Southern Illinois: Dale Lennon (North Dakota, 1985) is in his first season at the helm of the SIU football program, his third head coaching position. He owns a 8-2 record with the Salukis, but is 110-35 (.759) in his 12 seasons as a head coach after spending two seasons at Mary and nine at North Dakota.
- Illinois State was home to the Missouri Valley Football Conference's Defensive Player of the Year each season from 2002-06.
- The Redbirds had at least one player selected in the NFL Draft each year from 2005-07.
- In each of the past three years, ISU student-athletes have contributed more than 2,000 hours of community service to the Bloomington-Normal area.
- Redbird student-athletes posted a school-record 3.05 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) during the fall 2007 semester.
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
- Southern Illinois is located in Carbondale, Ill., and has an enrollment of 20,983. The Salukis are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
- The Salukis return 12 starters from a team that posted a 12-2 record last season and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Playoffs.
- Southern Illinois was picked to finish fifth in the preseason Valley Football poll and received two firstplace votes. The Salukis had six student-athletes named to the preseason team, including offensive lineman Aaron Lockwood; defensive lineman James Cloud; linebacker Bradin Jordan; and punter Scott Ravanesi. In addition, offensive lineman Shawn Smith and defensive back Chauncey Mixon each received honorable mention honors.
- Southern Illinois will be looking for a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title in Saturday's game. With a 6-1 conference record, SIU sits one-half game back of Valley leader Northern Iowa, which is 7-1 in the conference but plays its final regular-season game Saturday against non-conference foe Southern Utah. A SIU win today would give the Salukis the Valley's automatic playoff bid.
TIES WITH THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
- Two natives of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will be on the gridiron today. Illinois State's Kelvin Chandler (Dillard HS) will be facing Southern Illinois' Rashad Ceres and Brandon Williams, both of whom attended South Plantation High School.
- Southern Illinois' Ryan Kernes, who is from Bloomington, Ill., will join Illinois State's Mike Cross, Brent Holtz, Marcus King and Cody White as student-athletes from the Bloomington-Normal area at today's game.
- ISU's Tom Nelson (John Hersey HS) and Southern Illinois' Joe Okon (Rolling Meadows HS) both hail from Arlington Heights, Ill.
- Two natives of Crystal Lake, Ill., will face off against each other in today's game. Illinois State quarterback Kevin Brockway went to South High School, while Southern Illinois long snapper Travis Bloomfield attended Prairie Ridge High School.
- Southern Illinois offensive line coach Scott Fuchs (pronounced "FOOKS") was a 1995 graduate of Missouri Valley Football Conference newcomer North Dakota State, where he was a Kodak/AFCA All- American offensive lineman for the Bison.
- SIU Interim Chancellor Samuel Goldman is a native of Winnipeg, Canada, the nation that is also home to Illinois State center Jonathan St-Pierre.
ILLINOIS STATE IN REGULAR-SEASON FINALES
Illinois State is 53-53-6 all-time in season-finales, including two-straight losses dating back to the 2006 season, while head coach Denver Johnson is 4-4 in season-finales with Illinois State.
PREPPING FOR TURKEY DAY
Saturday's home matchup against Southern Illinois will mark the latest regular-season game Illinois State has played in since it defeated Western Kentucky, 31-8, Nov. 23, 1991, at Hancock Stadium. The latest game ISU has ever played in (including playoff games) was Dec. 11, 1999, when it lost to Georgia Southern, 28-17, in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Semifinals.
MAKING YOUR FIRST GRAB COUNT
When junior wide receiver Warren McCarty hauled in his first-career catch late in the third quarter at South Dakota State Nov. 8, it's doubtful he knew it would be one of the biggest catches of the season for Illinois State. McCarty ran the ball in 70 yards for what was not only his first-career catch, but also his first-career touchdown. McCarty capitalized on his new-found receiving prowess with a 17-yard catch in overtime against Western Ilinois last Saturday that extended a failed Redbird scoring drive.
