Weekly Gateway Notebook (Oct. 30)
Currently, there is a three-way tie for first place in the Gateway Conference standings as Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, and Youngstown State have identical 4-1 league marks with 2 weeks remaining. There has never been a three-way tie at season’s end in the league’s 20 years, but there have been co-champions. Four times, teams have shared the title, including 1990 (UNI/Missouri State), 1995 (UNI/Eastern Illinois), 2002 (Western Illinois/Western Kentucky), and 2003 (UNI/Southern Illinois). All eight of those co-champs have represented the league in the I-AA playoffs.
The Nov. 5 Western Kentucky-UNI game is part of the Gateway Television Network package. The game will be on KFXA (Cedar Rapids), KDSM (Des Moines), WYCS (Louisville), Fox College Sports, and will be shown on a tape-delayed basis by WKYU (7 p.m.), FSN Midwest (2 a.m.) and Metro Sports (Kansas City) (5:30 p.m.). Mitch Holthus (play by play), Richard Baldinger (color) and Mick Shaffer (sideline) will call the action, with kickoff slated for 4:07 p.m. CST.
Five Teams in Top 25, Again
Illinois State’s 38-3 victory over No. 13 UNI two weeks ago lifted the Redbirds to No. 18 in the Top 25 poll of Oct. 24. The Redbirds joined four other previously ranked Gateway teams, marking just the fourth time in league history that five Gateway Conference teams were ranked in the Top 25 the same week.
Will 2 Do?
In 20 conference seasons, no league champ or co-champ has won the Gateway crown with more than one league loss. Eight times a league champ went through league play with a perfect mark (the last was Southern Illinois in 2004). Five league teams already have two conference losses this season.
Will 2 Do, Part II?
Two losses, historically, has eliminated teams from the Gateway title chase. However, six Gateway teams have had two league losses and made the I-AA playoffs. No Gateway team, however, has had four losses (overall) and earned at at-large playoff bid. GFC teams to qualify for the playoffs with two league losses.
Gateway Ranked vs. Ranked
It’s likely that two Gateway games this week will feature matchups between Gateway teams that are both ranked (polls are announced Monday, Oct. 31). Last week, No. 8 Southern Illinois defeated No. 1 Western Kentucky, and No. 21 UNI beat No. 11 Youngstown State. Counting last week’s meetings, two ranked GFC foes have played each other a total of 53 times in league history. Of those 53 games, 15 times the meeting involved teams that were both ranked in the Top 10 at the same time. The home team is 30-23; while the higher-ranked team is 28-25.
Salukis Aim For Three Peat
Southern Illinois was picked to win a third-straight Gateway title in 2005. If they do it, the Salukis will be the first Gateway team to win three-straight conference titles since UNI accomplished the feat by winning or sharing seven-straight titles from 1990 through 1996. No other Gateway team has won three-staight crowns. Prior to winning Gateway titles in 2003 and 2004, the last time the SIU program won back-to-back league titles was in 1960 and 1961 (Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference).
Training Ground for the NFL?
Of all of the players on NFL opening-day rosters, 10.27% of them were filled by former I-AA student-athletes from current I-AA member schools. The Gateway Conference, with 29 players, is best among all I-AA conferences, while Western Illinois (8) and UNI (7) rank No. 1 and No. 2 among all I-AA programs.
Winning Against No. 1
Illinois State beat No. 1-ranked Southern Illinois on Oct. 15, and Southern Illinois toppled No. 1 Western Kentucky on Oct. 27, marking the seventh and eighth times in league history that a Gateway team beat a No. 1-ranked team. Five times, a Gateway team has knocked another Gateway team from the top spot. Here are the Gateway’s wins against No. 1-ranked teams.
1992 -- Eastern Illinois 21, #1 UNI 15
1993 -- Illinois State 13, #1 Youngstown State 10
1997 -- UNI 35, #1 Youngstown State 32
1997 -- Youngstown State 37, #1 Villanova 34
1998 -- Western Illinois 14, #1 Youngstown State 0
2002 -- Western Kentucky 34, #1 McNeese St. 14
2005 -- Illinois State 61, #1 Southern Illinois 35
2005 -- Southern Illinois 31, #1 Western Kentucky 20
Consecutive Top-25 Polls
Counting the Oct. 24, 2005, poll, Western Kentucky has the league’s longest consecutive streak in the Top 25, as the Hilltoppers have appeared in 43-straight polls. Southern Illinois has been ranked for 34 in a row. The league record is 96 (UNI, Sept. 1990 - Oct. 1997). Youngstown State (47 from 1999-2002) and Western Illinois (41 from 1996-1999) also have also lengthy consecutive streaks as GFC members.
 Travis Glasford |
What’s the Purpose?
