SEMO prepares for rival SIU

Saturday SEMO hosts rival SIU at newly renovated Houck Stadium.  The Salukis enter ranked #17 and looking for a bit of revenge after falling to Southeast last season in Carbondale.

You can watch the game live on WQWQ The Heartlands CW or streaming live at www.kfvs12.com.

SIU @ SEMO Football game to air on WQWQ

Good news for SIU / SEMO football fans not able to attend the season opener Saturday September 3rd. The game will air live on The Heartlands CW (WQWQ) beginning at 6:00 pm.

For those not able to get WQWQ the game is also available streaming live at www.kfvs12.com.

KFVS 12 Webcast link

Where to find the Heartlands CW

ESPN BrackBusters: SIU Will Host Western Michigan

The Southern Illinois Salukis will host Western Michigan (11-9) of the Mid-American Conference on Feb. 20, at 2:05 p.m.

SIU has a bit of a history with the Broncos they last met in 2008. SIU leads the all-time series 3-1 (1-0 in Carbondale, 2-1 in Kalamazoo, MI).

Salukis Ready For FCS Postseason

The FCS Playoff bracket was released Sunday afternoon. 16 teams begin down the road they hope leads to Chattanooga, TN for the Championship Game December 18th.

The SIU Salukis enter as the third overall seed and will host OVC Champion Eastern Illinois. The Panthers opened the playoffs losing to SIU in 2005 and 2007.

November 28 at Missoula, Montana
South Dakota St. (8-3) at No. 1 Montana (11-0)

November 28 at Nacogdoches, Texas
Eastern Wash. (8-3) at Stephen F. Austin (9-2)

November 28 at Richmond, Virginia
Elon (9-2) at No. 4 Richmond (10-1)

November 28 at Boone, North Carolina (ESPNU/ESPNUHD at Noon ET)
South Carolina St. (10-1) at Appalachian St. (9-2)

November 28 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Holy Cross (9-2) at No. 2 Villanova (10-1)

November 28 at Lake Charles, Louisiana
New Hampshire (9-2) at McNeese St. (9-2)

November 28 at Carbondale, Illinois
Eastern Ill. (8-3) at No. 2 Southern Ill. (10-1)

November 28 at Williamsburg, Virginia
Weber St. (7-4) at William & Mary (9-2)


2009 Playoff Info:
Bracket
Press Release
Championship Results

Countdown FCS Playoffs

The Football Championship Subdivision (formerly 1AA) playoffs are just a few weeks from kicking off. The Southern Illinois Salukis should enter as a #1 seed. Unless you believe in (major gigantic) miracles SIU should end the regular season as the top ranked team in the country.

Dale Lennon's Salukis jumped from #3 to #1 this week following Saturday's win over (at the time) #9 South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits have since dropped to 12th.

The 8-1 Salukis are kings of the top 25 for the first time since Oct. 10, 2005. During the 2004 season SIU spent 11 weeks at #1.

SIU has two regular season games remaining...games they should win. One of them could turn into the most lopsided victory by the Salukis in decades. I'll let you figure out which game that might be.

The remaining schedule of teams of interest in the FCS Top 25.

#1 Southern Illinois (8-1)
Nov. 14 vs Missouri State
Nov. 21 @ SEMO

#2 Montana (9-0)
Nov. 14 vs Northern Colorado
Nov. 21 @ Montana State

#3 Villanova Wildcats (8-1)
Nov. 14 @ Towson
Nov. 21 vs Delaware

#4 Richmond (8-1)
Nov. 14 @ Georgetown
Nov. 21 vs William & Mary

#11 Northern Iowa (6-3)
Nov. 14 vs Western Illinois
Nov. 21 @ Illinois State

#12 South Dakota State (7-2)
Nov. 14 @ Minnesota
Nov. 21 @ Western Illinois

#14 Eastern Illinois (7-2)
Nov. 14 vs UT Martin
Nov. 19 vs Tennessee State

#17 Jacksonville State (6-3)*
Nov. 14 vs Tennessee Tech
Nov. 21 vs Eastern Kentucky

*JSU is not postseason eligible. The Gamecocks are serving a one year ban due to failing to meet standards on the NCAA Academic Progress Report three consecutive years.

Update: Saluki sophomore guard Ryan Hare arrested

Update: Monday September 21, 2009

Saluki guard Ryan Hare has been suspended indefinitely from the basketball team following his Saturday arrest.

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Not the kind of news Saluki Nation wants to hear as the season draws closer. This release was sent from Tom Weber SIU Director of Media Relations.
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Southern Illinois University sophomore guard Ryan Hare was arrested for battery and trespassing, stemming from an incident that occurred Saturday morning, the school has confirmed.

Hare played in every game last season and averaged 7.5 points, making 26 starts for the Salukis.

