Top Dogs -- SIU Back to No. 1?
When Southern Illinois earned the No. 1 ranking (Sept. 6, 2004), the Salukis joined UNI (1992), Western Illinois (2003) Western Kentucky (2002), and Youngstown State (1997 and 1998) as Gateway teams that had reached that pinnacle. Every Gateway school has been ranked No. 3 or better at one time in

Margin For Errorr
In 2003, turnover margin translated into success. For all games, Western Kentucky and UNI led the league at +10, and Southern was next at +9. All of those teams went to the I-AA playoffs. This year, Western Kentucky leads the league at +12. Western Kentucky won the national crown and led the league at +17 in 2002.

Highest Turnover Margin, Gateway Historyy

Sycamores Aim for 3-1 Start
With back-to-back wins against Eastern Illinois and Murray State, the Indiana State Sycamores are 2-1 for the first time since 1995. That year, ISU started 5-1 and climbed as high as No. 14 in the Sports Network top-25 rankings. ISU hosts Tennessee-Martin this weekend (Sept. 25). If ISU wins, it will mark the Sycamores’ longest winning streak (3) since the 1996 season.

Gateway-OVC Challenge Series
In a cooperative effort to highlight intersectional rivalries between member institutions of each league, the Gateway Football Conference and the Ohio Valley Conference started a Challenge Series in 2003. Six regular-season games between the two leagues constitute the challenge in 2004. The Gateway was 9-0 against the Ohio Valley in 2003, and have now won 16-straight games against the OVC, dating back to Sept. 28, 2002. The Gateway leads the all-time series, 81-40-1.

On the Defensive
Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois have allowed just 11.7 points per game. If they keep that pace, those defensive units would rank among the all-time leaders in Gateway history, for points allowed.

GFC Defense - Season Points Allowed

Blank Stares
Counting SMS’ shutout of Union (Ky.) this past weekend, the league has recorded three shutouts this season. Including 2004, the Gateway has recorded a minimum of three shutouts in each of the past five seasons (2003-4; 2002-6; 2001-3; 2000-4; 1999-1; 1998-1).

Poll Talk
In the Sept. 13, 2004, top-25 polls, all eight Gateway teams received votes (four teams) or were ranked (four teams). That also happened twice in 2003 (Sept. 22 and Sept. 29), marking the first time since Sept. 6, 1999, that it had happened in the Gateway. The Gateway set a mark on Sept. 29, 2003, as no I-AA conference had previously had all of its teams recognized in a top-25 poll that late in a season.

Lower-Division Dominance
Southern Illinois continued its recent history of routing Division II opponents by blistering William Penn, 59-9. During the Jerry Kill era, Southern has beaten lower-division foes quite handily. Since 2002, the Salukis are 5-0 against lower-division teams, outscoring their foes, 348-44. In fact, no Gateway team has lost to a lower-division team since 1997, when Pittsburg State defeated SMS. Counting a 7-0 mark this year, the GFC has an all-time record of 139-11-2 against non-Division I opponents.

ILS .. The Great Grigsby
Boomer Grigsby has 479 tackles in his career, which ranks No. 2 in the ISU record books. With 21 more stops, Grigsby would become only the second Redbird in the history of the program to amass 500-plus tackles. Grigsby needs 87 for the Gateway career record and 100 tackles to claim the school career tackles mark of 579 held by current assistant coach Galen Scott.

INS .. Block Party
LaDrelle Bryant’s blocked punt that was recovered by Markus Naves in the end zone for the winning score against Murray State was the Sycamores’ first blocked returned for a TD since 1999.

UNI .. Taking Care of the Ball
For the third week in a row, UNI did not have a turnover. UNI was plus-10 in turnover margin last year but has forced just one turnover in 2004. UNI QB Tom Petrie hasn’t thrown an interception this year, and he ended the 2003 season with eight games interception-free, finishing with just seven interceptions a year ago.

SIU .. Zone Defense
Opponents have made six trips inside the Saluki red zone this season (inside the 20 yardline) and come away with no touchdowns and just 15 points on five field goals. Meanwhile, SIU is a perfect 11-for-11 when it enters the opponent’s red zone.

