Good Starts Important?
Southern Illinois and UNI are off to 5-0 starts in league play in 2003. Counting
this year, a Gateway team has started conference play 5-0 on 13 occasions, and
all of the 11 previous teams finished second or better in the league standings.
Ten of those 11 earned playoff berths; while 10 won the title. Only twice in
league history (1987, 2003) have two teams started 5-0 or better the same
season.

Three-Headed Monsters
In league history, three teams have been ranked among the nation’s Top 10 the
same week seven times, including four times this year.

Fab Four
In league history, four teams have been ranked among the nation’s Top 15 the
same week eight times, including five times this year.

Fearsome Foursome
A minimum of four Gateway teams have been ranked in the same Top 25 poll 34
times in league history, including seven polls in 2001 and a league-record nine
times during 1999. This year, six top-25 polls (Sept. 22-29, Oct. 6-13-20-27)
have had four Gateway teams.

Gateway Ranked vs. Ranked
Two ranked Gateway opponents have played each other a total of 46 times in
league history, including four times this year. Of those previous 46 games, 12
times the meeting involved teams that were both ranked in the Top 10 at the same
time. The home team has a 25-21 record; while the higher-ranked team is 25-21.
Ranked UNI plays at ranked Western Kentucky on Nov. 8.

Salukis Match Best Start
In the history of the Gateway, six teams have started the season with 6-0 marks
(including Southern Illinois this year). The previous five went on to postseason
play. SIU’s 9-0 beginning matches the best by a Gateway member.

Panthers Extend Streak to Six
Dating back to a season-ending win over SMS in 2002, the UNI Panthers have won
six-straight conference games. UNI (from 1993-95) owns the record with
13-straight Gateway wins.

Strength in Numbers
After going 25-13 against non-conference competition in 2002, the league has
gone 25-10 this season (matching an all-time best for winning percentage).

Margin For Error
In 2003, UNI’s and Southern Illinois’ turnover margin has translated into
success. For all games, UNI leads the league (+13), while Southern Illinois
(+12) is second and both are 5-0 in league play. The two teams are +6 and +9,
respectively, in league play. Western Kentucky won the national crown in 2002
and led the league in turnover margin (+17).

Behind the Eight Ball
Including this year, the Gateway has had at least two eight-game winners for
nine-straight seasons. Notably, in 18 previous Gateway seasons, 30 teams have
won eight or more games, and 26 of those have made the playoffs. UNI (in 1989
and 1999), Western Illinois (in 1994), and Youngstown State (2001) are the only
league teams to win eight and not make it.

What’s The Point?
This year, Southern Illinois is set to establish a record as the most prolific
scoring offense in league history. Southern Illinois’ current 40.7 average would
be the league’s all-time record. The league single-season scoring record
currently belongs to SIU’s 1999 team, which averaged 38.5 points per game.

In A Hurry
RB Terrance Freeney reached 1,000 yards in his eighth game. Including Lerron
Moore and Cody Pratt this year, a total of 49 players have rushed for 1,000
yards in a season; but only four have reached it in fewer than eight games.

Western Gets a Pick
Western Illinois became the last Division I program to get an interception as
the Leathernecks had their first on Nov. 1 against Illinois State (Lee Russell).
During the past four-plus years, the fewest interceptions by a I-AA team for a
season is two (St. Francis in 1999).

ILS .. Smith is Steady
On the Redbirds’ first play from scrimmage against WIU, Mike Souza connected
with Dwayne Smith for a 5-yard gain. With the catch, Smith has a streak of
21-straight games with a catch, which is the third longest in Illinois State
history. With a catch against SMS, Smith will tie former Redbird Jacob Niete for
the second-longest string.

INS .. Long Wait for Thompkins
Its been a long time coming for former reserve and special teams member Ben
Thompkins. Thompkins found the endzone for the first time of his career at SMS
as he recovered a muffed punt return in the endzone for a TD. He also rushed 12
times for 26 yards in the most significant action of his career.

UNI .. Big Numbers on Offense
UNI gained 618 yards in total offense against Youngstown State. The last time
UNI gained at least 600 yards was against Indiana State in 1991 when the
Panthers compiled 650 yards. For the second time this season, RBs Richard Carter
and Terrance Freeney each surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark in the game.

