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Missouri State

Football

Bears Start Conference Play Saturday at No. 13 SIU

Sept. 19, 2011

Game 4

Sept. 24, 2011, 6:00 p.m.
Missouri State (0-3, 0-0) at #12 Southern Illinois (1-1, 0-0)
Salukis Stadium (15,000), Carbondale, Ill. (Field Turf)

> Complete Missouri State Game Notes (PDF)

Game Information

Series: Missouri State leads 17-16 (7-9 in Carbondale, 10-7 in Springfield)
First Meeting: Nov. 20, 1965 (Springfield), SIU 19, MSU 6
Last Meeting: Oct. 30, 2010 (Springfield), MSU 51, SIU 41
Series Streak: MSU has won 1 in a row (SIU has won 4 in a row in Carbondale)
Television: ValleyLive (Scott Warmann, Rick Venturi, Sara Dayley) (WATCH FREE)
Radio: KTXR (101.3 FM) and MSU Bears Radio Network (Art Hains, Rob Bolks) (LISTEN)
Live Stats: www.SIUSalukis.com or
Tickets: www.SIUSalukis.com (click on Tickets) or call (618) 453-2000 or CLICK HERE

First and Ten

  • This is Missouri State's first trip to Salukis Stadium, which opened in 2010 and replaced McAndrew Stadium. The Bears played the final regular-season game ever at McAndrew (a 44-24 SIU victory) and finished 7-9 all-time in the old facility.
  • Last week at No. 12 Oregon, Missouri State took the opening drive of the game 84 yards for a touchdown. The Bears started the nine-play excursion at their own 16 and covered the ground in 4 minutes, 38 seconds. The sequence marked the Bears' first lead over an FBS program since holding a 3-0 lead at Arkansas in 2005. It was also MSU's first game-opening drive for a touchdown in four games.
  • After giving up 416 rushing yards at Oregon last week, the Bears dropped from 70th to 115th in this week's NCAA Division I FCS national rush defense rankings. It marked the most rushing yards allowed by the Bears since Western Illinois racked up 459 yards on Nov. 15, 2008 at Plaster Field.
  • Last week, the Bears controlled the clock at No. 12 Oregon for 39:30 and had more yards in the first half (217) than they did in the entire season opener at No. 15 Arkansas (163). MSU finished with 289 total yards against the Ducks.
  • Southern Illinois ranks among the nation's top 20 teams in four NCAA categories, including 11th in rushing offense (231.5), 11th in total offense (457.0), 16th in passing defense (140.0), and 20th in total defense (288.0).
  • The Salukis feature a double-threat offense that includes running back Steve Strother, who averages 98.5 rushing yards per game (24th in the nation), while quarterback Paul McIntosh is accounting for 294.0 yards per game in total offense which ranks No. 10 nationally and tops in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
  • The Bears are 12-14 in MVFC openers since joining the league in 1985, including an 0-5 ledger under Terry Allen. The last time MSU opened conference play against the Salukis was in 2005, a 30-23 overtime win for SIU at McAndrew Stadium.
  • The Bears are 0-3 for the first time since 1994 when they started 0-5. Likewise, no Terry Allen-coached team -- at UNI, Kansas or Missouri State -- has ever started 0-3.
  • Missouri State is looking to snap a 10-game road losing streak that dates back to a 21-17 win in the FargoDome at North Dakota State on Oct. 24, 2009.
  • Missouri State's defense enters Week 4 without having committed a penalty. As a team, the Bears have been penalized 12 times for 79 yards with the offense drawing 10 flags and special teams collecting two.
  • Bonus: There have been only two FCS teams who won the championship and went at least 0-3 the following season: 1983 champs, Southern Illinois went 0-4 in 1984 (3-8 overall); 2010 champs, Eastern Washington is 0-3 currently.
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