for third or better in the league nine times in the last 11 seasons.

SALUKIS DOMINATE OPENER

• SIU dominated Taylor 45-0 in the season opener on Aug. 28.
• Senior captain Malcolm Agnew started the season off on a great note for SIU. He took the game’s opening play 65 yards for a touchdown. By scoring just 15 seconds into the opening game, Agnew scored the fastest recorded touchdown in SIU history.
• Agnew scored a 45-yard touchdown three carries later and took a screen pass 62 yards for a touchdown later. Playing in only the first half, Agnew finished with 207 yards on only eight touches in the game.
• SIU was one of only four FCS teams to pitch a shutout in week one.
• The shutout was the fifth shutout in head coach Dale Lennon’s tenure.
• SIU posted five plays of 40 yards or longer in the opener. SIU only had six plays of 40 yards or longer during the 2013 season.

RETURNING PLAYERS

• Southern has 18 starters returning from 2013.
• The Salukis have seven starters returning on offense, losing QB Kory Faulkner, WR John Lantz, FB Ray Agnew and OL Jarien Moreland.
• On defense, Southern Illinois returns eight starters, losing only LB Bryan Presume and CB Terrell Wilson.
• Southern returns 15 of the 22 players on last year’s defensive two-deep, including all six defensive linemen.
• Sixteen of SIU’s top 23 tacklers from 2013 return for the 2014 season but lost top tackler Bryan Presume (104 tackles).

TEAM DEFENSIVE NOTES

• The Salukis have recorded at least one sack in 52 of the last 54 games. SIU has also recorded at least 5.0 tackles for loss in 19 of the last 24 games, including both games this year.
• In just two games, Southern’s diverse defense has already had 11 players record at least a half-TFL. Nine players have been in on a sack.
• Southern has allowed 100 or more yards rushing in only 27 of head coach Dale Lennon’s 72 games coached at Southern Illinois.
• The Salukis ranked second in the MVFC and 17th nationally last year in rushing defense at 122.8 yards per game. SIU ranks 20th nationally and second in the MVFC in rushing defense this year, allowing 100.0 yards per game.
• Southern held six opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing and five opponents to 53 yards or fewer on the ground in 2013.
• Only one opponent in the last 41 games has rushed for more than 200 yards against the Saluki defense; the Saluki offense has eclipsed 200 yards rushing 15 times in that span, including four times last year.

TEAM OFFENSIVE NOTES

• SIU scored 45 points in the season opener and 38 points last week. The last time SIU scored 38 or more points in back-to-back weeks was 2010 wins at No. 19 Illinois State (38-17) and vs. No. 15 Northern Iowa (45-38 [OT]).
• SIU is 2-for-2 in scoring 38 or more points in 2014, matching the number of 38+ point games from the last three seasons combined.
• SIU’s offensive line picked up where they left off last season. After leading the MVFC in fewest sacks allowed in 2013, Southern has only allowed one sack in two games in 2014.
• The Salukis rank third nationally in completion percentage (72 percent), 10th in third-down conversion percentage (54 percent) and 12th in passing efficiency.SIU’s 45 points against Taylor were the most Southern has scored since putting up 45 in a 45-28 win over Eastern Illinois in the first-ever Black Out Cancer game on Nov. 12, 2011.
• SIU had 284 yards rushing and 262 yards passing against Taylor. Southern posted three-straight 200-200 games last year vs. Eastern Illinois, Charleston and SEMO.
• On offense, the Salukis return 87 percent of their rushing attack from 2013 (1,599 of 1,837 yards).
• The only departing rushers on the team: 2013 starting quarterback Kory Faulkner had 237 yards and wide receiver John Lantzhad one yard on one carry.
• SIU also returns five offensive linemen who started at least six games last year, Corey Boemer (all 12 games), Tanner Crum (all 12 games), Jake Notario (6 games), Jamarcus Robinson (6 games), and Ethan Wirth (11 games).
• The Salukis led the MVFC in passing in 2013 at 231.8 yards per game but lost starting quarterback Kory Faulkner, top receiverJohn Lantz and offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer.
• After Lantz, the Salukis return their next top seven pass catchers, including speedsters Tay Willis and LaSteven McKinney and All-American MyCole Pruitt.

INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE NOTES

• Linebacker Tyler Williamson earned MVFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting a game-high 11 tackles, including a sack, in leading Southern’s defense to a second-half shutout at No. 14 Eastern Illinois.
• Williamson is SIU’s top returning tackler. Williamson ranked second on the team in tackles in 2013 with 66. He led the team in tackles for loss with 13.0, which ranked fifth in the MVFC. Williamson leads the team with 14 tackles through two games.
• Williamson also tied for the team lead in sacks last year with 4.0. Jordan Poole and Brandon Williams also had 4.0 sacks last year, and both players return. The trio accounted for half of SIU’s 24 sacks last season.
• Southern returnees accounted for 19 of the team’s 24 sacks last year (79.2 percent), losing only Bryan Presume’s three sacks and Carl Bivens’ two sacks. D.J. Cameron and Anthony Thompson tied with Chris Davis for the team lead in interceptions last year with two. SIU returnees accounted for seven of the team’s 10 interceptions last year.
• Williamson has forced six fumbles in his two seasons in Carbondale, which is tied for the school’s career record and the most forced fumbles by any player at SIU in 35 years.
• With one more forced fumble, Williamson would break his tie for career forced fumbles he holds with Ron Geels (1976-79) and John Palmero (1977-79).
• 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.
• Boo Rodgers picked off a pass at EIU, his first interception since 2011–against EIU.
• Adam Brandt caught a tipped pass for an intercpetion at EIU. Brandt is the first SIU defensive lineman with an intercpetion sinceKendrick Young against New Hampshire in 2008.
• Early in the season, first-year starter Lamonte Edwards ranks in the top 50 nationally in both sacks per game (1.0, 25th) and tackles for loss per game (1.75, 45th).
• Edwards started his career as a running back at Minnesota. He had 11 yards and one touchdown on eight carries as an RB before changing positions and changing schools.

INDIVIDUAL OFFENSIVE NOTES

• Running back Malcolm Agnew leads the nation in rushing touchdowns with five and ranks sixth nationally in rushing yards (292).
• Agnew is averaging 14.4 yards per touch through two games. He has 389 all-purpose yards on 27 touches (25 rushes, 2 receptions). His 194.5 all-purpose yards per game rank ninth nationally.
• Agnew has six 100-yard rushing games in his Saluki career (four in 2013, two in 2014). His next 100-yard game will tie him with Bob Hasberry (1969) and Walter Poole (1978-71) for ninth-most 100-yard rushing games in SIU history, cracking the top 10.
• Agnew became a career 1,000-yard rusher at SIU in the season opener at Taylor. He will crack the top-25 all-time rushers at SIU with 79 more yards.
• Agnew was SIU’s leading rusher in 2013 with 888 yards despite missing the season-opener at Illinois. Agnew was named to the MVFC’s All-Newcomer team after the season.
• Agnew averaged 4.9 yards per rush in 2013 despite not breaking a rush for longer than 27 yards. He is averaging 11.7 yards per carry this year and has busted three rushes longer than 30 yards in 2014.
• Senior MyCole Pruitt returns for his senior season after earning consensus first-team All-American honors in 2013.
• Pruitt was also an honorable mention All-American in 2012. If he earns All-America honors again in 2014, he will be the third three-time All-American in school history, joining Alexis Moreland (2002-04) and Korey Lindsey (2008-10).
• Pruitt became the second player in SIU history with 150 career reception with his seven catches at EIU. He is second in SIU history with 151 career receptions. He needs 57 more receptions in 2014 to catch Southern’s all-time leader, Cornell Craig, who had 207 career catches from 1996-99.
• Pruitt is also fourth in SIU history career receiving yardage with 1,838 career yards. He needs 466 yards to move into second place on SIU’s all-time list. Craig had 3,508 career receiving yards, meaning Pruitt would need to more than double his career yardage in one season to break the record.
• Pruitt is SIU’s career leader in both receptions and receiving yards by a tight end.
• Pruitt is also seventh on SIU’s career receiving touchdowns list (13).
• Pruitt has at least one reception in 33 of his 34 career games, and he has at least two catches in 19-straight games played.
• LaSteven McKinney is eighth on SIU’s career receptions list with 117. McKinney needs 21 receptions to move into third on the all-time list behind Craig and Pruitt. He needs just eight catches to move into fourth on the all-time list.
• McKinney also needs 328 yards receiving to break into the top 10 in school history in career receiving yards.
• Tay Willis made the transition from running back to wide receiver in the offseason. Willis was fourth on the team with 794 all-purpose yards in 2013: 321 rushing, 173 receiving and 300 in kick returns.
• Starting QB Mark Iannotti transferred from Eastern Michigan after last season and has been with SIU since the spring.
• Iannotti ranks third nationally in completion percentage and 10th in passing efficiency.

