CARBONDALE - They went from being angry to anxious. From shocked to subdued.

Then the moderate applause came from Southern Illinois University's football team, and before Selection Sunday was over, the Salukis were headed on a plane to New Hampshire, and then back to Carbondale with a first-round home game in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

"It's always great playing in Carbondale," SIU tailback Larry Warner said, after the Salukis were awarded a 1 p.m. Saturday home game against New Hampshire. "We got some of the greatest fans, and all the players feel confident playing at home."

SIU (9-2), ranked ninth by The Sports Network poll Sunday and 10th in the FCS coaches list, originally thought it was not going to be able to entertain those fans two days after Thanksgiving. After its final commercial break before announcing the last two teams in the 16-team field Sunday night, ESPNU announced SIU would play at New Hampshire. The network put the Wildcats on the top of its bracket with the Salukis on the bottom. Before that announcement, every team on top of the bracket was the home team in that game.

So you could imagine the groans at 6:39 p.m. at Copper Dragon in Carbondale, where the team watched the selection show, after the regular-season champions of the Missouri Valley Football Conference were listed as the road team in its first-round game. The announcement followed the fact that fourth-ranked Northern Iowa, which the Salukis beat to win the conference title, was awarded the third overall seed in the bracket and a home game against No. 17 Maine.

Two phone calls from SIU Athletic Director Mario Moccia cleared up the mess, and set off a sigh of relief. The Salukis already knew they were in, as they were an automatic bid by way of winning the MVFC. They also knew they would probably be playing New Hampshire, since the Wildcats were a good bet for an at-large bid, so the biggest question became where the game would be.

Considering SIU went undefeated (6-0) at home this season and has won 16 of its last 17 games at McAndrew Stadium, the site became kind of important. Now it's down to winning the game, and, possibly, playing UNI (10-2) in the second round.

"We're going to be competitive," first-year SIU coach Dale Lennon said. "We're going to make a run at it. I think we have every right to be in the playoffs, so I think we've earned that. Now it's just a matter of playing the games."

Playing the last seven games might have prepared the Salukis for another stretch run in the playoffs. During its seven-game winning streak, SIU won three games on the road and beat two of the top five teams in the conference.

"Every team is ready. When it comes playoff time, for the seniors, this is it," said Warner, a senior tailback selected as one of the finalists for the Payton Award, which is given to the nation's top FCS player. "It's do or die, and the great thing about us, our last six games have been do or die. We had to win every game to win conference. We had to win every game to get us into the playoffs. It's great for us right now, so we're just going into this game like any other."

New Hampshire (9-2 overall and 6-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association North Division) also comes from one of the strongest leagues in the country. The Wildcats, who were ranked 11th in both national polls last week, were one of five teams from the CAA to make the 16-team field.

The Wildcats have won two straight games entering the postseason, beating No. 17 Maine last weekend 28-24. The CAA featured the FCS playoff field's No. 1 seed in James Madison (10-1), Richmond (9-3), Villanova (9-2), Maine (8-4) and New Hampshire.

Lennon is somewhat familiar with the Wildcats. Current New Hampshire strength coach Paul Chapman used to work with Lennon at North Dakota, and was, at one time, a candidate for the strength job at SIU.

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 351-5087

Tickets for SIU-UNH now on sale

CARBONDALE - Tickets for the Southern Illinois University football team's first-round playoff game are now on sale at the SIU Arena ticket office and online.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at McAndrew Stadium between the Salukis (9-2) and Wildcats (9-2).

Tickets are $19 for west side reserved, $15 for general admission on the east side and $6 for college students and children high school-age and younger. The SIU Arena ticket office will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and at 8 a.m. Saturday. The office will be closed Thursday for Thanksgiving.

You can also buy tickets at all Ticketmaster outlets or online at ticketmaster.com/mcandrew.

Saluki season-ticket holders will have the opportunity to buy their current seats, plus any additional seats, until noon Tuesday. Seats will then become available to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. Season-ticket holders can do one of three things: Use ClickTix with their account number and PIN, stop by the ticket office, or call the office at 453-2000 or (877) 725-8547.

All tickets must be picked up in person at the Saluki ticket office or the will call window at McAndrew Stadium. SASF parking passes will be valid for Saturday's playoff game.

- SIU Media Services