CARBONDALE - The Southern Illinois University defense came up empty for the first time in 20 games Saturday at Southeast Missouri State.

Before the top-ranked Salukis' 42-24 win over the Redhawks on Saturday at Houck Stadium, they had forced at least one turn-over in 20 straight games. They had picked off at least one pass in 11 straight games before Matt Scheible got away with 18 passes, and are now tied for the Football Championship Subdivision lead in interceptions with Coastal Carolina (21).

Only the 1983 national championship team picked off more passes in a single season, snagging 41.

SIU's next chance to get No. 22 comes in the form of Iowa transfer Jake Christensen and No. 19 Eastern Illinois (8-3), who visit McAndrew Stadium on Saturday in the first round of the playoffs. Christensen, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound grad student, was picked off three times in the Panthers' 21-10 loss to Tennesseee State. He has tossed for 2,191 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this year.

"It makes everybody step their game up, anytime the other team has those kind of caliber players, that magnificent of a team, we try to step our game up as a whole," said SIU cornerback Korey Lindsey. "I feel like we did that for the most part this year, and I feel like there's no reason why we shouldn't for this situation, knowing it's a do-or-die situation in the playoffs."

Lindsey and safety Mike McElroy lead the Salukis with six interceptions apiece.

SIU (10-1) has lived off its pressure on the quarterback this season. Eleven different defenders have at least one sack, and seven different guys have at least one interception for the Missouri Valley Football Conference champions. The real center of the Saluki pass rush, however, lies in the run defense. In 11 games, SIU has allowed five rushing touchdowns. The opposition has lost nearly as many yards (357) running the football as it has attempted to try this season (394 carries).

EIU is averaging 125.8 rushing yards per game. Christensen, who is completing 59.6 percent of his passes, might not need a big ground game to be effective this weekend. Eight different receivers have caught at least one touchdown pass off his hands this year, with seven having two or more.

"Offensively, Christensen is definitely the key. When he's playing well, that's a pretty scary offense, as far as what they're capa-ble of doing," said SIU coach Dale Lennon. "They have a good combination of the run and the pass. They can hurt you with either, and the arm strength that Christensen has shown has been extremely impressive. He can throw just about any throw you ask a quarterback to make, and they definitely have the skill players to make you nervous on the defensive side."

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 618-351-5087

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