College
College (5)
Bureau Valley graduate heads into second year at University of Illinois
Written by Illinois PigskinI found an Interesting article about Bureau Valley graduate and second year University of Illinios football lineman, Nate Swanson.
To read more about Nate Swanson and what he said at the Illini Media Day, check out this article on the News Tribune.
Some highlights....
Swanson started practice Friday for his second season as an offensive lineman for Ron Zook’s Illinois football team.
He enters the beginning of practice ranked third on the depth chart at strong-side offensive tackle. Swanson said his main goal this year is to move into the backup tackle position, which would allow him to travel for road games.
Swanson has two reasons for optimism that he can earn a backup role — his performance in the spring and the Illini’s new offense.
“The spring game … was really my first game experience,” Swanson said. “You don’t have a big crowd, but you’re on the field; and you got the p.a. announcer, you’re in uniform and it’s all live. That was really cool, and I played the whole second half because we had a guy get hurt.”
Illinois’ coaches decided to have Swanson redshirt last season so the spring game was his first chance to experience live action in Memorial Stadium, and Swanson said it was the highlight of his freshman year.
“I think (the spring game) helped with confidence,” Swanson said. “I got to know that I could do it, and that’s pretty sweet.”
Post Dispatch: SIU set to open new football stadium
Written by Illinois PigskinThe Full Story can be Read on the STL Post Dispatch Website
Having 30 of 35 voters pick his team to win a third straight conference title doesn't faze Southern Illinois-Carbondale coach Dale Lennon. After all, he reckons the Salukis have had a bull's-eye on them a few years now considering they've been to seven straight FCS playoffs — second only to Montana's 17 berths in a row.
What he frets over is the potential distraction of SIUC's first new stadium since before World War II. Much as he likes gazing out his new office window into the gleaming 15,000-seat Saluki Stadium, Lennon said, "What we need to do is keep our feet on the ground."
But what SIUC says is the first new FCS stadium built since 2005 represents a radical change in Carbondale from the dilapidated McAndrew Stadium that was the team's home the last 73 seasons.
The new facility features more than 1,000 chairback seats, a two-story press box with luxury suites, spiffy locker rooms, a 20-by-40 foot scoreboard with video replay and, at last, modern restrooms.
The stadium is the result of the $83 million Saluki Way campaign, which also is going toward renovations of SIU Arena.
Starting with the opener Sept. 2 against Quincy, the changes figure to enhance the fan experience dramatically. While SIUC will be hard-pressed to duplicate last season's 8-0 Missouri Valley Conference mark, Lennon hopes the product on the field can continue to be just as appealing despite the team returning only nine starters.
"We've got to make sure we're focusing on our preparation each week," he said in the league's preseason conference call Monday.
The Southern: Marion's Matt Brown will play a bit part at ISU this year
Written by Illinois PigskinThis story can be read on the Southern's website at http://www.thesouthern.com/sports/article_a26b9648-9ebb-11df-998f-001cc4c002e0.html
Before the season, about every football coach in America thinks his team may be better than the previous season.
Illinois State, which has won one Missouri Valley Football Conference title in 24 years of membership, may make an incredible jump from its 6-5 mark of a year ago. Monday, second-year coach Brock Spack and the Redbirds were picked third in the league's preseason poll by media, sports information directors and the league's coaches.
Two-time defending champion Southern Illinois University and last year's runners-up, South Dakota State, finished ahead of the Redbirds in the poll. SIU got 30 first-place votes and 313 overall points. The Jackrabbits, who return preseason All-America tailback Kyle Minett, got two first-place votes and 252 points.
Illinois State got three first-place votes and 249 points. It was the Redbirds' highest preseason poll finish since 2007, when they were picked second. They finished tied for fifth that year.
With several Football Bowl Subdivision transfers, including two at running back and one at the defensive line, and the preseason all-conference quarterback, Illinois State may do more than live up to the hype.
"We've upgraded the talent level, and our players, the attitude is completely different here now," Spack said. "It is a completely different outlook on this season. The players have a different air about it. The culture is turning here fairly quickly, and we're get-ting excited to get started."
Redshirt sophomore Matt Brown, a Marion High School graduate who was The Southern Illinoisan's Prep Football Player of the Year his senior year, was one of four Redbirds on the preseason team. Brown led the league in passing last year after taking over for the injured Drew Kiel, and has all five starters on the offensive line back with him. However, Spack made it clear Monday there would be a true quarterback race in fall practice with Brown, Kiel and sophomore Matt Lancaster.
The league's bottom five hope to make similar jumps this year.
Missouri State, entering its fifth year under former UNI coach Terry Allen, has 13 senior starters from last year's 3-8 squad. North Dakota State was eighth of nine teams in scoring defense last year, allowing 28.6 points per game, and finished 3-8. The Bison, who have one of the strongest home-field advantages in the league, have two different stretches where they host three straight games.
Youngstown State turns a new corner this week with the first official practice of native son Eric Wolford, who took over for Jon Heacock as the Penguins' new coach following a 6-5 season. Western Illinois also has a new coach, officially, as the interim tag was dusted off associate head coach Mark Hendrickson's title after the Leathernecks' brutal 1-10 campaign.
Even Indiana State, which returns 41 lettermen from last year's last-place squad, could make an impact on this year's Valley race.
"We'll be much improved on defense," said Indiana State coach Trent Miles. "Hopefully, we'll be much improved on offense. We have to do a better job of that. We have to be able to throw the football, and I think we took care of that with a couple of transfers that we brought in."
