SOUTHERN ILLINOIS at MEMPHIS
Saturday, Sept. 23 • 8 p.m. • ESPN3
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (58,318/AstroTurf)
Memphis, Tennessee
Television
ESPN3
Jeff Brightwell and Greg Gaston
Radio
WREC-AM 600 (Memphis flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between Memphis and Southern Illinois … The Tigers have won their last four matchups against NCAA FCS opponents, outscoring them by a combined 182-30 … Southern Illinois fell 38-30 at Florida Atlantic last season in the Salukis’ most recent game against an FBS opponent.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
2-0, 0-0 Missouri Valley
Head Coach
Nick Hill (Southern Illinois ’08)
6-7, second season
Notes
Southern Illinois stands at 2-0 after the Salukis took a 35-17 win at Southeast Missouri last Saturday … Southern Illinois opened with a 55-3 win at Mississippi Valley State … .The Salukis went 4-7 last season and were 2-6 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference … Southern Illinois has held its first two opponents to 10.0 points and 289.0 yards per game … QB Sam Straub has thrown for 397 yards and six touchdowns with one interception … RB Daquan Isom is the leading rusher with 126 yards and a TD on 26 carries … WR Darrell James has team highs with seven receptions, 127 receiving yards and two touchdown catches … The defense is led by DE Anthony Knighton, who has 3.0 sacks, 5.0 tackles for loss and a forced fumble … CB Jeremy Chinn has two interceptions … The Salukis have allowed only one sack through two games.
rv/rv MEMPHIS
2-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach
Mike Norvell (Central Arkansas ’95)
10-5, second season
Notes
Memphis is off to a 2-0 start after the Tigers scored a 48-45 win against No. 25 UCLA last Saturday … Memphis opened its season with a 37-29 victory against Louisiana-Monroe Aug. 31 and ended up with a Week 2 open date after the Tigers’ game at UCF was rescheduled in the wake of Hurricane Irma … Memphis has averaged 488.0 yards of offense through two games, but has seen its first two opponents average 529.0 yards … QB Riley Ferguson enjoyed one of the best games of his career against UCLA, earning Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week honors after he threw for 398 yards and six touchdowns … RB Darrell Henderson has rushed for a team-high 274 yards and two touchdowns and is averaging 10.5 yards per carry … WR Anthony Miller has 11 catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns.