CARBONDALE - As the Southern Illinois University football team readies for one of the biggest games in school history, the Salukis' opponent for today seems appropriate.
When SIU hosts Delaware in today's NCAA Football Championship Subdivision semifinals, it will be more than a game with a championship berth on the line. It will be a clear reminder of just how far the Saluki football program has come.
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Gone are the days of 1-10 seasons. More than that, though, gone are the days when merely reaching the playoffs was cause for a huge celebration.
"We've reached the point now where we reach the playoffs every year, but that's not good enough anymore," SIU wide receiver Alan Turner said.
Each of the past five years, the Salukis have reached the playoffs, but they were unable to make it to this point. Only once before in school history has SIU reached the semifinals - in 1983, when the Salukis went on to win the national championship.
This SIU playoff run began in 2003, when coach Jerry Kill, then in his third year, led the Salukis into the postseason for the first time in 20 years. The Salukis' reward was a trip to Delaware, where the Blue Hens sent SIU home with a painful, 48-7 loss.
Fast forward four years, and again, the Salukis and Blue Hens will meet in the playoffs. But the similarities between this year and 2003 essentially end there.
"There's a lot changed," Kill said. "As you get older, you get wiser. We've learned a lot, our program's come a long way. But they have, too. You get to this point, everybody's good."
This year, the fourth-seeded Dawgs have the higher ranking and home-field advantage, which could be key. After winning at Northern Iowa last weekend, Delaware was stranded in Iowa for two extra nights because of bad weather.
The Blue Hens said the travel problems didn't change their practice schedule, but it still gives them a lot of travel in a short week - something the Salukis certainly are glad they didn't have to deal with.
"We're not having to worry about getting up early Friday morning, getting somewhere, practicing somewhere unfamiliar, eating hotel food, all of that stuff," SIU quarterback Nick Hill said. "We're sleeping in our same beds. It's a huge factor in this game, and we're glad to have that home-field advantage."
Just like many of the Salukis' games this year, this one is likely to be high-scoring. UD coach K.C. Keeler raved about Hill, calling him one of the best quarterbacks he's seen in his time at Delaware. SIU players and coaches put similar praise on Blue Hens signal-caller Joe Flacco. And UD running back Omar Cuff has put together one of the best seasons in FCS history, with 38 touchdowns.
That offensive firepower could put today's game on the defense and special teams. Last week, in the Salukis' win over UMass, the special teams were nearly perfect, and SIU's defense forced three key turnovers. A repeat performance would certainly be a good sign for the Dawgs.
"We're going to try to limit that big yardage situation," SIU cornerback Craig Turner said. "We'll try not to let them get the game-breaking plays, try to keep the momentum on our side, and just come out and play hard, basically."
If there's one thing Kill hasn't had a problem with this season, it's the Salukis' effort. Throughout this week, Kill has lavished his players with non-stop praise, for their lack of selfishness and the effort they've given since the end of last year.
For SIU's seniors, this is the last chance they'll have to play at McAndrew Stadium, the last time to run onto the field in front of home fans. Combine that emotion with the stakes of this game, and Kill sees no reason why that effort or passion will stop today.
"We're getting every single ounce out of them," Kill said. "They keep giving us more and more, and hopefully they can give it to us for two more weeks."
When SIU hosts Delaware in today's NCAA Football Championship Subdivision semifinals, it will be more than a game with a championship berth on the line. It will be a clear reminder of just how far the Saluki football program has come.
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Gone are the days of 1-10 seasons. More than that, though, gone are the days when merely reaching the playoffs was cause for a huge celebration.
"We've reached the point now where we reach the playoffs every year, but that's not good enough anymore," SIU wide receiver Alan Turner said.
Each of the past five years, the Salukis have reached the playoffs, but they were unable to make it to this point. Only once before in school history has SIU reached the semifinals - in 1983, when the Salukis went on to win the national championship.
This SIU playoff run began in 2003, when coach Jerry Kill, then in his third year, led the Salukis into the postseason for the first time in 20 years. The Salukis' reward was a trip to Delaware, where the Blue Hens sent SIU home with a painful, 48-7 loss.
Fast forward four years, and again, the Salukis and Blue Hens will meet in the playoffs. But the similarities between this year and 2003 essentially end there.
"There's a lot changed," Kill said. "As you get older, you get wiser. We've learned a lot, our program's come a long way. But they have, too. You get to this point, everybody's good."
This year, the fourth-seeded Dawgs have the higher ranking and home-field advantage, which could be key. After winning at Northern Iowa last weekend, Delaware was stranded in Iowa for two extra nights because of bad weather.
The Blue Hens said the travel problems didn't change their practice schedule, but it still gives them a lot of travel in a short week - something the Salukis certainly are glad they didn't have to deal with.
"We're not having to worry about getting up early Friday morning, getting somewhere, practicing somewhere unfamiliar, eating hotel food, all of that stuff," SIU quarterback Nick Hill said. "We're sleeping in our same beds. It's a huge factor in this game, and we're glad to have that home-field advantage."
Just like many of the Salukis' games this year, this one is likely to be high-scoring. UD coach K.C. Keeler raved about Hill, calling him one of the best quarterbacks he's seen in his time at Delaware. SIU players and coaches put similar praise on Blue Hens signal-caller Joe Flacco. And UD running back Omar Cuff has put together one of the best seasons in FCS history, with 38 touchdowns.
That offensive firepower could put today's game on the defense and special teams. Last week, in the Salukis' win over UMass, the special teams were nearly perfect, and SIU's defense forced three key turnovers. A repeat performance would certainly be a good sign for the Dawgs.
"We're going to try to limit that big yardage situation," SIU cornerback Craig Turner said. "We'll try not to let them get the game-breaking plays, try to keep the momentum on our side, and just come out and play hard, basically."
If there's one thing Kill hasn't had a problem with this season, it's the Salukis' effort. Throughout this week, Kill has lavished his players with non-stop praise, for their lack of selfishness and the effort they've given since the end of last year.
For SIU's seniors, this is the last chance they'll have to play at McAndrew Stadium, the last time to run onto the field in front of home fans. Combine that emotion with the stakes of this game, and Kill sees no reason why that effort or passion will stop today.
"We're getting every single ounce out of them," Kill said. "They keep giving us more and more, and hopefully they can give it to us for two more weeks."
