DE Assistant Sports Editor

Against Illinois State last weekend, Danny Smith completed five passes in 17 attempts for only 38 yards. Although the Salukis still won the game 14-11, Smith needed a big game to boost his confidence.

To put it plainly, he got it this week.

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Against Southwest Missouri State Saturday, Smith was 21-of-38 for 328 yards with four touchdowns two of them to wide receiver Jermaine Gray.

SIUC head football coach Shawn Watson said this was the best game he had ever seen Smith play.

Best game of the year, best game of his life, he said. I’ve coached him ever since he’s been playing college football it’s the best game of his life.

The best game of Smith’s career started in less than impressive fashion, however.

In the first half, the Salukis had the ball for just 10:09, and Smith was 7-of14 for 71 yards with two interceptions, as SIUC went into the locker room down 13-0..

Although he was disappointed with the two picks he threw, Smith said he never lost his confidence.

I told the offense (at halftime), we need to step it up,’ he said. We were making shots, and little things were stopping us. But I knew when we came out, we were going to air it out and the receivers knew it and we just turned it on.

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And turn it on they did.

In the second half, Smith and the Dawgs’ offense exploded. Smith completed 21 of 38 passes for 257 yards and four TD passes, including three scoring tosses in three consecutive possesions in the third quarter.

Smith said the play of his receivers, particularly the return of tight end Damon Jones, were the keys to his success.

He’s (Jones) always been a big inspiration, he said. He just had a bad week at Indiana State, but he’s back now. He’s ready to play.

Watson said he and Smith received a little bit of advice from SIUC Athletic Director Jim Hart, a former National Football League quarterback for the St. Louis Cardinals.

I have to gove some credit to Jim Hart here, because I went and saw Jim on Wednesday and use his expertice and talk to him about what it was going to take for a quarterback who’s going against man coverage exclusively what he needed to do, and what he’d seen in Danny, he said. Jim helped me out a lot. We just had him (Smith) trust the offensive line and evaluate his receivers and then work a progression off it. He did a marvelous job today.

He grew up. I think he learned something positive from this experience.

Smith agreed with Watson and said the entire Saluki football squad grew up Saturday.

I think the last couple of weeks we’ve grown up, as far as a whole team, he said.

With all Smith accomplished with his arm, his legs may have won the game for the Salukis.

In overtime, after the SMSU scored a field goal to make the score 30-27, the Salukis took possession of the ball. On third and six from the SMSU, Smith called his own number and bolted nine yards for an SIUC first down.

Two plays later, Smith hit Reggie Fowler for the game-winning touchdown.

Watson said the draw play was a logical call at that point in the game.

We felt like they (SMSU) were going to bring heat, and we wanted to, at that time, run a draw play because we felt like we could pick up the first down because of the distance, he said. We simply pick it up, if we take a three-step drop. We pick it up by just really falling forward and hitting a seam.

The kids up front did a good job, I think we might have gotten five or six on it, and it opened up the first down then we came back with a play I love down in the red zone, and Reggie (Fowler) popped wide open and went in for the score.

Smith said he was shocked when Watson gave him the call for the quarterback sneak from the sidelines.

I was more surprised than anyone in the stands, he said. I didn’t expect that, but in a situation like that, you have to call what you think is going to run.

Smith said after winning their second straight contest (and third in a row at home), the Dawgs can accomplish anything they set their minds to.

After today, and with how much confidence we have, he said. Right now, I feel like we’re unstoppable.