CARBONDALE - With two-thirds of their final collegiate season complete, seniors Brandin Jordan and Deji Karim can see the light at the end of the tunnel today.

The two Southern Illinois University standouts will lead the top-ranked Salukis (10-1) against No. 19 Eastern Illinois (8-3) on Saturday in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Jordan, a Buck Buchanan Award nominee as one of the best defensive players in the FCS, is a fifth-year senior from Kenner, La. Karim, a first-time starting running back this season, is a fifth-year tailback from Oklahoma City who's career may have been extended by a knee injury last year.

Both will be on the field Saturday, attempting to extend the life of McAndrew Stadium at least one more week. A win Saturday against the Panthers will get SIU at least one more home playoff game.

"I remember the looks in the eyes of James Cloud, Kendrick Young, Larry Warner, all that last year. I shed tears with those boys, and that very well could have been me last year," Karim said. "I remember the looks in their eyes last year, and I don't want that to be me this year. I've got a fire burning inside of me, and I want to continue to build off of that fire inside me to spread it around my teammates, as well, to get what we want accomplished."

Jordan, a preseason all-conference linebacker, is tied with Kyle Walker for the team lead with 7.5 tackler for loss. As one of SIU's four senior linebackers, he found himself taking the same stand Cloud, Young and every other senior took during his final campaign.

"Now, it really hits you when you're that senior, and you're giving that speech to the underclassmen, and telling them about how it's your last year and you're not guaranteed anything," Jordan said. "That kind of fight makes you step up your game more, and if it doesn't, I think something's wrong with you."

Karim, the nation's second-leading rusher at 137.5 yards per game, has scored 17 touchdowns in 11 games. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound tailback has rushed for at least 100 yards eight times this season. The Walter Payton Award candidate cracked the 200-yard mark twice.

EIU hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher and is 2-0 against the Missouri Valley Football Conference this year. The Panthers beat Illinois State, 31-6, in Charleston and shut out Indiana State, 31-0, at Terre Haute, Ind.

SIU beat the Redbirds, 43-23, in Carbondale and shut out the Sycamores, 33-0, in Terre Haute.

"We're not worried about all those statistics. We just want to go out there and focus on our tasks and execute," Karim said. "This game means a lot to us. Every game, it could be my last, and we know that.

"I'm ready to take it one game at a time, and Eastern Illinois is on my mind right now. I'm ready to practice, get all of our game plan in, and just take care of business."

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com

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