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Leathernecks visit hot Salukis on Saturday

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

Western Illinois takes on Southern Illinois after bye week

After last week's bye, the Western Illinois football team is back in action on Saturday, hitting the road to take on instate rival, Southern Illinois at 2 p.m. The Salukis are currently ranked No. 16 in the STATS poll and No. 19 in the Coaches poll.
 
Who | Western Illinois (0-5, 0-2) at Southern Illinois (4-2, 3-0)
 
When | Saturday, October 15, 2 p.m.
 
Where | Saluki Stadium, Carbondale, Illinois.
 
Social media | Twitter + Facebook
 
Previous matchups: Western Illinois leads the all-time series 37-25-4. The two squads have split the last six meetings, but Southern Illinois has won the last two. The Leathernecks were victorious the last time the two teams met in Carbondale, with Western Illinois winning 34-31on Nov. 3, 2018.
 
Last time out: Western Illinois was able to hang around with South Dakota State for a half, trailing 17-3 at the break, but in the second half, the Jacks were too strong, winning 34-10.
 
Bye week facts: Western Illinois is 7-3 in its last 10 games after the bye week.
 
Scouting the opponent: After dropping its first two games, Southern Illinois has hit its stride, winning four in a row. During the streak, SIU topped Northwestern 31-24 and has defeated three Missouri Valley Football Conference foes (North Dakota, Illinois State and Missouri State).
 
Offense is the key for the Salukis. SIU averages 30.3 points per game, second-best in the MVFC. Southern Illinois allows 29 points per contest, seventh-best in the league.
 
Nic Baker leads the Southern Illinois offense. The quarterback has completed 67 percent (120-179) of his passes for 1357 yards and 11 touchdowns. Baker has thrown two interceptions.  Avante Cox is Baker's favorite target with a team-high 30 receptions. D'Ante Cox leads SIU with 381 receiving yards with a Saluki second-best 24 catches. Ro Elliott is SIU's leading rusher, averaging 51.3 yards per game on the ground.
 
What's next: Western Illinois returns home for the first time in nearly a month. The Leathernecks host Youngstown State on Oct. 22 for a 3 p.m. kick. It is also Western Illinois' Homecoming game.
 
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