Fred Huff on SIU Sports
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Now, after almost a month of pre-season practice, a somewhat interesting payoff game at Marshall, a week's rest and a no-anything date with an outclassed opponent, the football Salukis are ready to kick off their 2009 season.
It's Missouri Valley Football Conference time and SIU's opponent Saturday in McAndrew Stadium is North Dakota State. It's time to get serious.
Dale Lennon, now in his second season as SIU's head coach, has played his cards perfectly.
At least that's the feeling we have from outside the Salukis' inner circle.
Deji Karim, a fifth-year senior transfer from Northeast Oklahoma A&M Junior College, is a for-real back capable of replacing last year's workhorse, Larry Warner, who collected 10 of SIU's 19 touchdowns by rushing and averaging 105 yards per game.
The 30-pounds heavier and seemingly just as quick Karim is presently the league's No. 2 ground-gainer and averaging 138.5 yards per after SIU's two games.
A concern for the Salukis this week, however, is that they'll be facing the conference's No. 1 running back in North Dakota State's Paschall who is getting 163 yards per after three outings this season.
Statistics aside -- and you could easily make a case either way -- the game figures to be entertaining and actually a key in this season's league race.
It's what fans are anxious to see as they bid farewell to McAndrew Stadium in this, its 73rd year since first hosting Saluki football and 72nd season of football. (SIU did not field a team in 1943 due to World War II).
The remaining three home games following Saturday's date are all important and at this point of the season figure to be contests that could be decided by one or two key plays either way.
Illinois State calls in two weeks (Oct. 10) followed by Youngstown State (Oct. 24) and Missouri State (Nov. 14). Of the three, the finale with Missouri State figures to be the toughest and will provide a classic finale for "Mac".
All the planned hoopla, including post-game fireworks, etc., may be pre-mature in the event the Salukis receive a berth in the NCAA's post-season tournament and receive a home game.
Nevertheless, proper respect will have been provided and that's all that anyone can expect.
Meanwhile, there continues to be meaningful happenings in other areas of Saluki sports.
We're pleased that former SIU football assistant Jim Caldwell has gotten off to a perfect start in his first season as a head coach in the NFL at Indianapolis.
Caldwell, who spent two seasons (1978 and 1979) at SIU, is the second former Saluki assistant to become a head coach with the professionals.
Bill Callahan (1989) was the other although his was somewhat of short duration.
Carl Mauck, the football pride of McLeansboro, spent 13 seasons in the NFL as a player before almost doubling that number as an assistant coach prior to retirement and returning to SIU as a volunteer assistant.
Incidentally, another with one-time SIU ties and superior NFL credentials, Gale Sayers, who was Saluki athletics director from 1976 to 1982, is returning to the college ranks as a fund-raiser for his alma mater, Kansas.
Sayers, who continues to be one of our closest friends, has enjoyed more than 20 years as CEO of a major computer operation in Chicago, will be returning home and is excited about the opportunity.
Scheduled to be taking over his new assignment Oct. 1, he'll be arriving just as the Jayhawks are experiencing more than just a little discord among their athletes.
In the event you missed reading about it, football and basketball players exchanged far more than "Have a good day," when leaving the athletics cafeteria this week.
What ever happened to the days we remember at SIU when basketball players cheered for the football team in the fall, football players returned the favor by supporting the basketball team at home games in the winter and many athletes of all sports were on the sidelines for wrestling, gymnastics, track and baseball events.
No doubt missing that is a sign of our advanced age, but we firmly believe that's the way it ought to be.