SIU football is 3-5 this season, but individual players are attempting to make the record books. 

Senior quarterback Mark Iannotti could break single-season and career records while sophomore safety Kenny James and junior linebacker Chase Allen are chasing the single season tackle total.  

Iannotti is closing in on current co-offensive coordinator Nick Hill’s 2007 marks of 3,532 yards and 28 passing touchdowns, both are single-season records for SIU. 

The senior is currently at 2,887 yards of total offense and 17 passing touchdowns. He would need to average 215 yards and throw for 11 total touchdowns in the final three games of the year. 

Iannotti is averaging 360.9 yards and just more than two passing touchdowns per game this year. 

He is also going after the career touchdown passes and career total offense marks set by former quarterback Joel Sambursky. 

Iannotti currently has 5,212 total offensive yards in his career and 39 career touchdown passes, while Sambursky has 8,994 and 65, respectively.

Iannotti said the new offensive system’s similarity to what he ran in high school has helped him improve this season.

On the defensive side, James has 93 tackles, while Allen has 89. They are 77 and 81 tackles behind the record of 170 set by former linebacker Granville Butler in 1982. 

They are more likely to crack the top-10 as former safety Alexis Moreland is 10th with 134, set in 2002.

James and Allen would need to average 13.67 and 15 tackles respectively in the remaining games. They average 11.6 and 11.1 a game respectively.

James said it would be an honor to finish high in the record books.

“That’s a lot of tackles for a safety,” he said. “A lot of defenses aren’t built up to get a lot of tackles for your free safety.”

If he cracks the top-10, James would be only the second defensive back in the group, joining Oyd Craddock.

Allen said his main concern is his progression as inside linebacker. 

“I’ve just known the play calls more and made better reads so it helps overall,” he said. 

Allen transitioned to the position from outside linebacker at the start of last season. 

The team may not make the playoffs, but the record books will likely remember some of the 2015 Salukis. 

Sean Carley can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @SCarleyDE