1. This team is like Jekyll and Hyde

The Salukis have either been really good or really bad this year. There is very little in between with this group.

The offense ranks in the top-two in the Missouri Valley Football Conference across the board, but the defense ranks in the bottom-two in most categories.

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The offense showed up again, accumulating 559 yards. The defense was gutted again, giving up 561 yards.

ISU sophomore quarterback Matt Adam ran for 123 yards on nine carries. He had 169 all year going into today’s game. The typically strong special teams unit fell flat as well, allowing two blocked punts and missing a 38-yard field goal; freshman Daquan Isom also fumbled away a kickoff return.

2. This team rarely catches a break

This team has bad luck. In Saturday’s game, both senior defensive end Adam Brandt and junior linebacker Chase Allen got ejected for targeting questionable calls. 

The Allen ejection came on a key third down stop that would have given the Salukis the ball back with about four minutes left, down five points.

The Sycamores scored three plays later to go up 12 points. It seems this year even when something goes right, it quickly turns back around.

3. When they do catch a break, they don’t help themselves

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To start the second half, ISU fumbled the kickoff at the two-yard line, recovered it and went three-and-out. After a bad punt, the Salukis had the ball at the ISU 39 and drove to the 21-yard line.

Austin Johnson then missed a 38-yard field goal, wide right, from the left hash. Those two drives epitomized this game for both teams. It was an ugly game, but SIU ended up on the short end again.

4. The backfield is getting “Icy” 

Before the season, running back coach Larry Warner said he would use a committee of backs, but he may have found one he likes. Daquan Isom, called “Ice” by his teammates, has now carried the majority of running back rushes in three of the last four games.

He took 12 rushes against the Sycamores, and the next closest running back had three. Isom also gets used in the passing game. After his seven-reception performance at ISU, he is now tied for the second leading receiver for the Salukis with 20 total receptions.

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