CARBONDALE - So much for the sweep.

The Southern Illinois University football team completed the first eight-game sweep of the Missouri Valley Football Conference on Saturday, but couldn't sway the nation's Football Championship Subdivision coaches. The Salukis (9-1, 8-0 MVFC) came in No. 1 in The Sports Network poll for the second straight week Monday after beating Missouri State, 44-24, but failed to jump Montana in the FCS coaches poll. The Salukis remain at No. 2. SIU got 49 of 137 first-place votes and 3,278 points to stand atop The Sports Network poll. The Salukis beat second-ranked Villanova (9-1) by 53 points in that poll, and closed the gap on the Grizzlies in the coaches list.

SIU finished just 13 points behind Montana (10-0, 7-0 Big Sky Conference) in the coaches poll. Last week, the Grizzlies came in 23 points ahead of the Salukis.

Montana, which wrapped up the Big Sky's outright title and playoff bid with a 38-10 win over Northern Colorado (3-8) on Saturday, received 17 of 28 first-place votes and 685 points in the coaches poll. SIU got seven first-place votes and ended up with 672. Villanova, which jumped the Grizzlies in The Sports Network poll, stayed at No. 3 in the coaches list and got the other four first-place votes.

Montana finishes its regular season with a road game at No. 23 Montana State (7-3).

Winners of nine straight since dropping its opener at Marshall Sept. 5, SIU closes its regular season Saturday at 2-8 Southeast Missouri State. With the Salukis' first goal of the season, an outright conference title, completed, they'll begin working toward their second today when they return to the practice field. With a win in Cape Girardeau, SIU will almost be guaranteed a top-four seed in the FCS playoffs, which will give it the chance to host its first two playoff games.

SIU is 5-0 at McAndrew Stadium this season.

"You want to feel good about your ballgame," SIU coach Dale Lennon said. "You want to have that swagger where you know you can go out and overcome some adversity and be able to win the big games, and we were able to do that on the season. Once the second season begins, then, you know, I think we'll be ready for those challenges."

SEMO ended an eight-game skid with a 49-13 victory against Murray State last weekend at Houck Stadium. SIU has won the last three meetings between the two, and will try to make it four at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Two other MVFC teams joined SIU in the top 12 Monday. Northern Iowa (7-3, 5-2 MVFC) came in ninth and 11th in The Sports Network and coaches polls, respectively. South Dakota State (7-3, 6-1) came in at No. 12 on both lists. Even with SIU having to travel to both teams this season, neither were able to stop tailback Deji Karim and the Salukis from becoming the first team to ever go 8-0 in the conference.

"Heavy, but lovely," said Karim, who was asked how it felt to carry the MVFC trophy around Saturday.

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com

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