CARBONDALE - South Dakota State's football team has largely flown under the radar this season, but if anyone can get the Jackrabbits' attention, it's Southern Illinois University's squad.

The No. 9/12 Salukis have scored first in seven straight games after Saturday's 24-14 win over Western Illinois, and have now outscored their opponents 182-54 in the first half. In the first quarter, SIU is outscoring its opponents 83-13, and the Salukis are 7-1 when leading at halftime.

"I don't know what that says. I don't know what that means, but it is good when you get a lead," SIU coach Dale Lennon said. "You feel good about your game plan. You feel good about your chances of winning. I just think it creates a positive atmosphere within the team."

With two Missouri Valley Football Conference games to go, SIU (7-2 overall, 5-1 in the league) certainly feels good about its chances of winning the league heading into this weekend's tilt with SDSU. The Salukis have won a season-best five straight, are undefeated at home, and seem to be playing unbelievably timely on defense.

Cornerback Korey Lindsey put SIU's win away with a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:36 to play Saturday. The Salukis put themselves in position to win by holding the second-leading rusher in the nation to 99 yards and getting just enough pressure on quarterback Matt Barr to force a costly mistake. Herb Donaldson, WIU's tailback, averaged more than three yards a carry but was held to 40 yards in the second half.

"From passes to runs, we had to earn everything, and when it came down to it, we just didn't make enough plays to get a win," Donaldson said. "Playing at Carbondale, you gotta go out and take it."

One week after challenging the league's top rusher, the Salukis draw the league's top passer in South Dakota State quarterback Ryan Berry. Berry has led the Jackrabbits (6-4, 5-1) to three straight wins and is averaging 274 yards per game. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior is one of just four quarterbacks in the MVFC who started for his team last season, and is on a short list for the league's Offensive Player of the Year Award.

Berry set single-game league and school records Saturday against Illinois State, throwing for seven touchdowns in the Jackrabbits' 52-21 victory in Brookings, S.D. The Valley's Offensive Player of the Week completed 17 of 29 passes for 237 yards and no interceptions.

SDSU has also started quickly in league games this season. The Jackrabbits have outscored their conference opponents 127-34 in the first half, shutting out three teams (Youngstown State, Western Illinois and Indiana State).

While SIU has the league's third-best total defense entering Saturday's 2 p.m. kickoff at McAndrew Stadium, the Salukis own the MVFC's worst pass defense. SIU has scored 22 sacks this season after snuffing out Barr twice Saturday, but could face the best quarterback it has seen all season this weekend.

The two teams have never met before, but the stakes remain high. Win, and SIU only needs a victory at 3-6 Illinois State on Nov. 22 to win the MVFC title and the league's automatic bid to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Lose against the second-place Jackrabbits, and the Salukis could put their hopes of a sixth straight playoff berth in the hands of a selection committee.

No. 4 Northern Iowa (8-2, 6-1) finishes the conference schedule this weekend at winless Indiana State (0-10, 0-6). SDSU still has its traditional last game at North Dakota State (6-4, 4-3) left on its schedule after this weekend.

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 351-5087