The Western Illinois tandem of RB Travis Glasford and WR Reggie Gray are both ranked in the Top 10 in career all-purpose yardage in Gateway history. Only once before in league history did teammates finish their careers with 4,000+ all-purpose yards (Cornell Craig-4,553 and Karlton Carpenter-4,375 finished at SIU in 1999. Here’s a look at the league’s all-purpose leaders:
Yards -- Player, Team (Years)
5,583 -- Jamie Jones, Eastern Illinois (1988-91)
5,341 -- David Wright, Indiana State (1992-95)
5,077 -- Tom Koutsos, Southern Illinois (1999-03)
5,010 -- Travis Glasford, Western Illinois (‘02-pres.)
4,580 -- Tony Gilbert, Missouri State (1986-89)
4,553 -- Cornell Craig, Southern Illinois (1996-99)
4,454 -- Mike Furrey, UNI (1997-99)
4,375 -- Carlton Carpenter, S. Illinois (1995-99)
4,363 -- Toby Davis, Illinois State (1989-92)
4,362 -- Reggie Gray, Western Illinois (2002-pres.)
Glasford Moves Up Charts
RB Travis Glasford ranks No. 4 all-time in league history in all-purpose yards, but he’s also moving up the list in touchdowns scored and points scored and in rushing yards. With 49 TDs, he ranks second all-time (trailing Tom Koutsos of Southern Illinois, who had 52 scores from 1999-03). He has 296 career points, and 3,821 career rushing yards.
Passing Fancy
Four current Gateway players rank high on the all-time receiving lists in league history. There have been 11 2,000-yard receivers in Gateway history, including two that have reached that plateau this year.
Player, Team Yards Rank
Reggie Gray, Western Illinois -- 2336 8
Brent Little, Southern Illinois -- 2062 11
Laurent Robinson, Illinois St. -- 1927 14
Sam Logan, Indiana State -- 1686 --
 Brent Hawkins |
ILS .. Hawkins Leads the Nation
When senior Brent Hawkins sacked Western Illinois’ quarterback Steve LaFalce for the second time last Saturday, it gave the Buck Buchanan Award candidate the Illinois State record for sacks in a season. Hawkins now has 15 QB sacks on the season, surpassing the former school record holder Ray Robinson, who had 14 in 2003. Through week nine, Hawkins leads I-AA football in sacks per game (1.67), tackles for loss per game (2.44) and force fumbles (5).
 Sam Logan |
INS .. Baggett Excels at MSU
Blayne Baggett hit 32-of-48 pass attempts in a narrow road loss to Missouri State, tossing for a school-record 396 yards. The previous best was 391 yards back in 1955. Baggett found Sam Logan for a game-high 13 receptions and tossed a two of his three scores to the junior wide receiver. Baggett’s long toss of the day was a 40-yard score to Logan that put ISU up 27-24 with just over five minutes remaining against the Bears. Baggett also ran the ball 10 times for a total of 20 yards, including a long rush of 10 yards.
 Jon Scifres |
MSU .. Just For Kicks
Jon Scifres hit a FG for the first time in three weeks. It was the 37th of his career, fourth all-time at MSU, but he needs just one more to tie Chris Potthast and Travis Brawner for second place at 38. Wayne Boyer has the school record, at 49. Scifres has also scored in 24 Bears’ games in a row, third longest streak on record behind Travis Brawner at 33 and Brian Long at 32.
UNI .. Sanders Returns
As Eric Sanders goes, so goes the Panthers. UNI had struggled offensively without the sophomore quarterback after he suffered a high ankle sprain Oct. 8 at Missouri State, going 1-2 during his absence. He ended up starting against Youngstown State, leading the Panthers to victory. He’s now 10-2 as the Panthers’ starter dating back to last season when he took over for the injured Tom Petrie.
SIU .. Saluki Block Party
The Salukis have blocked four punts this season -- two in the opener against SEMO and one each against Indiana State and Western Kentucky. Tight end Braden Jones leads the team with two blocked punts. In the 4+ years that Jerry Kill has been head coach, SIU has blocked 20 punts. Jay Sawvel is the special teams coach in charge of punt block schemes.
WIU .. Long Gainer
Marco Thomas and Steve LaFalce connected on the longest passing play in school history and the longest in Hancock Stadium history when Thomas hauled in a 98-yard touchdown pass from LaFalce in the second quarter Saturday. Thomas went to catch two more passes for a total of 129 yards - his third 100-yard game of the season. The 98-yard connection matches the second-longest in league history.
WKU .. Perkins Reaches 100
With his first 100-yard game of the season, senior Maurice Perkins entered the top 10 all-time at WKU with 1,347 yards receiving -- he accomplished the feat in 20 games since the beginning of the 2004 campaign, as he did not catch a pass in two appearances in 2003. The senior had six catches for 121 yards against the Salukis to lead all players in both categories and pass former All-American Joey Stockton to move into the record books.
 Tom Zetts |
YSU .. Spread Formation
The Penguins spread the ball around through the air against the Panthers on Saturday. Of the 21 completions by quarterbacks Tom Zetts and Vince Gliatta, YSU had 10 players catch at least one pass.