SIU’s football team has only trailed in one game this conference season, and you can see why.
The third-ranked Salukis (7-1, 6-0 Missouri Valley Football Conference) run the ball well, force a lot of turnovers, and can make it tough with the lead. Even if it’s not very big. SIU leads the league in rushing offense, which means it can grind out a lot of time without even throwing a pass.
Early in the season, SIU was only passing to really keep a defense honest. It advanced the ball quickly on big runs or play-action passes. About midway through the season, the Salukis opened it up a bit and began to throw a bit more downfield, as the game warranted.
Defensively, SIU tries to make the opponent one-dimensional, and has been brilliant this season. Northern Iowa has been the only team to put the Salukis in a hole this season, and even the Panthers ended up trying to pass their way to victory. Instead, they passed right to Brandon Williams, who returned the interception easily for the game-winning touchdown.
“In any game, you just want to try to get the flow of the game to go to your advantage,” SIU coach Dale Lennon said. “When you do feel like you have a good flow, you want to stay with it. You continue to work the plays that you work. It’s a pretty simple formula.”
SDSU (7-1, 6-0) definitely can throw the ball, but if the Jackrabbits can pick, they’re going to try to run first, just like SIU. Kyle Minett is sixth in school history in rushing as a junior, and could present the Salukis with one of the most difficult guys to grab Saturday. If SIU can put SDSU down a score or two in the second half, it might have just enough to put the Jackrabbits in a passing situation and grind out another road win.
The stakes are high. The winner gets the league’s automatic playoff berth and at least a share of the MVFC title. The loser will probably still make the playoffs, but will probably also have to start them on the road.