SIU football was just inches away from the lead near the end of the first half Saturday against Illinois State.

Illinois State senior linebacker Brent Spack forced a fumble near the goal line on SIU senior running back Cameron Walter to retain ISU’s 14-10 lead.

Walter and true freshman D.J. Davis have been SIU’s feature running backs as sophomore Daquan Isom has been held out so far because of an injury.

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Southern has been able to somewhat handle ISU’s conference-best pass defense with 123 yards. The Redbirds have allowed just 168 passing yards per game entering Saturday.

Walter scored the first touchdown of the game with a 29-yard rush to put the Salukis up 7-0.

The Salukis’ running game carried them through the first as Walter and Davis combined for 106 yards on 18 attempts.

Senior kicker Austin Johnson nailed a 51-yard field goal, which is a season best that made the score 10-0. His second field goal attempt was blocked.

James Robinson got the Redbirds on the board with a 14-yard rush to cut SIU’s lead to three. ISU took the lead in the second quarter as sophomore quarterback Jake Kolbe found senior wide receiver Anthony Warrum for a 14-yard touchdown, putting ISU up 14-10.

ISU’s lead could have been larger, but freshman safety Jeremy Chinn caught his first interception of the season in the end zone to stop the Redbirds from scoring. The Salukis are 2-0 on the season when they force a turnover.

SIU will receive the kickoff to open the second half.

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Staff writer Jonathon Thompson can be reached at 618-536-3333 or [email protected].

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