Southern Illinois vs South Dakota State FCS Playoff Game Preview
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Why Southern Illinois Will Win
Southern Illinois (6-3) pulled off the mild upset on the road with a 34-31 win over Weber State on an eight-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds to move on.
The Salukis got the passing game going when they had to, QB Stone Labanowitz pulled through in the clutch, and now they get a second shot at South Dakota State after losing in late March.
While the defense wasn’t always solid against Weber State, and it took a big comeback to pull it off, the offense that was so good all year on third downs and the passing game that was so efficient got the job done.
Again, the Salukis are getting another shot at the Jackrabbits, but …
Why South Dakota State Will Win
It really wasn’t pretty the first time around.
South Dakota State (6-1) was down 3-0 to Southern Illinois. It won 44-3.
The Jackrabbits forced four turnovers, allowed just over 200 yards of total offense, and they ran and ran and ran, cranking out over 300 yards on the ground in the blowout.
They rocked Holy Cross 31-3 in the first round of the FCS Playoffs, rolling behind their great offensive line with Isaiah Davis rushing for 156 yards and a score and Mark Gronowski having all day to throw three touchdown passes.
Southern Illinois has own the trenches to pull this off. The offensive line has been great all year, but it didn’t quite dominate Weber State like it needed to – at least until late – and it’s not going to push around the South Dakota State defensive front. And …
What’s Going To Happen
The South Dakota State running game is just too strong.
This won’t be the total wipeout the first meeting was, but the Jackrabbits will get all of the parts of the backfield going right away, the defense will continue to be a rock, and the No. 1 seed in the tournament will push its way through after a rough start.
Southern Illinois will come out hot with a few early scores, but the Jackrabbits will settle in, take over the time of possession battle, and things will open up in the second half.
South Dakota State vs Southern Illinois FCS Playoff Prediction, Line
Southern Illinois vs Weber State FCS Playoff Game Preview
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Why Southern Illinois Will Win
The high-powered Southern Illinois (5-3) team knows how to score. It’s got the efficient passing game, the ground attack averages close to 200 yards per outing, and it all comes by moving the chains.
The Salukis are fourth in the nation in third down conversions, they’re solid at controlling the clock, and now they’re going against a solid defense that can do a whole lot of things right, but gives up too many third down conversions.
Yes, there were some blips along with way with the three losses, but they all came against teams in the FCS Playoffs.
Why Weber State Will Win
Weber State (5-0) might bend a bit defensively, but it’s not breaking a whole lot.
The secondary has been fantastic – the team took the ball away ten times – and it all starts with the pressure up front. The Wildcats come up with a whole lot of tackles for loss, there’s a good pass rush, and the pass defense makes up for the yards it gives away with a whole lot of interceptions.
For all of the good things Southern Illinois does, it turns the ball just enough to matter – the ten picks in eight games hurt – there’s not enough of a pass rush to worry about, and considering the offense cranks up a ton of yards, there aren’t consistent points to go with them.
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What’s Going To Happen
Which Southern Illinois team will show up? Will it be the not that couldn’t do anything right in a blowout loss to South Dakota State, or will it be the one that was so strong offensively in a big win over SE Louisiana to push into the FCS Playoffs?
Weber State plays a whole lot of close, tight games, but it knows how to win them. The problem was the competition – beating UC Davis and Northern Arizona was nice, but two of the five wins were against Idaho State.
The Wildcat defense will come up with a few key takeaways at home to overcome an offense that will sputter just enough to matter. The defense, though, has to rise up and control the game – SIU has the offensive ability to turn the lights out, and Weber State doesn’t.
The Saluki offense will be just good enough to get out with a tough, fun win.
Southern Illinois vs Weber State FCS Playoff Prediction, Line
Southern Illinois (1-1) vs Youngstown State (0-2) Game Preview
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Why Southern Illinois Will Win
You don’t just dropkick North Dakota State 38-14 without being able to do something right.
Southern Illinois lost the opener to North Dakota when the defense struggled against the run, but it all came together with a brilliant performance against the Bison. And how did it work?
Time of possession.
The Saluki defense wasn’t anything special, but the offense seemingly converted every third down try as the team held on to the ball for 41 minutes and never let the Bison get into a groove.