SALEM JOINS CENTURY CLUB
With a 186-yard receiving performance against Youngstown State Nov. 1, junior wideout Eyad Salem joined the 1,000-yard club at Illinois State. Salem now owns 1,219 career receiving yards and became the 17th player in Illinois State history to post 1,000 receiving yards in a career.
ALL-AMERICAN U.
ISU has produced at least one All-American player in 22 of the last 25 seasons. Over the last eight seasons, 30 players from 12 different positions have been honored. Kye Stewart was an All-America selection in 2007.
THE TRUE ICE HOUSE
Youngstown State's Stambaugh Stadium may go by the moniker "The Ice House," but for anyone at ISU Nov. 8 game at South Dakota State's Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, they know what the true meaning of an "ice house" is. The game was played in 27-degree Fahrenheit temperatures, which marked the coldest game Illinois State has played in since Nov. 11, 1995, when the Redbirds played host to Indiana State in 26-degree weather at Hancock Stadium. The Redbirds followed that frigid contest with an equally blustery 37-degree game at Western Illinois last Saturday, where snow fell as the game went into overtime.
LORDY, LORDY, LOOK WHO'S 40
With its last three opponents - Youngstown State (44 points), South Dakota State (52) and Western Illinois (48) - each having racked up 40-or-more points, Illinois State allowed back-to-back-to-back 40-point games for the first time in the 113-year history of Illinois State football.
FOURTH-QUARTER POINTS = ILLINOIS STATE WINS ... MOST OF THE TIME
For the fourth time this season, Illinois State notched a high-scoring fourth quarter in its Nov. 15 loss at Western Illinois. That marked the first time this season that the Redbirds have scored at least two touchdowns in the fourth quarter but lost the game. In each of the three previous games where the Redbirds have scored at least two touchdowns in the final quarter, a win had resulted for Illinois State. ISU has scored a total of 82 points this season in the fourth quarter and 56 of those points have come in wins over Murray State (14), Indiana State (21) and Youngstown State (21).
OPPONENT FOURTH-QUARTER POINTS = ILLINOIS STATE LOSSES
Illinois State opponents have scored 97 fourth-quarter points this season, but there is quite a discrepancy in fourth-quarter scoring in the Redbird losses. In the seven ISU defeats, the Redbirds have been outscored 70-26 in the fourth quarter.
MISDIRECTION AGAINST THE DIRECTIONALS
Already owning a 25-21 loss against Eastern Illinois and a 48-45 overtime loss at Western Illinois this season, and faced with its season-ending game against nationally-ranked Southern Illinois, the Redbirds are looking to avoid a sweep by the state's three directional schools that play in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). This has not happened since 1997, when Illinois State, under the direction of head coach Todd Berry, fell to EIU, 25-14; SIU, 31-29; and WIU, 37-23.
PERFECTING THE PATs
Through 10 games this season, the kicking duo of Zach Kutch and Steven Fetzer have a perfect mark on point-after attempts (PATs), having knocked in all 36 of their PATs, while opponents have nailed 92 percent of their PATs, going 36-for-39. If the Redbirds' PAT success holds up through the end of the season, it will mark the first time since 2003 that Illinois State has been perfect in PATs. That year, the Redbirds nailed all 35 of their PATs.
LACK OF SACKS
Illinois State's defense ranks No. 110 in the nation in quarterback sacks per game, having recorded only nine this season through 10 games (.90 per game). That puts the Redbirds on pace to record only 10 quarterback sacks this season, which would be the fewest in team history since sacks officially became an NCAA statistic in 1981. In fact, four Redbirds in team history have recorded 10-or-more sacks in a single season: Brent Hawkins (17.0 in 2005), Ray Robinson (14.0 in 2003), John Kropke (12.0 in 1986) and Tony Jones (11.0 in 1990).
BUMBLING, FUMBLING, STUMBLING
To borrow one of ESPN anchor Chris Berman's many infamous lines, the Illinois State football team has been "bumbling, fumbling, stumbling" quite a bit this season, and it has had a difficult time getting its opponents to do the same. The Redbirds' -1.50 turnover margin per game ranks tied for No. 114 on the FCS level. Illinois State has turned the ball over 25 times this season via a fumble or interception, while its opponents have coughed the ball up just 10 times.
GRUNGE WAS JUST ON ITS WAY OUT ...
With its 52-21 loss at South Dakota State Nov. 8, coupled with a 4-7 mark last season, Illinois State has secured its first back-to-back losing seasons since 1996-97, when the Todd Berry-coached Redbirds went 3-8 in 1996 and 2-9 in 1997.
 | ABOUT THE OFFENSE |
- Under head coach Denver Johnson, Illinois State has produced the single-season record holder in both rushing and receiving, along with the No. 1 career receiver, the No. 2 career passer and the No. 2 career rusher.
- Illinois State has scored at least one touchdown in every game dating back to Nov. 20, 2004 (44-straight games).
- Under Johnson, ISU has rushed for at least 200 yards 43 times, including 29 times since 2003.
- During the same time, the Redbird offense has totaled 23 games with 500 or more yards of total offense and 15 games with 300 or more passing yards.
SALEM'S LOT
The football seems to be gravitating toward junior wide receiver Eyad Salem. He has led the Redbirds in receiving in eight of the first 10 games. In his last 13 games for the Redbirds, dating back to last season, he has recorded 76 catches for 1074 yards, while scoring 10 touchdowns. Included in this span was his Nov. 1 performance against Youngstown State. Salem hauled in eight catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns. His 186 receiving yards was the fourth-best effort in the Denver Johnson-era at Illinois State. Also among those games is last Saturday's career-best 11-catch performance that included 111 yards receiving and one touchdown.
TRENDING UP
Wide receiver Eyad Salem finds himself on the cusp of great company. He has 56 receptions this season through 10 games, which puts him just four catches shy of a tie for fifth place all-time at Illinois State in single-season receptions. If his past three-game reception average holds up (8.7 catches per game), he will not only grab a share of fifth place on the ISU all-time single-season receptions list Saturday against Southern Illinois, but he may even move into third place all-time, as nine receptions in the game would give him 65 for the season and sole possession of the No. 3 spot, a position currently held by Clarence Collins, who had 64 catches in 1983.
OFFENSE! OFFENSE! GET YOUR OFFENSE!
This season, the Redbirds are averaging 370.5 yards of total offense per game. That figure currently ranks No. 9 in school history for offensive production in a season. If this average continues, eight of the top-10 total offense season averages will have occurred in Denver Johnson's tenure at Illinois State.
DEFYING THE ODDS
When you don't see any significant playing time until the seventh game of the season and you don't record your first start until the eighth game, it wouldn't be out of line for people to assume that you will not do much statistically during the season. Despite those odds, senior transfer tailback Walter Mendenhall has had a spectacular three-game performance that ranks him among some of the nation's best scorers. Consider the numbers below:
- Mendenhall's 6.15 yards per carry average currently ranks second all-time at Illinois State. If he keeps pace with this average against Southern Illinois Saturday, he has a chance of breaking the ISU per carry average record, which was set at 6.26 yards per carry by Demetrus Johnson in 2004.
- Mendenhall is the Redbirds' second-leading rusher, and sits just six yards shy of the team lead in that category, a spot currently held by fellow tailback Geno Blow.
- Mendenhall has a team-high three 100-yard rushing games this season. Included in that was his 225-yard rushing effort Nov. 1 against Youngstown State, which was the fourth-best single-game rushing total in the Denver Johnson-era.
- He has scored seven touchdowns in the last three games, which gives him a team-best 11 on the season and has moved him to a tie for a No. 27 ranking nationally in scoring with 7.56 points scored per game.
WHAT A RUSH
Through 10 games, the Redbirds are averaging 4.5 yards per rush attempt. The per-carry average currently ranks as the seventh-best average in school history.