SMS .. Pratt Churns Out 3 TDs
In the shutout victory against Union, TB Cody Pratt carried 17 times for 97 yards and pushed his SMS career totals to 1,624 yards and 17 TDs. It was his fourth SMS multi-TD game, and his third SMS game with three or more TDs.

WIU .. Glasford Leads
Travis Glasford led Western in rushing and receiving at Hampton, falling two yards shy of the 100-yard rushing plateau and surpassing 70 receiving yards for the second time this season. Glasford rushed 26 times for 98 yards and a TD, dipping below the 100-yard mark on his last carry of the day which was a loss of three yards.

WKU .. 7 Picks Tie School Record
The Hilltoppers tied a school record first set on Nov. 6, 1965, with seven interceptions in last week’s victory over Eastern Kentucky. Each starting member of the secondary picked up at least one, with both Marion Rumph and Antonio Thomas collecting two apiece. It’s the first time Western has had an individual with two interceptions since Antonio Veals recorded a pair in a 24-7 victory over Indiana State on Oct. 26, 2002.

YSU .. Marshall’s Plan
QB Aaron Marshall came off the bench to lead two Youngstown State touchdown drives at McNeese State. On his second drive, he led YSU on a 12-play, 61-yard drive and capped it off with a seven-yard TD pass to Kyle Smith to tie the game at 17. He also engineered the go-ahead drive that put the Penguins in front 20-17.

ILS .. What’s the Rush?
The Redbird defense has held two of its three opponents under 100 yards rushing. The ’Birds had a school-record performance against Saint Xavier (minus-55), and ISU also kept the Eastern Illinois rushing game at bay, by holding the Panthers to 94 yards rushing. On the season, the ‘Birds are only allowing 114 rushing yards per game, which would rank as the third best total in school history and the lowest since 1985.

INS .. Montfort Sets Career High
Sidney Montfort scored a career-high three touchdowns, all during the a first half, as the Sycamores defeated Murray State. Montfort rushed for a season-best 70 yards in the contest, scoring on a pair of one-yard runs as well as an eight-yard scamper. The senior rushed 20 times in the contest, averaging 3.5 yards per touch, including a long of nine yards. Montfort’s three TD effort eclipsed a two-score game during 2001 against Youngstown State.

UNI .. True Grit
Junior defensive end John Hermann of UNI is determined to play despite both hands covered in various protective gear. During the preseason, he broke a finger in his left hand and is wearing a cast. The week prior to the Minnesota State game, he ruptured a ligament in his right thumb and is wearing a padded system. After missing the MSU game, he returned this week to action, making one tackle.

SIU .. Sambursky Streak Snapped
Joel Sambursky’s streak of 57 straight passes thrown without an interception was snapped against William Penn. The streak dated back to the first half of last year’s Delaware game. Sambursky threw two picks against the Statesmen. He had a streak of 97-straight attempts without an INT as a freshman in 2002. Sambursky ranks 7th in career passing yards at SIU with 3,520 yards.

SMS .. Having a Ball
Randy Ball is 27-31 in his fifth year at SMS and 91-72-1 overall in 15th year as college head coach. The Drake win Sept. 2 moved him into fifth place in total wins among all SMS head football coaches. Next ahead of Ball on the SMS coaching list is Howard Blair at 39 wins.

WIU .. Thomas Gets First TD Catch
On the Leathernecks’ longest play of the day from scrimmage, Marco Thomas recorded his first touchdown reception with a 64-yard pass from Adam Smith. The scoring play was a career long for both Thomas and Smith, who had a career-high 213 yards on 15-of-34 passing.

WKU .. Defensive Standout
Getty Cavitt made a career-high 13 stops in the EKU victory, with three tackles for loss and his second interception in as many weeks. Cavitt doubled his total from the first two games of the season, and now ranks second on the squad with 26 tackles. A week after recording the first catch of his career, Aaron Scott led the Hilltoppers with three receptions for 32 yards.

YSU .. Gibson Impresses, Again
Monquantae Gibson continues to impress, rushing for 168 yards on 23 carries, including a 67-yard TD romp in the Penguins’ 24-20 loss at McNeese State on Saturday night. Gibson, who made his first career start, rushed for more than 100 yards in consecutive weeks -- he had 121 against Florida International a week ago. He averaged 7.3 yards per carry.