Youngstown State couldn’t stop Northern Iowa on third downs in the 21-0 loss and only had the ball for 26 minutes.
Why Youngstown State Will Win
The defense hasn’t been bad.
The offense has struggled, but to be fair, it went against North Dakota State and Northern Iowa – SIU loss for the Bison aside, the two stars of the MVC. The D, though, allowed just six points to the Panthers before a late run that put it away, and it has just enough to keep SIU’s offense from going off.
The Salukis were great throwing the ball against the Bison, but the running game stalled in the blowout loss to North Dakota. If Youngstown State can just keep the chains moving even a little bit, it has a shot to keep the score low and pull this off.
What’s Going To Happen
Southern Illinois rolls North Dakota State and comes back and clunks against a punchless Youngstown State? It’s not likely.
The Salukis will have issues against the Penguin pass rush, and the game won’t get out of hand, but they’ll bring enough of a passing attack to build on the epic win of last Saturday.
Southern Illinois vs Youngstown State Prediction, Line
North Dakota State (1-0) vs Southern Illinois (0-1) Game Preview
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Why North Dakota State Will Win
Turnovers. If Southern Illinois gives them up like it did against North Dakota in the 44-21 loss, there’s going to be a big problem.
The Salukis gave it up five times to offset a good passing day and undoing a good first half. Meanwhile, North Dakota State shook the rust off in a workmanlike win over Youngstown State, holding the Penguins to just 171 yards of total offense – and that’s without any takeaways.
The Bison don’t need any help. If SIU starts to mess up like it did against the Fighting Hawks, this will get out of hand fast. Even without any takeaways, be stunned if SIU comes anywhere close to 100 rushing yards on this group. But …
Why Southern Illinois Will Win
It’s not like the NDSU offense went off.
It was fine in the 25-7 win, and there was never any real drama, but QB Zeb Noland only hit 9-of-18 passes and there weren’t any big shots down the field.
On the other side, SIU’s combination of Nic Baker and Kare Lyles combined to throw for 227 yards and a score against North Dakota, and lost in all of the turnovers was that the offense moved, doing a great job on third downs, and …
What’s Going To Happen
Again, turnovers.
No, SIU isn’t going to give up five against the Bison, but it’s not likely going to win the turnover battle by a big enough margin to pull off the upset.
Yes, Zeb Noland wasn’t amazing, but the NDSU running game was solid, the offensive line was terrific, and the defense was a rock. Don’t expect this to be an earth-shattering Bison performance, but it’ll be a strong road win.
North Dakota State vs Southern Illinois Prediction, Line
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Southern Illinois defender Jeremy Chinn
Every year, the NFL draft features a few small-school prospects who dominated in college, and have the skills to do the same thing at the game’s highest level.
Jeremy Chinn made big plays all over the field for Southern Illinois, no matter where he lined up, and he’s got the talent to make the same kind of impact in the pro ranks.
One of the top defensive prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft class, Chinn recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his impressive college career, his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.
JM: 13 interceptions, 31 pass break-ups and six forced fumbles. You spend a lot of time around the football. What is it about your game that lead to that ball production?
JC: I’m always looking for the quickest route to the ball. I take a lot of pride in that production. I’m a high effort player. I believe there’s only one way to play the game, and that’s fast and physical. The game evolves around the ball, so I might as well get my hands on it by any means possible.
JM: How do you look back on your time at Southern Illinois?
JC: I progressed a lot throughout my time there. I was able to get into the starting lineup as a true freshman. My production seemed to take a step forward every year. I got smarter and better on a consistent basis. I made less and less mistakes as the years went by. It’s really all about instincts for me at this point.
Syndication: Springfield
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
JC: It was cool. I’m a local, I’m actually from Indianapolis. To actually get a chance to go to the combine, it was the coolest experience in the world for me. I enjoyed getting around all of the different coaching staffs, scouts and general managers. All of the big decision makers were definitely in attendance. I finally hit the field on the Sunday and I was ready to go.
JM: First of all, the measurements are off the charts. You stand in at 6-3 and 221 pounds. Your arms measured in at over 32 inches. When it came to the testing, you hit a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash and a 138-inch broad jump. Did you expect to test as well as you did?
JC: Yeah, I actually expected to run a little faster in the 40. Throughout training, my 10-yard and 20-yard splits were a bit faster than what I actually tested at. I planned on running faster. I planned on jumping a little higher as well. I was pretty happy with my broad jump though.
