Coming into the second week of the football season, the chances of SIUC and Murray State being 1-0 were slim.

However, as kickoff draws closer at McAndrew Stadium both teams enter with a victory and with a lot of confidence.

Murray State dismantled Western Kentucky 35-14, while the Dawgs beat 20th-ranked Southeast Missouri State 30-27 last Thursday.

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Saluki head coach Shawn Watson said he is impressed with the Murray St. film he has watched.

Murray St. is a very good football team, he said. I watched the Western Kentucky tape and they’ve got skills, they’ve got size, they’ve got a good scheme offensively, a great defense and their program is definitely on an upswing.

Racer head coach Houston Nutt said playing SIUC this year is a lot different than in the past.

They really scare us, he said. The difference between this year’s team and last is night and day.

The Salukis hope to open up their running game, which torched SEMO’s defense for 261 yards.

Nutt said SIUC’s ground game is going to be a big problem for his team, because that is one of its weak areas.

I worried because they (SIUC) have so much size up front and several backs who can run, he said. Our defensive line and linebackers are not the strongest part of our team anyway.

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What we are going to need to do is get off the blocks early, plug gaps and get ready to chase them around all day.

Watson said he knows that Murray State will bring eight guys to stop the run, because that is the Dawg’s strength.

Once you show people that you can run, then they’re going to do everything they can to stop you and I expect Murray State to do that, so you have to be able to open it up in the air.

Watson however, was not happy with the passing game led by redshirt freshman Reggie Kennedy during the SIUC victory over SEMO.

He (Kennedy) did lock onto people at times, he said. I think he saw the rush instead of seeing the movement keys we read.

By and large, he just did not execute the way he executed in practice, the way he executed in scrimmages. He just didn’t do it. We’ve got to closely evaluate the position.

Defensively, the Salukis will have to contain tailback Derrick Cullors, who rushed for 160 yards against Western Kentucky. SIUC only allowed 157 total rushing yards against SEMO.

However, the game could be decided on the play of Racer quarterback Mike Cherry, a transfer from Arkansas.

He really makes good decisions and can make the big play, Nutt said.

Watson said Cherry is the unknown factor and will have to be checked for the Dawgs to get two consecutive victories.

The Racers have been improving since Nutt took over the program in 1993. Before Nutt came to Murray State the Racers- won six games the last four years, but went 4-7 in 1993 and 5-6 the following year.

The Dawgs have already matched their victory total of a year ago and have a chance to open up with two straight victories for the first time since 1991.