1. Illinois State is ranked in the top 10 for a reason…

This was SIU’s fifth game against a ranked opponent. It was also the first time the Salukis lost by more than six points to anybody.

SIU’s previous losses could easily be explained by mental and unforced physical errors. This was the first time a team had been truly overmatched by the other team.

The Redbirds are the defending national runners-up. This was a matchup of two programs in different places: one where it wants to be, the other stuck trying to find its way there.

2. …and that reason is Marshaun Coprich.

The senior running back entered the game as the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s leading rusher by an average of about 35 yards per game. Run defense — any defense for that matter — has not exactly been the Salukis’ calling card this year.

It’s not very fair when the opponent’s strength is one of your biggest weaknesses. Junior quarterback Tre Roberson had a poor game throwing the ball, but it didn’t matter. He added 74 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to Coprich’s 254 and three.

3. Depth is a good thing until you have to use it.

The absence of several starters reared its ugly head for the Salukis on both sides of the ball. Senior wide receiver Israel Lamprakes and sophomore wide receiver Jimmy Jones sat out, while junior guard Reid Sealby and senior center Matt Griffith started for the second straight week in place of junior guard David Meyerhoff and senior center Garrett Clark.

Jones and Lamprakes’ injuries resulted in Billy Reed setting a school record with 14 receptions in a game. Good for Billy, but it suggets that senior quarterback Mark Iannotti wasn’t able to spread the ball around as much as you would like. Senior wide receiver Josh Sullivan, who entered the game with one catch all year, caught five passes for 30 yards, but also dropped almost as many.

Sophomore safety Kenny James, one of SIU’s top tacklers sat out with an ankle injury. Combined with the depleted defensive line it made for a long day for Saluki defense.

4. Inexperience can be deadly

SIU started five defensive players who are either sophomores or freshmen. The defense’s effort as a unit was uneven. At times the Salukis made Coprich look stoppable, which limited him to two yards on his first three carries. Other times, Coprich made mincemeat of the Dawgs.

Youth also showed on offense for SIU. Freshman running backs Chris Perkins and Jonathon Mixon both fumbled in the fourth quarter while putting up third and fourth efforts at the end of runs rather than going down and protecting the ball.

Mixon’s was less egregious because it came at the goal line with 12 seconds left in the game, but in higher-leverage situations like the one in which Perkins’ happened, those turnovers sting.

5. Spiking the ball after a touchdown is illegal.

Reed got flagged 15 yards for it after scoring right before halftime. I thought the NFL was the No Fun League, but even they’re allowed to do that. Go figure.

Thomas Donley can be reached at [email protected] or at 618-536-3307