The Game
Two teams receiving top-25 votes meet for the first time in Vermillion Saturday when South Dakota hosts the Salukis of Southern Illinois. The winner evens its record in the Valley and could sit as high as third in the conference standings by the end of the day. Southern Illinois is searching for its first road win of the season. A fifth win by the Coyotes would be the most for the program under head coach Joe Glenn.
Speaking of Glenn, it will be his second crack at career victory No. 200. Glenn is 199-132-1 in 28 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Should he reach 200, he would become the 76th coach in NCAA history to reach the milestone.
The Series
Southern Illinois won the first meeting of the two teams 41-10 on the opening weekend of Valley play last season in Carbondale. The score was tied 10-10 at halftime, but Southern Illinois scored touchdowns on four of its five possessions out of the break and kicked a field goal on the other. Saluki quarterback Mark Iannotti passed for 264 yards and ran for 55. South Dakota was held to three first downs and 88 yards of offense in the second half.
Eye on Iannotti
Iannotti quarterback's the Valley's most prolific offense. The Salukis average nearly 40 points and 515 yards per game. Iannotti, a senior who transferred in from Eastern Michigan prior to the 2014 season, leads the Valley in total offense, passing yards, passing touchdowns, passing efficiency, etc. He's also the team's leading rusher, using the read-option to net 536 yards on a team-high 122 carries. He's combined for 24 touchdowns (17 pass, 7 rush).
Iannotti will be without his top running back, Daquan Isom, due to suspension, but has a plethora of receiver options in coach Dale Lennon's shotgun spread offense. He throws quickly, often immediately, and has been sacked twice in his last six games.
Counter Attack
The Coyote offense will square off against a 3-4 front that surrenders 32 points and 472 yards per game. North Dakota State ran for 397 yards in a 35-29 win against Southern Illinois in Carbondale a week ago. The Salukis have surrendered more than 500 yards in each of their last three games.
South Dakota true freshman running back Michael Fredrick rushed for a career-high 129 yards and the Coyotes totaled a season-best 529 yards against a porous Missouri State defense two weeks ago. Last week in Cedar Falls against UNI, the Coyotes were held to a season-low 187 yards of offense. Fredrick carried 25 times for 50 yards.
Van Roekel Rising
Sophomore wide receiver Brandt Van Roekel has surpassed 80 yards receiving in each of his last two games and has caught a touchdown in three of his last four. Van Roekel leads the Coyotes with 373 yards on 27 catches and has four touchdowns.
One Final Note
The Coyote defense has surrendered two touchdowns in its last 10 quarters of play. The Saluki offense has scored 10 touchdowns in its last 10 quarters of play.
