Oct. 31, 2009

By Jason Clay
www.SIUSalukis.com

Season Stats

Final Stats |  Notes |  Photo Gallery 

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - No. 3 Southern Illinois only allowed 90 yards of total offense in a 33-0 shutout victory over Indiana State Saturday for its 12th-straight Missouri Valley Football Conference win in an early afternoon game at Memorial Stadium.

The seventh-straight win for the Salukis moves its 2009 record to 7-1 overall and a perfect 6-0 in conference play heading into next weeks game at No. 9 South Dakota State. The shutout was SIU's first since Oct. 18, 2008 at Youngstown State when the Dawgs won by the same 33-0 score as they did Saturday.

"Overall, I'm very pleased with the day," head coach Dale Lennon said. "I was concerned coming into the game because Indiana State is an improved team and has been closing the gap this year. Right now, I'm happy we got win No. 7 and we'll continue to go on and try for No. 8."

Redshirt freshman quarterback Paul McIntosh threw for 159 yards and rushed for another 57 with two touchdowns on the ground in his first career start. He completed 15-of-22 passes without an interception against the Sycamores (1-8, 1-5 MVFC).

The Salukis outgained Indiana State by 270 yards and had a pair of interceptions to extend their streak to nine-straight games with at least one pick.

Senior running back Deji Karim had a game-high 87 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown in a light day of work for him. Wide receiver Bryce Morris had a career-high 80 yards receiving as well as a blocked punt that Beau Hoffman returned four-yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter.

The first quarter was uneventful for the most part. Late in the period the Salukis got the ball at the Sycamore 44-yard line following a punt return from Mike McElroy. It took the Dawgs 10-plays, but just after the turn of the quarter Karim scored on a four-yard run on a fourth-and-two for the first points of the game.

Four minutes later, McIntosh capped off an eight-play, 91-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run. He completed several big passes on the drive, including a 37-yarder to Morris when the Dawgs had the ball at their own nine-yard line.

Morris, who had 70 yards receiving at the time, blocked Braulio Martinez's punt after the Salukis held the Sycamores to a three-and-out. Senior wide receiver Beau Hoffman recovered the ball at the four-yard line and walked in for the score to give SIU a 21-0 lead. That score would hold going into the half.

McIntosh got his second two-yard rushing touchdown early in the third quarter after a six-play drive. Karim set up the score with his 23-yard rush that got the ball down to the eight, and McIntosh put it in three plays later.

Dougherty would add a 30-yard field goal with just under a minute left in the third quarter before SIU pulled its first team offense. That made the score 31-0.

Brad Briggs tacked on a safety for the Salukis to round out the scoring Saturday.