YSU Rebuilt Salukis rolling at 4-1
Coach Jerry Kill has turned around the former Gateway doormat.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Jerry Kill has done wonders with the Southern Illinois football team.
Last season, Kill directed the Salukis to a 10-2 record and a share of the Gateway Conference championship with a 6-1 mark.
Considering Southern Illinois had not had a winning season in 11 years previous to last year and never finished better than fifth place in 18 seasons they've been in the Gateway, it was quite an accomplishment.
After struggling through 1-10 and 4-8 records his first two years, Kill completed his rebuilding program last year as the Salukis rolled to 10 straight victories before losing to Northern Iowa in the regular season finale, then Delaware in the first round of the I-AA playoffs.
This season, the Salukis are 4-1 with the only loss to Northern Illinois in the second game, 23-22. They have wins over Southeast Missouri (42-3), William Penn (59-9), Delaware State (49-0) and Northern Iowa (40-36).
Saturday at 6 p.m., the Salukis visit Youngstown State in a Gateway Conference game at Stambaugh Stadium.
Rushing attack
Southern Illinois battled back from a 20-0 deficit last week to defeat Northern Iowa.
Kill lost his top two running backs from a year ago, but brought in two outstanding Division I-A transfers and a junior college standout to fill the gap.
Sophomore Arkee Whitlock (5-foot-9, 195 pounds) a transfer from Coffeyville Community College, is leading the team with 404 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
Senior Brandon Jacobs (6-4, 260), another ex-Coffeyville player who transferred to SIU from Auburn, is second with 234 yards and seven touchdowns.
Senior Terry Jackson (5-11, 195), a transfer from Minnesota where he ranked 21st on that school's all-time rushing list, has 183 yards with one TD.
SIU has five running backs with more than 100 yards rushing and they have totaled 19 rushing touchdowns.
Under center
SIU comes into the game averaging nearly 500 yards per game and the one putting it all together is junior quarterback Joel Sambursky (6-0, 195).
Sambursky, in his third year as a starter, has completed 54-of-86 passes for 880 yards and six touchdowns with only one interception.
The SIU defense ranks sixth in the nation is points allowed, yielding just seven touchdowns in five games, while allowing just an average of 92 yards per game rushing, an average of 2.8 per attempt.
Junior safety Frank Johnson (5-11, 195) leads the team in tackles with 31, while junior linebacker Royal Whitaker (6-0, 230) has 30, including three for losses, and a forced fumble.
Senior free safety Alexis Moreland (6-1, 205) has two of the team's eight interceptions this year.
Junior tackle Jeff Jones (6-1, 275) leads the team with five tackles for losses, including three sacks.
Sophomore placekicker Craig Coffin has been perfect this season, making all 27 of his extra points and five field goals, the longest being 52 yards.
Southern Illinois defeated the Penguins 24-17 last season in Carbondale, Ill., but YSU won six of the previous eight contests and holds a 9-5-1 edge in the series.
mollica@vindy.com