INDIVIDUAL SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• Placekicker Thomas Kinney was named MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week after hitting a 50-yard field goal against the wind at EIU, going a perfect 5-for-5 on extra points and booting three touchbacks on kickoffs.
• Kinney’s 50-yarder is tied for the second-longest field goal in the FCS this year.
• Kinney his a 52-yard field goal against WIU last year. Combined with his 50-yarder at EIU, Kinney is only the second player in SIU history with two career 50+ yard field goals, joining Ken Seaman (1975).
• Kinney earned preseason first-team All-America and All-MVFC laurels after making 18 field goals in 2013, the second-highest single-season total in SIU history.
• Kinney’s performance against Western Illinois led to him being named MVFC and National Special Teams Player of the Week.
• Kinney is on the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List, which goes to the top placekicker in the nation after the season.
• Despite playing only 14 games at SIU, Kinney has cracked the top 10 in school history in made field goals with 20, tying Steve Wedemeier (1988-90) and Gregg Goodman (1970-72).
• Kinney was a second-team All-MVFC selection in 2013 and was also named to the MVFC All-Newcomer team.
• He ranked second in the conference in field goals made (18), field goals attempted (24) and points scored among placekickers (94).
• Tay Willis was named to the CFPA Kick Returner Watch List for 2014. He returned the opening kickoff against Missouri State 92 yards for a touchdown. Willis nearly broke another return TD at EIU but settled for a 43-yard return.
• LaSteven McKinney busted a 62-yard punt return at Eastern Illinois, raising his season average to 18.6, which ranks sixth nationally.
• McKinney has been named an honorable mention All-MVFC return specialist in each of the past two seasons.
• McKinney ranked second in the MVFC in his freshman season in yards per punt return.
• McKinney is fourth in SIU history in career punt return yards with 571. He needs 109 yards to move into third.
• McKinney is seventh in school history in career punt return average at 7.78 yards per return.
• He is third in school history in career punt returns with 65.
• Four-year starting punter Austin Pucylowski graduated. Since 2010, Pucylowski recorded all but five of SIU’s punts. Kory Faulkner had one punt in both 2011 and 2012. Kyle Daugherty had three punts in 2010.
• Nick Neidig is Southern’s new starting punter. He averaged 50 yards on two punts in the opener and pinned two inside the 20 at EIU.

PRESEASON INDIVIDUAL HONORS

• Tight end MyCole Pruitt and kicker Thomas Kinney were both named preseason first-team All-Americans by The Sports Network.
• Pruitt was a consensus All-American last year and a third-teamer as a sophomore in 2012.
• Kinney was named to the MVFC All-Newcomer team last year after making 18 field goals, the second-highest single-season total in school history. He also hit a 52-yarder against Western Illinois, the second-longest field goal in the FCS in 2013.
• Pruitt is on the 20-man Walter Payton Award Watch List. The Payton Award goes to the most outstanding player in the FCS after the season.
• Kinney was named to the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List, which is given to the most outstanding placekicker after the season.
• Six SIU players have been named to College Football Performance Awards Watch Lists at their respective positions: Malcolm Agnew (running back), Thomas Kinney (placekicker), LaSteven McKinney (punt returner and return specialist), MyCole Pruitt(tight end), Tyler Williamson (linebacker) and Tay Willis (kick returner). Pruitt earned the CFPA’s FCS Tight End of the Year award last year, becoming Southern’s second CFPA Award winner (Korey Lindsey, Defensive Back Award, 2010).