JM: What were the splits looking like in training?
JC: My 10-yard split was about a 1.50 flat and I ended up getting a 1.55 at the combine. It may seem like a small difference, but it can be the difference between the 4.45 I hit in the 40 and the 4.40 I was running in training.
JM: Taking every aspect of the combine into account, what do you think is the overall impression you left out there?
JC: I think everybody out there realized that I love to compete. I love the game of football. That’s the impression I was hoping to leave out there. I’m a competitive guy. Like I said earlier, I believe there’s only one way to play the game. That’s how I approach the game every single time I hit the field. I’m gonna come in and make the team better. I’m gonna live around the ball. It doesn’t matter how they choose to use me, I’m gonna positively impact the game for us. I’m coming in ready to work. I’m ready to win.
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JM: What’s your favorite part about playing the safety position?
JC: I had a really great defensive coordinator at Southern Illinois. When you watch the film on me, you see me moving all over the place. I played in the slot, I played single-high, I played in the box. During my junior year, I actually played a lot of cornerback on the outside. I love being able to play so many different spots. That’s my favorite aspect of playing the safety position. I’m rangy enough to play up high and make those interceptions, or I can come down in the box and blitz or impact the run game. There’s so many beautiful aspects to playing the safety position. I get to do so much on the field.
JM: Do you have a preference when it comes to impacting the run game or passing game?
JC: I can’t say that I have a preference. I’m a competitor. Whenever I’m on the field, it doesn’t matter which spot I’m playing, I feel like it’s my time to shine and make a play. I’m always looking to make an impact.
JM: You mentioned playing a little cornerback on the outside. Do you approach a smaller, shiftier receiver any differently than you do a bigger, more physical one?
JC: Yeah, I definitely approach those guys a little differently. Thankfully for me, I have the athletic ability. When they first see me, I’m a 6-3, 220 pound guy, they don’t think I can run fast but I’m just as quick and fast as anybody out there. I don’t have a problem matching their speed. I really try to get my hands on those smaller guys. You have to disrupt them a little bit. Most of them don’t like it when you’re physical with them, especially since I’m a big guy. I understand how to use my arm length and reach to my advantage.
JM: We’ve touched quite a bit on your defensive coordinator, and how he was creative in the way that you were utilized in the defense. What can you tell me about the overall scheme?
JC: We primarily ran a quarters defense. We had two high safeties most of the time. We played a lot of Cover 3 as well. I played all over the field and often roamed the middle. I really played everything.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
JM: Were you able to get any private visits or workouts in before COVID-19 shut everything down?
JC: Everything started to shut down immediately after my pro day. I wasn’t able to get any of those private meetings in unfortunately. I’ve been able to stay in contact with teams through FaceTime and Zoom.
JM: Which teams have you met with via FaceTime and Zoom?
JC: Out of respect for the teams, I’m choosing to keep that information private at this time. I will say that from the Senior Bowl to now, I’ve met with all 32 teams in some capacity.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
JC: I didn’t get asked anything too strange. Somebody asked me if I was more like a cat or a dog. I just said I was more like a dog. I’m always in attack mode. I can be a bully or a protector.
JM: Throughout all of your team meetings, has anyone brought up the small-school competition? If so, how did you answer that?
JC: No team has really brought that up. I think when you turn on the film, you can see the type of player that I am. When we played against the big schools, schools like Ole Miss and Memphis, those were two of my best games throughout my career and I played against those guys during my junior and sophomore years. I don’t think anybody will really question me because of the level of competition. The film speaks for itself.
JM: What’s your favorite way to demoralize your opponent?
JC: I don’t know that I can pick just one way (laughs). I’m always prepared for my opponent. I’ll say that. It’s important to study the film before going up against that team. I’m always ready to outwork my opponent. I’m more physical than you are. It’s a physical game. I’m not gonna let my opponent win the physical battle.
JM: When a team uses a draft pick on Jeremy Chinn, what kind of guy are they getting?
JC: They’re gonna get a leader. They’re getting a high impact player. I love the game of football and I love learning new things. I’m always working to get better. I love the work that comes with it. That’s really what I’m most excited about as I continue to prepare for the next level. I can’t wait to get better.
