Archive for October 2019

Taming turnovers is job one for Leathernecks

Taming turnovers is job one for Leathernecks
In football, turnovers can be give life to a team or provide a slow, painful road to defeat. Perhaps no team in the Missouri Valley Football Conference knows this as well as Western Illinois. At 0-8, the Leathernecks have a league-low minus-10 turnover margin. The team’s 10 interceptions and 10 lost fumbles both rank second-highest... Read more »
By Barry Bottino,
October 31, 2019 at 5:27 pm
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Tricks & treats for each Land of Lincoln FCS football team

Tricks & treats for each Land of Lincoln FCS football team
According to Wikipedia, Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, as well as watching horror films. While some of those things may even been happening at our state’s university campuses and even within the FCS programs, we have... Read more »
By Dan Verdun,
October 30, 2019 at 10:50 am
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Redbirds appear perched for FCS playoffs; could Salukis join the hunt?

Redbirds appear perched for FCS playoffs; could Salukis join the hunt?
A year after no Illinois schools made the FCS playoffs, the possibilities are looking much brighter. With essentially a month left in the regular season, Illinois State seems a virtual lock for the 24-team playoff field. Meanwhile, Southern Illinois has moved its way into consideration. Illinois State, under the guidance of 11th-year head coach Brock... Read more »
By Dan Verdun,
October 30, 2019 at 5:00 am
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Moving the Chains with . . . Jeremy Chinn, SIU safety

Moving the Chains with . . . Jeremy Chinn, SIU safety
Even though it happened his freshman year, Jeremy Chinn easily recalls his first collegiate interception. In fact, it still stands as his all-time favorite. “It was big time; it gave me confidence and set the tone for my career,” Chinn told Prairie State Pigskin. It came in a rivalry conference game at Illinois State in... Read more »
By Dan Verdun,
October 29, 2019 at 5:00 am
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From transfer to top dog, SIU's Cox helping wear down defenses

From transfer to top dog, SIU's Cox helping wear down defenses
As Nick Hill talked during a postgame interview Saturday with the Saluki Radio Network, a major contributor to his team’s 48-28 win at South Dakota was catching his breath. Junior wide receiver Avante Cox picked a spot near his coach and laid down to rest. “He’s here on the turf next to me,” Hill told... Read more »
By Barry Bottino,
October 28, 2019 at 4:15 am
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3 things we learned: Redbirds ride Robinson, stout defense to rain-soaked victory

3 things we learned: Redbirds ride Robinson, stout defense to rain-soaked victory
In his halftime interview with the Missouri Valley’s Kelly Burke, Illinois State head coach Brock Spack said the weather-plagued game would be contest of field position. Thirty minutes later, Spack’s Redbirds won that battle and their third straight game. Illinois State, ranked seventh in this week’s FCS Coaches poll, pulled away from regional rival Indiana... Read more »
By Dan Verdun,
October 26, 2019 at 9:30 pm
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3 things we learned: Salukis run wild, run past South Dakota

3 things we learned: Salukis run wild, run past South Dakota
For Nick Hill, the head football coach at Southern Illinois, one number had been elusive all season. Until Saturday in Vermillion, S.D., that is, when the Salukis rushed for a season-high 334 yards and powered to a 48-28 Missouri Valley Football Conference victory against South Dakota. “We’ve been chasing that 300 yards of rushing all... Read more »
By Barry Bottino,
October 26, 2019 at 9:19 pm
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3 things we learned: EIU offense sputters in Homecoming defeat

3 things we learned: EIU offense sputters in Homecoming defeat
Mother Nature rained all over Homecoming while Eastern Kentucky drowned Eastern Illinois 33-6 in Ohio Valley Conference play Saturday. With a steady rain falling throughout the game, EKU (5-3, 3-1 OVC) held Eastern Illinois to 89 yards of total offense and cruised to victory. The loss kept the Panthers winless at 0-9 overall and 0-5... Read more »
By Dan Verdun,
October 26, 2019 at 7:38 pm
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3 things we learned: Big plays sink Western in loss at Youngstown State

3 things we learned: Big plays sink Western in loss at Youngstown State
A week after a strong defensive performance against nationally ranked Illinois State, Western Illinois was dominated by Youngstown State 59-14 in Missouri Valley Football Conference action. The Penguins’ 45-point win over the Leathernecks ties the largest margin of victory over a conference opponent in Youngstown State history. In addition, the Penguins snapped their three-game losing... Read more »
By Dan Verdun,
October 26, 2019 at 6:45 pm
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Red zone defense keys Redbird revival as ISU prepares for Homecoming

Red zone defense keys Redbird revival as ISU prepares for Homecoming
Last Saturday’s win at rival Western Illinois provided a prime example of Illinois State’s red zone defense. With ISU leading 7-0 early in the second quarter, Western appeared poised to score with the ball resting on the Redbird two-yard line. That’s when Illinois State defensive back Devin Taylor stepped up with a game-altering play. On... Read more »
By Dan Verdun,
October 25, 2019 at 5:00 am
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