CARBONDALE – SIU made short work of an Indiana State team desperate for a win.

The Salukis (4-0, 1-0 Gateway) dominated the Sycamores on both sides of the ball in Saturday’s 55-3 rout. SIU’s win extended Indiana State’s Division I-AA-longest losing streak to 22 games.

SIU fell behind 3-0 before its first possession but dispelled any thoughts of an upset bid by taking a 24-3 lead by halftime.

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The Saluki offense gained 527 yards and tallied seven touchdowns. They pounded the ball on the ground for 288 net rushing yards and three touchdowns. SIU passed effectively for a season-high 239 yards.

The defense again shut down the opposition, holding the Sycamores (0-5, 0-1 Gateway) scoreless for the final 56 minutes of the game.

“It was just a good team effort overall,” head coach Jerry Kill said.

And, as usual, the effort started with senior running back Arkee Whitlock.

Whitlock, an All-American, ran the ball 17 times for a team-high 103 yards, his fourth-straight game over the century mark. He scored on runs of one, 12 and five yards and moved into a second-place tie on the Salukis’ career rushing touchdowns list with 32.

Whitlock’s 28-yard, second-quarter reception helped set up his first score of the game to give SIU a 14-3 lead.

“I keep saying it – he’s the best in the country – and I’ll continue to say it this week,” Kill said.

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Whitlock credited the Salukis’ bruising offensive line, which he called the best in the country, for his performance. The line’s contributions affected more players than just Whitlock.

Nine Salukis rushed for positive yards, including junior running back John Randle’s 59 yards and two scores. Randle’s first touchdown capped a 56-yard drive that gave SIU its first lead of the game, 7-3. SIU ran on 11 of 12 plays.

Indiana State head coach Lou West said SIU’s running game fired the offensive onslaught because, “They did a great job of blocking, running and executing the plays they were assigned to execute,”

And junior quarterback Nick Hill’s execution of the game plan was as multifaceted as it was efficient.

Hill passed to six different receivers on his way to a nine-of-11 night and a career-high 231 yards. The Du Quoin native connected with tight end Braden Jones, a senior from Harrisburg, for an 80-yard scoring strike. The pass marked SIU’s longest play from scrimmage of the season and tied the sixth-longest touchdown pass in Saluki history.

“He did an excellent job of throwing the football,” Kill said.

Hill also scored on a 32-yard scamper with 1:14 remaining in the third quarter to give SIU a 45-3 lead.

Whitlock said Hill’s athleticism occasionally distracted him.

“I’m out there on the field sometimes, and I get cursed out by coaches because I’m standing there watching him,” Whitlock said. “He’s an exciting player.”

The Salukis’ defense sucked the excitement out of the Gateway’s top-ranked passing offense.

SIU pressured Indiana State quarterback Reilly Murphy into a sack, an interception and six hurries. The result was 166 yards passing, more than 100 yards less than the Sycamores’ per-game average. Five Salukis broke up passes.

Indiana State pressed the run early in the game, a change from what the Salukis said they saw on film.

Running back Tony West garnered 55 of his game-high 110 yards before the intermission, but SIU’s defense – the best in the Gateway – did a solid job of adjusting to the new look.

“It was different, so we had to change and adapt to their scheme, and that’s pretty much what we did,” senior defensive end Lorenzo Wims said.

The result was a near shutout of an offense that averaged more than 27 points per contest, including a 35-point performance against the Big Ten’s Purdue University.

Freshman linebacker Brandin Jordan paced the SIU’s defense with 11 total tackles. Wims, who finished with six, continued to make plays in the backfield with 1.5 tackles for loss.

SIU’s win kept Indiana State’s Division I-AA-longest 22-game losing streak intact.

SIU hosts Western Illinois in Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. Homecoming game.

Notes: Senior Craig Coffin became SIU’s career scoring (320 points) and field goal leader (41). Coffin passed running back Tom Koutsos and kicker Ron Miller, respectively.