DE Sports Editor 18

The SIUC football team is prepared for a taste of smash-mouth football against one of the nation’s top offensive teams Saturday.

Beginning at 1:30 p.m. with McAndrew Stadium as the battlefield, Western Kentucky University (6-1) brings its high-powered offense, and its No. 7 ranking in Division I-AA to Carbondale with hopes of ending the Salukis’ two-game winning streak.

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The Hilltoppers average 430.6 yards per game in total offense, compared to the Salukis’ 307.6. But Western Kentucky leads the nation in rushing with 330.6 yards per game on the ground, while SIUC averages 131.4 rushing yards.

SIUC football coach Jan Quarless sees Western Kentucky as an opportunity for his defense to prove themselves in a big way.

Obviously, they can move the football offensively, Quarless said. I think the I-bone (an offensive formation with two running backs lined up in the backfield) leads itself to being a tough offense to defend, particularly because we don’t see it very often.

Defensively, the Salukis are prepared for a war on the line of scrimmage. The Hilltoppers will not be concerned with establishing a balanced passing and rushing attack, so Quarless has prepared his team to meet the running game head-on.

The Hilltoppers are led by Willie Taggert, who has rushed for 733 yards on 102 carries and 10 touchdowns this season. Taggert calls the plays under center for Western Kentucky, and he has passed for 700 yards on 49 completions and eight touchdowns.

The offense does not end with Taggert, as running backs Rod Smart and LaTravis Powell and wide receiver Joey Stockton give the Hilltoppers a multi-dimensional offense. Smart has rushed for 390 yards this season, while Powell is right behind him with 275 yards. Stockton has caught 28 passes for 462 yards and gives Western Kentucky another option to set up the running game.

I think if it’s really clicking, it’s tough to stop, Quarless said. We keep telling our football team that you’ve got to treat it like the long pass play.

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They’re going to get some big plays on that offense, and they’re going to get into the end zone. I think you can slow it down, but again they’ve been putting a lot of points on the board with it.

But even though the positives may be stacked in Western Kentucky’s favor, the Salukis have a solid offense of their own to draw upon. The Salukis have scored 54 points in their last two ball games behind a solid balance of rushing and passing.

Quarterback Kent Skornia has played well since rejoining the starting lineup three weeks ago, and the Salukis have a solid one-two combination of Karlton Carpenter and Bryan Nolbertowicz in the backfield.

The Salukis, who will try to extend their winning streak to three games for the first time since five straight wins in 1991, also controlled the time of possession for only the second time this year in a 23-10 win over the University of South Florida Saturday.

Western Kentucky is coming off of a disappointing showing in a 24-21 win against the University of New Haven. Murray State University, who lost to the Salukis 24-20 in Carbondale Sept. 13, showed that the Hilltopper defense has its weaknesses in a 52-50 loss in three overtimes Sept. 6.

Quarless will revise his offensive game plan based on Western Kentucky’s success early in the game.

If we find out we can move the football on the ground, then we’ll continue to do that, Quarless said. Let us control the clock. On the other hand, if they’re going to get out of the blocks and put some points on the board early, then we have to open it up. But I would still prefer to play our game.

The Salukis battle No. 7 Western Kentucky University at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at McAndrew Stadium.

The game can be heard on 95.1 WXLT-FM or at http://www.siu.edu/godawgs.