A first: YSU is at home to No. 1

Southern Illinois is ranked No. 1 by two national polls in NCAA Division I-AA.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Today's game against Southern Illinois marks the first time Youngstown State has ever played host to a No. 1-ranked team at Stambaugh Stadium.
The Salukis (4-1, 1-0 Gateway), ranked No. 1 by both The Sports Network and the USA Today/ESPN polls, and Penguins kick off at 6 p.m.
YSU (2-3, 0-1) has played the No. 1 team in the country (not the No. 1 seed in the playoffs) five times in the last 13 years.
The last time was in 1997 when the Penguins met Villanova in the quarterfinals of the I-AA playoffs, winning 37-34 in one of the most exciting comebacks in YSU history.
Also, YSU lost to McNeese State 31-3 in 1995 and to Middle Tennessee State 28-21 in double overtime in 1985, and defeated The Citadel 42-17 in 1992 and Nevada-Reno 30-28 in 1991.
Southern Illinois has held the top ranking for two straight weeks. The Salukis rallied from a 20-0 deficit last week to turn back Northern Iowa, 40-36 in their Gateway opener.
YSU leads series
YSU has fared well against the Salukis, holding a 9-5-1 series advantage, and have won five of the seven meetings since the Penguins joined the Gateway in 1997.
Last year, Southern Illinois held off the Penguins, 24-17 in Carbondale, Ill.
Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky, along with the league's two surprise teams, Southwest Missouri State and Indiana State, all tied for first place in the Gateway standings after opening wins.
Western Kentucky, ranked No. 6, goes up against Northern Iowa, the No. 21-ranked team, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the Panthers' homecoming game at 5:05 p.m. The Hilltoppers (3-1, 1-0) lead the overall series 4-3 with the Panthers (1-3, 0-1), including a 24-3 victory a year ago.
Others
Indiana State (4-1, 1-0) has never finished higher than third place in the conference in the 18 seasons it's been a member. Today the Sycamores travel to Macomb, Ill., to take on Western Illinois (2-3, 0-1) at 2 p.m.
The Leathernecks have won four straight from ISU, including a 34-28 victory a year ago, and the Sycamores have not won in Macomb since 1989.
Southwest Missouri State (4-1, 1-0) hasn't finished near the top of the league standings since 1993 when it tied for second.
The Bears will be at Normal, Ill., today, against Illinois State (2-2, 0-1) in the Gateway TV game of the week at 2:37 p.m. SMS leads the series 12-11-1, but Illinois State won last year 48-43 and has won four of the past five contests.