Telegraph: Salukis find top receiver in former Edwardsville QB Allaria
Written by Illinois PigskinAn interesting article about the Edwardsville High School star converting to WR for the SIU Salukis.
Read this article on the Alton Telegraph Website - http://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/state-43322-allaria-league.html
Salukis find top receiver in former Edwardsville QB Allaria
Joe Allaria has made a smooth transition from valued high school quarterback to vaunted college receiver.
Yet it didn't come easy for the Edwardsville High graduate, a senior at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder had to make the transformation on the fly two years ago.
We're talking about a player that completed 87-of-140 passes for 1,237 yards and 11 touchdowns his senior prep season. Allaria also rushed for 902 yards and 17 TDs at EHS in 2006.
"Joe saw himself as a quarterback and when he lost out in the battle to be the starting one to Chris Dieker, he hungered to get on the field," SIUC coach Dale Lennon said.
Get this: Allaria, a QB coming out of Edwardsville, threw 21 passes in 2007 and 16 more in 2008. He never snagged a pass three years ago but in 2008, the modification began. He caught 28 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown.
Since then, Allaria has developed into one of the Missouri Valley Conference's top receivers. The past season, he snared 52 passes for 697 yards and four touchdowns. So Allaria has gone from SIUC's backup quarterback to a spot on the All-MVC preseason team.
"Joe has embraced being a receiver and it has proven to be a great move for the team," Lennon said. "He is studying the intricacies of the position and he can be a difference-maker for us.
Lennon added, "Joe's an athlete and he may have exceeded the expectations for him. He has been better than good. Joe has made a lot of impressive catches, he's playing with urgency and he's not afraid of anyone."
More big things are expected of Allaria and the Salukis this season. They are heavily favored to repeat as champions of the nine-team league, based in St. Louis. South Dakota State, Illinois State, Northern Iowa and Missouri State could be SIUC's main competition. A new stadium to showcase in Carbondale adds to the luster.
"SIU went through the league unbeaten (8-0) last year," Missouri State coach Terry Allen said. "When was the last time that happened? They return a number of starters, so they have earned the respect (of other coaches) and should get that."
The Salukis' respect included receiving 30 of the 36 first-place votes. ISU was next with three. North Dakota State, Youngstown State, Western Illinois and Indiana State round out the league.
"The league is very balanced and it's going to be tough from top to bottom," second-year ISU coach Brock Spack said. "But SIU is the team to beat."
Northern Iowa coach Mark Fraley added, "SIU separated themselves last season with the talent they had. They had a very good defense and you need to have that to go undefeated in this league."
Running back John Goode, offensive lineman David Pickard, kicker Kyle Dougherty, defensive lineman Kyle Russo and defensive backs Korey Lindsey and Mike McElroy also figure to spark the Salukis. Goode is a bruising 6-2, 240 junior from Olive Branch, Miss.
Local kids such as East St. Louis lineman Terrence Isaiah and defensive back Nick King, along with Belleville lineman Jason Stegman, should add to the mix. SIUC opens at home Sept. 2 against Quincy and then plays Sept. 11 at Illinois.
"We lost 21 seniors, but we still have experience at key positions," Lennon said. "We'll complement them with younger players."
ISU is leaning on sophomore Matt Brown, a 6-4, 210 sophomore quarterback from Marion, to keep the Redbirds pointed in the right direction. E.J. Jones, a 5-11, 190 senior cornerback from Edwardsville, might have a stake in ISU's fortunes.
"We have 18 returning starters back, so I think we will be better talent-wise than we were a year ago," Spack said. "We expect to be good."
Missouri State's Allen echoed those sentiments. "We think we can be competitive and in the top three teams in the league."
Punter Jordan Chiles of Hillsboro and defensive lineman Phil Terhaar of O'Fallon could boost the Bears.
DuQuoin's Dalton Morgan transfers from EIU to SIU, Salukis add Morgan and 5 others
Written by Illinois PigskinBy Jason Clay www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois football team announced Thursday that they have added six players to its 2010 roster, highlighted by a pair of transfers from the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Carl Harris, a wide receiver from Rutgers, and Myron Walker, a nose tackle from Kentucky, have transferred to SIU and are enrolled in school.
In addition to Harris and Walker, the Salukis have added Harper Junior College linebacker Blair Lane and Dalton Morgan, a transfer from Eastern Illinois. Morgan will have to sit out the 2010 season in compliance with NCAA transfer regulations.
Nico Krajecki, a 6-3, 235-pound tight end from Chicago, Ill. (Fenwick HS) has also joined the team, as has Sammy Biggs. Biggs is a four-time Missouri Valley Conference champion sprinter with the SIU track and field team, but will carry out his remaining year of athletic eligibility with the Saluki football program. Biggs was a member of the football team in 2007 and 2008, but did not see any game action.
Harris is a 6-1, 190-pound receiver from Atlantic City, N.J. He was a walk-on with the Scarlet Knights in 2008 and 2009, but did not see any game action. He will have three years of eligibility with the Salukis.
Walker, a 5-11, 275-pounder from Marrero, La., redshirted at Kentucky in 2009 and will have four years of eligibility. Walker was one of the nation's top 100 defensive tackles listed by Rivals.com and the No. 28 prospect in Louisiana by SuperPrep coming out of Archbishop Rummel High School in 2008.