BLOW-ING INTO THE TOP-FIVE
It all started last season when junior tailback Geno Blow burst onto the Valley Football scene with fivestraight 100-yard rushing games. Now, after his second 100-yard rushing game of the 2008 season, a season-high 140-yard effort against Missouri State, Blow has moved into a three-way tie for fifth all-time at Illinois State in career 100-yard rushing games with seven. The junior from Seabrook, Texas, has a way to go to break the ISU career 100-yard rushing game record, which was set at 17 by Toby Davis (1989-92).
| ABOUT THE DEFENSE |
- Illinois State returns eight starters from a defense that ranked No. 102 last season nationally among 116 teams. The Redbirds allowed 427.9 yards per game, including 230.1 yards per game rushing. The ISU rushing defense ranked No. 110 nationally.
- Assistant coach David Ross enters his first season as the defensive coordinator at Illinois State and his third with the Redbird staff.
- In the Denver Johnson-era, the Redbird defense has held its opponent without a touchdown eight times, including once this season in the 57-6 win at Indiana State.
- This season at Indiana State, the Redbird defense held the Sycamores to 113 yards of total offense, which is the lowest team yardage allowed by the 'Birds in a Missouri Valley Football Conference game.
PR, KOR, TACKLES ... THIS GUY DOES EVERYTHING!
Not only is senior safety Tom Nelson the nation's fifth-best punt returner, he is also a stout tackler. With a game-high 13 tackles last Saturday at Western Illinois, Nelson moved into 15th place on the ISU career tackles list. A career-high-tying 14 tackles against Southern Illinois Saturday would move him into a tie for 13th place all-time.
HAPPY DAYS FOR OPPONENTS
Illinois State has had a special tale to tell this season for Valley Football Offensive Players of the Week. Unfortunately, it just hasn't been on the Redbirds' side of the ball. In five of the last six games, an Illinois State opponent has been the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week. It all started Oct. 11, when UNI quarterback Pat Grace earned the honor. MSU quarterback Cody Kirby earned the same distinction one week later after playing the Redbirds, followed by ISU opponents North Dakota State (RB Tyler Roehl - Oct. 25), South Dakota State (QB Ryan Berry - Nov. 8) and Western Illinois (RB Herb Donaldson - Nov. 15).
AIR ATTACK
Of the 41 touchdowns that opponents have scored off Illinois State through nine games this season, 22 have come in the air. Illinois State is on pace to allow 24 passing touchdowns this season, a feat that opponents have not accomplished since 2004. The Redbirds allowed 20 passing touchdowns in all last season in 11 games.
YOU CAN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN
One month ago, junior cornerback Jason Tate left the North Dakota State game via ambulance after a vicious hit. Despite not practicing the entire week, Tate returned to the field seven days later against Youngstown State and intercepted a pair of Penguin passes. As if this story isn't amazing enough, the interceptions were only the second and third by the Redbirds this season.
TOTAL RECALL
Over the first four games of the season, the Redbirds held their opponents to under 400 yards of total offense in each contest. Unfortunately, for ISU, that scenario has not been the case in the last sixgames. Every game since then, a Redbird opponent has racked up at least 400 yards total offense. The opponent 400-plus-yard total offense tally goes like this: Oct. 11 - UNI (416 yards); Oct. 18 - Missouri State (444); Oct. 25 - NDSU (479); Nov. 1 - Youngstown State (544); Nov. 8 - SDSU (463); and Nov. 15 - Western Illinois (449). With Southern Illinois averaging 362.50 total yards offense per game this season, the Salukis will try to make it seven games in a row.
THE BUCK STOPS HERE
The Buck Buchanan Award is presented annually by The Sports Network to the nation's best NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) defensive player. When acquiring a list of potential candidates, or a watch list, Illinois State is as good of place to start as any. Since 2002, the Redbirds have had one player finish in the top-five of the Buck Buchanan Award voting in each season. Even though Illinois State hasn't been able to claim the top honor, a Redbird has finished second twice and third twice. Here is a list of ISU's Buck Buchanan Award finalists:
- 2002 - Boomer Grigsby (LB) - Third
- 2003 - Boomer Grigsby (LB) - Second
- 2004 - Boomer Grigsby (LB) - Third
- 2005 - Brent Hawkins (DE) - Second; Cameron Siskowic (LB) - 13th
- 2006 - Cameron Siskowic (LB) - Fifth
- 2007 - Kye Stewart (LB) - Fourth
| ABOUT THE SPECIAL TEAMS |
- Under head coach Denver Johnson, Illinois State has scored six touchdowns on special teams, with two punt returns, including Tom Nelson's 82-yard return this season at Murray State; three kick returns, including Chris Garrett's 93-yard return this season against Youngstown State and Nelson's 97-yard return at Western Illinois; and one via a blocked punt. The Redbirds also have one extra-point return during that time.
