Southern Illinois sophomore Sam Straub passed for 339 yards and accounted for three touchdowns in his first collegiate start to lead the Salukis to a 35-28 win against South Dakota Saturday at Saluki Stadium.
The win ends Southern Illinois’ (3-6, 1-5 MVFC) nine-game losing streak in Valley play while sending South Dakota (4-5, 3-3) to its second straight defeat. It was the third meeting between the two programs and second in Carbondale. The home team has won all three games.
Straub started in place of senior Josh Straughan, the nation’s seventh-leading passer but without a conference win to show for it. Straub completed 19 of 34 passes and threw touchdowns of seven yards to Hans Carmien and 31 yards to Isra Lamprakes before adding a 2-yard rushing score in the fourth quarter. Southern Illinois ran for 235 yards and Straub was its leader with 68.
South Dakota trailed 35-14 with less than eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, but got within seven after a 34-yard touchdown run by Michael Fredrick and a 27-yard touchdown catch by Alonge Brooks. The Coyotes ran four plays from inside the Saluki 5 in the final seconds, but saw their fourth down pass fall incomplete.
