Wildcats wary of Southern Illinois

EVANSTON - Northwestern will look to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2001 when the Wildcats host Southern Illinois on Saturday.

To achieve that mark, Northwestern will have to beat one of the most successful teams in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known as I-AA. The Salukis (1-0) are coming off a 12-2 season that ended in a loss in the NCAA national semifinals, have made the playoffs the last five years and enter the game ranked in the top 15 in both FCS polls.

SIU will lean heavily on multitalented senior running back Larry Warner. The 5-foot-5, 169-pound tailback had 353 all-purpose yards, including 151 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns - one on a 95-yard kickoff return - in the Salukis 37-31 win over Hampton.

SIU shouldn't be fazed by playing Northwestern, having beaten Indiana and Northern Illinois the last two years.

"This is something that I don't have to convince them is a possibility," first-year Salukis coach Dale Lennon told the Southern. "What's been done can be done again."

The Wildcats, which lost to FCS opponent New Hampshire in 2006, aren't taking SIU lightly.

"We're going to have our hands full," Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "We're playing a very experienced football team that has played deep into the playoffs and played in a lot of big football games."

The Wildcats will look to get their inconsistent offense going after struggling to convert on third downs last Saturday.

"It's just a matter of executing," said Northwestern quarterback C.J. Bacher.

However, the outcome of the game may be decided by the performance of the Wildcats defense. Northwestern has allowed an average of 348.5 yards per game, including 150 on the ground against a pair of teams - Syracuse and Duke - which aren't known for their offense.

"There's a lot of room for growth and a lot of room for improvement," said Fitzgerald.