SIU .. Putting It In Perspective
The Salukis have secured their first winning season since 1991 (7-4). With last
week’s win at Western Kentucky, this year’s team is the first in SIU history to
record five Gateway Conference wins (joined the league in 1985). Also, only two
other SIU teams have opened the season with nine straight wins (1930 and 1983).
The 1930 team finished a perfect 9-0, and the 1983 squad won the national
championship, with a 13-1 mark.

SMS .. Pratt Surpasses 1,000
TB Cody Pratt had his sixth 100-yard rushing game in nine outings for SMS as he
ran for 123 yards on 29 carries against Indiana State. Pratt has 1,013 yards
this season, an average of 112.6 rushing yards a contest. The last SMS player to
hit 1,000 in a year was Mo Daniels with 1,120 in 1998, and the record is 1,453
by Michael Cosey in 1996. Pratt’s total yardage moves him into seventh place on
the single-season rushing yardage list.

WIU .. Glasford Gets 100
Travis Glasford recorded his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season, and his
fourth in the last five games, with 160 yards on 26 carries against Illinois
State. Glasford has 96 yards on nine carries in the first quarter, and 123 yards
on 13 attempts by halftime. His first quarter included a career-long 47-yard run
and a run of 30 yards on back-to-back drives.

WKU .. Catching On
Casey Rooney had a team-leading 90 receiving yards in the SIU game, moving into
10th place all-time at Western with 1,205 in his two-year career — he is the
only player among the top 10 to achieve the feat in less than two full years.
Rooney has already surpassed his 15-game catch total from 2002 with a team-high
33 receptions this year, and he needs only two yards to surpass his 2002 yardage
total.

YSU .. Marshall Connects
Sophomore quarterback Aaron Marshall threw for a career-high 213 yards
completing 15-of-26 passes against UNI. Marshall also threw a 47-yard touchdown
pass to Kyle Smith.

ILS .. A Carroll-ing We Will Go
Junior kicker Stephen Carroll pushed a pair of extra point attempts through the
uprights and increased his consecutive PAT string to 73. He already owned the
second-longest streak in Redbird history and is 13 from owning the school mark,
but with a pair against the Leathernecks Carroll tied the second-best run in
Gateway history. Carroll tied Eastern Illinois’ Steve Largent (1992-94) and
needs 29 more to break the league mark.

INS .. Fresh Frosh
Freshman linebacker Andy Jones tied for the team lead in tackles with 14 against
SMS as he made his second career start. Jones also recorded two tackles for loss
in the road game against the Bears.

UNI .. Balanced and Diverse
QB Tom Petrie completed 13-of-24 passes with no interceptions for 241 yards and
three TDs of 47, 4 and 62 yards to lead UNI against Youngstown State. In the
game, nine different players caught at least one pass, with CB/WR Benny Sapp
catching his fifth pass of his career and scoring his second reception, a
62-yarder.

SIU .. Air Jordan
S Jamarquis Jordan of Southern Illinois led the team with 11 tackles, including
7 solos, in the Salukis’ 28-24 come-from-behind victory at Western Kentucky. He
also picked up one tackle for loss. Jordan left the game in the fourth quarter
with a broken fibula.

SMS .. Bearing Down
This past week, SMS lost the ball on fumbles three of its first six possessions
to set up an Indiana State field goal and touchdown but SMS then slammed the
door and held ISU to 48 yards in total offense for the day. It was the best
effort for an SMS defense in the Bears’ 22 years in Division I-AA. The last time
SMS held a foe to fewer than 48 yards in a contest was a 19-yard output by
Lincoln in 1981.

WIU .. Langan-Daun Connection
An errant snap on a 26-yard field goal attempt led to a nine-yard touchdown pass
from placekicker Justin Langan to defensive end Chad Daun. The first career
touchdown for both players led to a 10-0 lead over Illinois State in the first
quarter.

WKU .. Justin Time
Justin Haddix was 13-of-23 passing for 182 yards with a TD against Southern
Illinois. The totals fell one completion and three yards shy of matching career
highs set in Western’s league opener at Western Illinois Oct. 4. His 1,160 yards
throwing on the season are the most by a WKU freshman quarterback since Jeff
Cesarone posted 1,546 yards in 1984.

YSU .. Smith Has Career Day
Sophomore wide receiver Kyle Smith finished the game against UNI with seven
receptions for a career-best 142 yards. Smith’s yardage total was the most since
Elliot Giles’ school-record 212 yards against Montana in the 1999 Division I-AA
Playoffs.