Too bad about Chris Dieker, who is expected to be out the rest of the regular season at least. Deji Karim also left Saturday’s game against Youngstown State with a bruise on his left ankle, but apparently is OK, according to SIU coach Dale Lennon today.
Karim, the nation’s leading rusher entering Saturday’s game, participated in Sunday’s walk-thru and should be at Tuesday’s practice, Lennon told me earlier today. Does SIU really need him against Indiana State (1-7, 1-4 Missouri Valley Football Conference)? Not to slight the Sycamores, but could the Salukis win with Steve Strother, Richard White and Lucien Walker rotating a bit more than usual? Keep Karim out until the game against South Dakota State? Give Karim less carries Saturday, and hope to put the game away by halftime?
What would you do if you were Lennon, and Karim is cleared to play but could use another week of rest?
As for Paul McIntosh, he gives SIU another offensive weapon, if you can believe that. He can really make plays with his feet, and not just the called ones. He can, conceivably, run for an 80-yard touchdown. McIntosh is no slouch in the pocket, either, as he’s both accurate and has a strong enough arm to throw it down the field, although we didn’t see that in Saturday’s 27-8 victory.
I like McIntosh. I think SIU can still make a run at the conference title, and, maybe, beyond that. The only thing he hasn’t done is win games by himself, something Dieker did late last season and nearly did against Marshall this season. Dieker looked in prime shape with the offense. Now, I wonder if SIU will knock a few plays off the list for McIntosh, go a little more conservative, and see if he can maintain the game, sort of like what Dieker did during the first half of last season. We’ll see starting Tuesday, when the Salukis return to practice.
SIU’s defense looks in prime shape, so don’t worry too much about the loss of Dieker. It’s a hit. A big hit. But the other team has to score to win, and it’s still looking pretty tough for it to do that.