"We don't have all of the facts yet, but we are certainly disappointed," head coach Chris Lowery said. "Once we've gathered all of the facts, we will make an appropriate decision regarding Ryan's punishment."

Looking Forward To Next Weekend

or me this was not a great weekend for football.  However it did begin well with my alma mater (Toledo) drilling Colorado 54-38.  If you get a chance to see the Rockets play this year don't miss the opportunity. I'm sure they will be on one of the ESPN channels at some point again this season.

Saturday the Buckeyes lose to USC in the final minute and it's topped off Sunday with a Bengals loss to Denver on a play some are calling "The Immaculate Deflection". An 87 yard td reception by Denver's Brandon Stokely off a deflected pass with seconds left in the game...Blah, Blah, Blah...Bengals find another way to lose.  I fear it's going to be a long season.

With that said I am actually looking forward to next weekend.  SEMO and Murray State are back playing competition more to their level. Redhawks host Eastern Illinois (not another Big East team) and Murray State travels to Missouri State (not another ACC team). I don't think we'll see either team involved in 70-3 or 65-7 game. Those were clearly pay day games for SEMO and Murray State.
Tennessee Martin get a money game Saturday at Memphis and SIU hosts SW Baptist.

The Redhawks run defense will need to come prepared Saturday against Eastern Illinois.  The Panthers feature junior running back Mon Williams and his 6.45 yards per carry (two games 31 carries for 200 yards and 2 td's). 

The University of Florida transfer brings more than great running skills to the EIU roster, he owns a pair of National Championship rings wons while and underclassman with the Gators. He was with Florida from 2006-2008 and took a medical redshirt in 2007 after suffering a torn ACL in spring practice.
Williams transfered into Eastern Illinois in time for the '09 Spring Semester.

This will be the first "real" test of the season for the Redhawks playing against guys on their level. SEMO held NAIA school Quincy to only 63 yard rushing while top 25 Cincinnati gutted the Redhawks for 351.

Everyone loves a prediction so I'll step out and say EIU 27, SEMO 10. Hope I am way off base, but it's hard to go against the numbers. This decade SEMO is 1-8 against the Panthers (the only victory coming in a 2003 30-17 final) and they have been outscored 270-156. 

Now it's time for a shameless plug: You can watch the game webcast live at www.kfvs12.com.

While surfing the net scouring sports pages I stumbled upon a great site for college football / numbers geeks like me.

• Football Championship Subdivision
• Football Bowl Subdivision

Former Saluki returns to Carbondale

A familiar face returns to the southern illinois saluki mens basketball program.
Marcus Belcher is hired to fill the vacancy created when Rodney Watson took over at Southern Indiana.

Belcher was a point guard for the Salukis when they made the 2002 run to the sweet 16 under then hed coach Bruce Weber. In two seasons playing for SIU he scored 350 points in 66 games.
Last season he was an assistant at Missouri Valley Conference rival Evansville.

SIU's program now has four former players on its six-man coaching staff including Belcher, Chris Lowery, Brad Korn and Tony Young.

Sources: Rodney Watson To Take Over Southern Indiana University

According to sources in Evansville, IN longtime SIU mens assistant basketball coach (Rodney Watson) will take over the program at Southern Indiana University.

Coach Watson is the dean of Missouri Valley Conference assistant coaches...He has been with the Salukis for 21 seasons.

Tune into Heartland News at 10:00 for the latest.

NCAA Basketball Attendance Figures

The NCAA recently released the attendance numbers for the past season for division one men's basketball. If you are a stat geek like me you'll love diving into the report. It's only 7 pages long but filled with interesting information.

Download the NCAA Report

Here is a quick breakdown of teams of interest making the top 100...The numbers represent the average for home games.

1. Kentucky.........22,239
3. N. Carolina......21,035
4. Tennessee.......20,483
5. Louisville.........19,397
8. Memphis.........16,933

9. Kansas..............16,350
11. Arkansas..........16,043
12. Creighton.........15,930
13. Illinois..............15,499
47. Missouri............9,805

71. St. Louis...........7,627
75. Missouri St.......7,147
77. Illinois St..........7,118
92. SIU..................5,892
94. Evansville.........5,863

Not in the top 100:

UT Martin..........3,762
Murray State......3,543
SEMO................2,613

• (A surprise to me) The Big Ten is the top drawing conference averaging 12,519 pergame and the SEC is 2nd with an average attendance of 11,625 a game.


• The Big XII ranks 5th (10,395)


• The Missouri Valley is 8th (7,752)


• The Ohio Valley Conference ranks in the bottom half (18th) with an average of 2,500 fans attending OVC games.


• Of the 31 division one conferences all but 10 saw a decrease in attendance.


• The Big XII suffered the largest decrease...down 600 a game from the previous season.