Mike Souza and Sha-ron Edwards each ran for two touchdowns and Boomer Grigsby had a career-high 21 total tackles as Illinois State stunned No. 25 Southern Illinois 35-14 in front of 12,415 Family Day fans, the largest crowd this season at Hancock Stadium.
Quincy Washington led the rushing attack for the Redbirds with 126 yards on the ground and one touchdown. Vito Golson finished the game with six catches for 113 yards, while Souza threw for 275 yards and no interceptions.
Southern Illinois (4-4, 2-1 Gateway) had both its touchdowns come from Mo Abdulqaadir, the nations leading rusher (203.5 yards per game). Abdulqaadir was limited to 103 yards on the ground, his lowest performance since being named the starting running back for the Salukis in their third game of the year.
The Redbird defense set the tone throughout the game allowing the Salukis, who came into todays game ranked fifth in the nation for total offense in I-AA football, only 118 yards of total offense after the ISU offense scored its fourth touchdown of the game late in the third quarter. The 14-point performance for the Salukis ties their lowest point total for the season when they scored 14 against Southeast Missouri State on September 7.
Illinois State (4-3, 2-1 Gateway) held the Salukis offense in check throughout the first quarter allowing SIU one first down and 30 yards of total offense, including only eight yards by the nations leading I-AA rusher Mo Abdulqaadir. Two costly turnovers by the Birds offense, including a fumble on the SIU 11-yard line, kept the ISU from putting any points on the scoreboard.
However early in the second quarter, Illinois State quarterback Mike Souza gave the Birds a 7-0 lead with a nine-yard scramble to the endzone. It was his third rushing touchdown in the last two games. The Redbirds had three other opportunities in the second quarter to extend their lead, but two missed field goals by Stephen Carroll and a 57-yard punt return for a touchdown by Dennis Butler called back by a penalty kept ISU with its seven-point advantage heading into halftime.
A fumble by Troy Hunter deep in Saluki territory on the first play from scrimmage of the second half proved costly for Illinois State as Southern Illinois marched 29 yards in seven plays to tie the game at 7-7. Abdulqaadir recorded the touchdown on a one-yard rush up the middle.
The Birds werent ready to relinquish their lead just yet. On the ensuing possession, the ISU offense put together a six-play, 89-yard drive capped by a 15-yard run by Quincy Washington giving the Redbirds a 14-7 lead with 10 minutes left in the third.
Souza showed off his ground attack again with 6:06 left in the third when he rushed 13 yards for the score to extend Illinois States lead to 21-7. But the Birds werent done and following a blocked Saluki punt by Ray Robinson, ISU was able to mount a two-play, 43-yard drive capped by a one-yard run by Sha-ron Edwards for his first career touchdown in a Redbird uniform.
An interception by Cerone Colvin at the Redbird 19-yardline kept the Salukis from cutting into the Birds 21-point lead and kept the score at 28-7 heading into the fourth quarter. Sha-ron Edwards put up another score with eight minutes left in the game when he rushed 10 yards to the right side of the endzone for the touchdown to put Illinois State up 35-7.