- The Redbirds have blocked 25 kicks since 2000, including a blocked extra point this season by Michael Rhines against North Dakota State and a blocked punt at Western Illinois by Bert Whigham.
KRAZY ABOUT KOR
With 1,265 kickoff return yards already under its belt this season, Illinois State has set the school record for kickoff return yards in a single-season, a mark it previously set in 2007 with 1,111 kickoff return yards. Much of that record-setting performance can be attributed to senior returner Tom Nelson, who has racked up 673 kickoff return yards in 2008, a single-season mark that currently ranks No. 4 all-time at ISU. If he matches his 119 yards he ran back last Saturday at Western Illinois, Nelson will move up to second all-time at ISU in single-season kickoff return yards.
DON'T BLINK!
Because if you did, you might have missed Tom Nelson blazing down the field last Saturday during his 97- yard kickoff return for a TD at Western Illinois. Not only was it a career-long kickoff return for Nelson, but it also tied for the fifth-longest kickoff return in ISU history and the fifth-longest returned for a touchdown.
GARRETT'S GRAND ENTRANCE
Due to a roster shift, junior Chris Garrett found himself as a first-tier kick returner in ISU's Nov. 1 game against Youngstown State. Garrett probably made himself a mainstay by returning four kickoffs for 150 yards, including a 93-yard touchdown return in the fourth quarter. It was the first Redbird kickoff returned for a touchdown since LaShawn Bullock did it, also against Youngstown State, Oct. 23, 2004. It was also only the second kickoff returned for a touchdown in the Denver Johnson-era.
MAKING PR WORK FOR YOU
Entering Saturday's game against Southern Illinois, the Redbirds, thanks to their PR (punt return) practitioner Tom Nelson, rank No. 3 nationally in the FCS in punt return average. The Redbirds are averaging 17.44 yards per game, and Nelson leads the team and ranks fifth in the nation in punt returns with 16.85 yards per return.
PRETTY GOOD WITH THE NET
Illinois State ranks No. 8 nationally in net punting with 41.03 yards per kick, which is also tops in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Much of this can be attributed to Bobby Kelsey's 41.03 punting average, which ranks No. 25 nationally, but it also shows that the Redbird punt coverage team is getting downfield and making tackles.
A FULL NELSON
Well, it was almost the full length of the field, when senior Tom Nelson returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown at Murray State. It was Illinois State's first punt-return touchdown since Joe Walkins ran in a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown against Youngstown State Oct. 23, 2004. Nelson's punt return also marked the fourth-longest in ISU history and the second-longest to be returned for a touchdown.
KELSEY GETS HIS KICKS
Illinois State's Bobby Kelsey is in his final season with the Redbirds. Kelsey started his ISU career as a field-goal kicker, but has evolved into one of the conference's top punters.
- Kelsey currently ranks No. 25 nationally and No. 3 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in punting with 41.03 yards per punt.
- Kelsey ranks No. 4 in school history with a 39.84 career punting average.
- He has accumulated 5,091 yards on 128 punts during his career, including 77 yards on one punt earlier this season at Murray State, his career-long.
- In his career, Kelsey has pinned 41 punts inside the 20-yard line, had 17 punts total 50 yards or more and had 26 called for a fair catch. He has also never had a punt blocked.
- Kelsey has also been willing to go downfield and make the tackle during his career. Kelsey has posted 25 tackles as a Redbird, including 16 solo stops.
