Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Welcomes Southern Illinois to The Rock
9/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 11, 2006
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Starting 2-0 for the third straight season, Indiana welcomes Southern Illinois to Bloomington in search of its third consecutive victory. The Hoosiers (2-0) and Salukis (1-0) square off for the first meeting between the two programs at 4 p.m. EDT at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 16.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Kellen Lewis threw for 228 yards and ran for 88 more in his debut for Indiana, as the Hoosiers came away with a 24-23 victory over Ball State on Saturday, Sept. 9, in Muncie, Ind. The Hoosiers overcame a 17-0 second quarter and 23-7 halftime deficit.
The Indiana defense shut out the Cardinals in the second half, and the offense came through with 17 second-half points on the back of Lewis, who led the Hoosiers on the ground as well as in the air. Austin Starr's 35-yard field goal with 10:58 to go in the contest gave the Hoosiers their first lead of the game, and IU held on for the 24-23 victory.
Scouting Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois enters the contest with a lengthy rest after opening the season on Aug. 31 against Lock Haven. The Salukis dominated their home opener, 49-0. Arkee Whitlock spearheaded an impressive rushing attack that gained 357 yards, averaged 8.7 yards and tallied four touchdowns. The senior garnered 134 yards on 15 attempts with one touchdown, while junior quarterback Nick Hill added 107 yards on 11 rushes with a pair of scores. Hill also added 85 yards in the air and completed 10-of-19.
Defensively, SIU held LHU to just 92 yards. Freshman linebacker Weithley Leonard and sophomore safety Clayton Johnson led the Salukis with eight tackles apiece. Southern Illinois outgained Lock Haven 500-92.
Spectacular Debut
Redshirt freshman Kellen Lewis, who entered his first collegiate game in the first quarter at Ball State, turned in one of the top debuts by a rookie gunslinger in IU history. In bringing the Hoosiers back from a 17-0 second quarter and a 23-7 halftime deficit, Lewis finished the game with 12 carries for 88 yards and one touchdown and completed 15-of-28 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown. The 316 yards of total offense marked the best total offense debut by a Hoosier signal-caller since Antwaan Randle El accounted for 467 yards (385 passing and 82 rushing) and six touchdowns (3 rushing and 3 passing) in a 45-30 victory over Western Michigan on Sept. 12, 1998.
Second-Half Surge
Leading 23-7 heading into the locker room, Ball State held a commanding advantage in total yardage (220-77) and passing yards (205-42). However, the Hoosiers regained control and completely dominated the second 30 minutes. En route to shutting out the Cardinals and scoring the final 17 points of the contest, IU limited BSU to 110 second-half yards while racking up 296 of its own. Indiana rushed for 112 yards on the ground and threw for 184 in the air.
The Hoosier defense, which kept an opponent scoreless in a half for the first time since the second stanza against Michigan last season (Nov. 12), received a helping hand from the offense's ability to control the clock. IU held the ball for 19 minutes in the second half, including 11:11 in the fourth quarter.
Indiana's defense also enjoyed a strong second half in the season opener against Western Michigan. The Hoosiers held the Broncos to 114 yards in the second 30, including 63 yards through the air after WMU compiled 154 in the opening half.
In the two games, IU has outscored its opponents 36-14 and has outgained its opponents 460-224 in the second half. The Hoosiers own a 297-147 edge in the passing game and a 163-77 advantage on the ground in the final 30 minutes.
