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The Salukis crushed their first round opponent Saturday to kick off the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
SIU (11-1) cruised to a 48-7 victory Saturday afternoon against Eastern Illinois at McAndrew Stadium in the first round of the playoffs. The Salukis forced six turnovers and held the Panthers to only 189 yards of total offense — and only 88 yards in the second half.
Head coach Dale Lennon said he was proud of the way his team came into the first playoff game.
“That was the big challenge we gave them, to be very sound in everything we’re doing,” Lennon said. “Offensively, defensively and special teams, we wanted that complete game. And I think overall we came pretty close to achieving that.”
With the win, the Salukis will host William & Mary at noon Saturday. William & Mary (10-2) defeated Weber State 38-0 Saturday in Williamsburg, Va.
For the first five minutes it looked like Eastern Illinois was on its way to snapping its conference’s nine-year playoff losing streak.
After Eastern Illinois (8-4) recovered SIU running back Deji Karim’s first career fumble on the SIU 30-yard line, the Panthers drove down to the end zone for their first — and last — touchdown of the game.
Karim said he tried to push the fumble out of his mind.
“I was ready to get back out there and play,” Karim said. “That was the only thing on my head. I hate sitting on the sideline after doing something like. I needed to get back out there.”
Karim, with help from the defense, overcame the early deficit.
Karim, who was named the Missouri Valley Football Offensive Player of the Year Wednesday, came back with a vengeance. He finished with 155 yards and two touchdowns. Karim was just the second player this year to run for more than 100 yards against the Panthers’ defense.
The first: SIU quarterback Paul McIntosh.
The redshirt freshman was impressive in his first career playoff game as he finished with 115 yards rushing a one touchdown on 15 carries. He also finished with two touchdowns through the air on 13-for-17 passing with 66 yards and one interception.
McIntosh said his defense made it easy for the offense Saturday.
“Momentum was on our side whenever the defense kept giving the ball on their side of the 50,” McIntosh said. “We were disappointed that we weren’t 6-for-6 off the turnovers.”
The SIU defense harassed Eastern Illinois’ quarterbacks Jake Christensen and Bodie Reeder all game. Christensen, who transferred from the University of Iowa last spring, completed only one pass for 13 yards with one interception and one fumble before being pulled in the second half by head coach Bob Spoo. Reeder did not find much success against the Salukis’ defense. The senior completed 6-of-10 passes for 67 yards.
Spoo said the change was necessary to the team to start something for the offense. He said against SIU, mistakes cannot be made.
“Obviously, we didn’t play well,” Spoo said. “You can’t give them opportunities as good as they are, and that is what we did. And so we just got to get on with things and just try to get better and try to reach that level somehow.”
