Monday notebook: Salukis are well-rested after bye week
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Since the bye week didn’t arrive until Week 10 this season for Southern Illinois, head coach Nick Hill made sure to give his team a breather last week. Players had Friday and Saturday completely off with no practices or meetings.
Heading into the bye week, a handful of Salukis were near the top of the league in snaps played. Among defensive players, safety Vinny Pierre Jr. was third (528) in the Valley, while linebacker Andrew Behm was seventh (500). On offense, guard Kellen Francis (597) and wide receiver Kyle Thomas (572) were fourth and fifth in snaps played. In fact, no skill player in the league took more reps in the first nine weeks than Thomas.
“When you play nine-straight games, we needed to get some guys that have taken a lot of reps some rest,” Hill said. “I felt like we had a good week of work, then took advantage of getting away for a couple days.”
SIU returned to practice on Sunday in preparation for this week’s game at Indiana State. The Sycamores (2-7, 0-5) are winless in conference games, but they got starting quarterback Elijah Owens back on Saturday after missing four games with an injury. In a losing effort at UNI, Owens made a big impact, passing for 313 yards and rushing for 122 more.
“He creates some problems,” Hill acknowledged.
Saturday’s game, which has an unusual 5 p.m. kick time, features two of the longest-tenured head coaches in the league with Hill in his 11th season and Curt Mallory in his 10th at ISU.
“I have a ton of respect for Coach Mallory as man and as a person,” Hill said. “I admire how his team represents and plays the game. They are going to play hard and be competitive in all three phases.”
Hill said he expects starting center Ethan Goodin to return this week after missing the last two games with an injury.
“The bye week was big for him,” Hill said. “Ethan practiced last night and should practice full throughout the week.”
Left tackle Blaine Halley is expected to miss his third-straight game with an injury that Hill described as “a several-week deal.”
Any changes to the lineup or the schemes will be subtle this time of year, Hill explained.
“When you get to Week 10, there’s not anybody tricking teams into wins,” he said. “You’ll win by playing fundamentally sound football, staying away from negative plays and winning the turnover margin.”
Check out our weekly Saluki Football notebook and StrongDawgs MVFC Power Ratings.
⬇️PAID SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT⬇️
