Dale Lennon said he is treating this weekend’s game just like any other.
But Saturday’s matchup will have championship implications.
The No. 3 Salukis (7-1, 6-0 Missouri Valley Football Conference) will head to Brookings, S.D. to face off against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in a battle for conference supremacy at 1 p.m. Saturday in Coughlin Alumni Stadium.
The winner of Saturday’s game will claim at least a share of the league title, and with it, the MVFC’s automatic bid to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. It is the first time since 2005 there will be a winner-takes-all contest in the Valley.
Lennon said he is excited for the big-game atmosphere.
“There’s going to be a big-game atmosphere; their fans are going to be excited and show up in numbers. It’s a great college atmosphere to play a game,” Lennon said. “It’s November, what more can you ask for?”
SIU will also look to make conference history against South Dakota State. With a victory, the Salukis would tie the MVFC all-time record for consecutive wins against conference opponents.
Despite the historic and playoff implications involved with the game, the players said they are approaching it as they would any other opponent.
Redshirt senior Deji Karim said he thought it would be a playoff atmosphere, but the team just needs to focus on the game.
“Every game for us has been a playoff game, basically a playoff atmosphere, because we don’t want to lose and not have a chance to be conference champions,” Karim said. “This has been what it comes down to all the way from the start of the season in conference play, so we’ve got to finish it.”
Wide receiver Bryce Morris, who was named the Sports Network Special Teams National Player of the Week Monday, said he agreed with Karim.
“Oh yeah, we cannot look at this game as differently than the other ones. We prepared for all the other games the same way, and it worked,” Morris said.
The Salukis already have some experience in big matchups this season.
On Oct. 17, SIU defeated then-No. 2 Northern Iowa 27-20 at Cedar Falls, Iowa to put itself atop the conference. Saturday’s game will be the second time SIU faces a top-10 team.
It will be the first time quarterback Paul McIntosh faces a top-10 team though.
The redshirt senior will make his second career start against the Jackrabbits after taking over for Chris Dieker, who broke his left clavicle against Youngstown State on Oct. 24.
McIntosh said there is no added pressure for him this weekend, regardless of the opponent.
“We’ll just need the whole team effort, like we have done in every other game this year,” McIntosh said. “If we do that, we’ll be fine.”