SIX NEW COACHES

• Southern Illinois has 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.
• Southern lost last year’s offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer to the same job at Eastern Michigan, and last year’s defensive coordinator, Bubba Schweigert, left to become the head coach at North Dakota.
• Lennon added defensive coordinator to his head coaching duties and promoted offensive line coach Bill O’Boyle to offensive coordinator.
• Lennon served as the defensive coordinator at North Dakota for seven years from 1990-96.
• 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.
• In addition to O’Boyle, Austin Flyger (defensive line) and Travis Stepps (outside linebackers) are the only other coaches returning from last year’s staff. The new coaches are Ashton Aikens (wide receivers), Todd Auer (inside linebackers), David Elson(secondary), Nick Hill (quarterbacks), Keith Murphy (tight ends/fullbacks) and Larry Warner (running backs).
• Hill and 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.

SIU VS. RANKED OPPONENTS SUCCESS

• SIU is 12-10 against top-25 opponents under head coach Dale Lennon.
• The Salukis have won five games against top-10 opponents in the last six seasons, and all five have been on the road.
• Southern is 28-11 (.718) against non-ranked teams and is 26-12 (.676) as a ranked team.
• Southern has won at least one game against a ranked team in all seven of Lennon’s seasons in Carbondale.

TEAM ROAD SUCCESS

• Since 2005, SIU has won 12 road games against ranked teams, which is three more than any other MVFC team and the same number as North Dakota State and South Dakota State combined.
• Southern Illinois has excelled in road games under head coach Dale Lennon. SIU is 19-15 overall on the road in Lennon’s six seasons. If you take out SIU’s six FBS opponents in that time, Lennon’s squads have gone 19-9 in road games.
• SIU went 4-0 in road games against FCS opponents last year, including back-to-back road wins over top-10 opponents with a 27-24 win over South Dakota State and a 24-17 overtime win over Northern Iowa last year.
• With Southern’s 38-21 win at No. 14 Eastern Illinois, the Salukis have a five-game road winning streak.
• SIU is 9-4 on the road against ranked teams in head coach Dale Lennon’s tenure at SIU.
• The Salukis are 7-1 in MVFC road games the last two years and are 4-1 against ranked MVFC teams on the road.
• Southern’s only conference road loss in the last two seasons was at North Dakota State in 2012, and SIU led the eventual national champions in that game entering the fourth quarter.
• The Salukis shut out No. 9 Illinois State in Normal, Ill., 17-0 in 2012 and beat No. 25 Youngstown State by 17 on the road in 2012.
• Under Lennon, SIU is 16-8 in MVFC road games, and six of his eight road losses were in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. In his other four seasons, SIU is 14-2 in MVFC road games, with both losses coming at the Fargodome against North Dakota State.
• Since 1997, the home team in the UNI-SIU rivalry is 15-2. Lennon has coached both teams that have won on the road. His 2009 squad beat No. 2 UNI at the UNI-Dome and last year’s team topped No. 4 UNI on the road.
• SIU has won five games against top-10 teams on the road under Lennon and seven games against ranked opponents away from Carbondale.

BLACK OUT CANCER GAME

• Southern Illinois will host the fourth annual Black Out Cancer game on Sept. 27 vs. Western Illinois.
• Fans can bid on a jersey at SalukisBlackOutCancer.com. The top 80 bids will be able to choose a jersey number and place the name of their choosing on the back of the jersey, including the option to honor a cancer survivor or victim.
• The jerseys will then be worn by the Salukis against the Leathernecks, and winning bidders will be presented with their jersey after the game.