Can’t help but root for the New York Jets today.

The other No. 6 seed left in the NFL playoffs features Bart Scott, a Hall of Fame member of Southern Illinois University athletics.

Hall of Fame ball-player. Hall of Fame trash-talker.

Three marquee NFL games (Colts vs. Jaguars, Eagles vs. Giants, Steelers vs. Jets) will feature three successful former Kill-coached players in high-pressure situations.

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Bart Scott is the longest tenured of the NFL players produced by Kill.

The former Baltimore Raven is currently the sparkplug at the middle linebacker position for the New York Jets. But prior to his NFL stardom, Scott was a key cog in the rebuilding of Southern Illinois University’s football program.

Scott led the Salukis in tackles in his freshman, sophomore and senior campaigns. His final year at SIU was Kill’s first and though that team wasn’t one that will go down as one of the great years of Saluki football, the rise of Southern’s program can be traced to Scott’s final season.

Scott has 72 total tackles (50 solo) in his second year with the Jets. He’s got a Pro Bowl appearance and a second-team All-Pro nod under his belt.

He’s also one of the league’s notorious trash talkers.

Passionate, but at times, he borders on the insane side of life.

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Brandon Jacobs is arguably the most successful of the Coach Kill disciples.

Though he only spent one year with SIU, Jacobs — who scored 19 touchdownsstill has plenty of ties to the Southern Illinois region and is arguably the most outspoken in regard to letting it be known about his maroon roots. After Southern’s playoff loss, Jacobs was reported to be visibly upset in the Giants locker room despite a huge game and a team victory on the pro level.

No one will ever question his roots.

As an NFLer, Jacobs has two 1,000-yard rushing seasons on his resume and could have another if he continues at his current pace over the season’s final three weeks. Jacobs has rushed for 306 yards and three touchdowns over the past three weeks.

Good ol’ No. 27 is averaging 9.12 yards per carry in those games and 6.08 yards per attempt this season.

Most importantly, Jacobs has a Super Bowl ring on his finger.

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Deji Karim is the latest Saluki to break out onto the NFL scene.

The Jacksonville Jaguars rookie has excelled as the team’s kick return specialist. Karim ranks 10th in the NFL in yards per kick return and third among rookies.

An absolute pleasure to cover at Southern, Karim won the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year as a senior.

Though Karim starred under Dale Lennon, Karim was recruited by Coach Kill.

For Kill, this is all he needs to prove that he can be a successful coach in the Big Ten. The new Golden Gophers coach knows how to scout talent, motivate it and get the most out of situations in which he has the least.

At Southern Illinois, Kill was already operating under a disadvantage. He had significantly fewer scholarships at the FCS school compared to what he’ll have at a BCS power conference school. When he was with the Salukis, Kill attracted top-level talent to an ancient stadium that was lagging in regard to facilities compared to his conference rivals.

With a new on-campus stadium and the support of the athletic department, Minnesota should be competitive within a few seasons.

Kill’s only knock? Leaving his former employer on good terms.

I guess Golden Gopher fans will have to cross that bridge when they get there.

Things are moving and shaking for a pair of Southern Illinois University football icons.

Brandon Jacobs is rounding back into form and Jerry Kill is rounding up his stuff.

Things have been rocky for the former Saluki running back since signing a four-year deal worth $25 million with the New York Giants after the 2008 season. Since inking the big money deal keeping him in New York, Jacobs has fought injury and lost his starting job.

But if the past two weeks are any indication of what is to come, defenders should be very afraid of what lies in their future.

Jacobs rushed for 103 yards and scored two touchdowns on eight carries in the Giants’ 31-7 win against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. The 12.9 yards per carry is a career best, topping the 10.3 yards per attempt he achieved in a Week 4 win against the Chicago Bears.

New York’s bruising back’s big game followed another huge ground gainer a week ago against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacobs ran for 87 yards on 14 carries in a 24-20 triumph for the Giants.

Over the past two weeks, Jacobs has 190 yards on 20 rushes. The 9.5 yards per carry over the two-game span is the highest for any two-game stretch during Jacobs’ six-year career.

As the NFL enters its stretch run, Jacobs — and teammate Ahmad Bradshaw — will need to be at the top of their game as aerial assaults get grounded in favor of a more conservative running game.

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A rough weekend for the Northern Illinois Huskies ended with the most sour of notes.

Two days after falling in the MAC Championship game against Miami (Ohio), the Huskies learned their head coach — former SIU boss Jerry Kill — will be taking his talents to the Twin Cities.

Kill has accepted the University of Minnesota head coaching position effective immediately, meaning he will not coach the Huskies in their Dec. 18 bowl game.

Despite all the positives he brings to the table, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Kill’s two previous coaching stops ended in championship games which his team should have won.

The Huskies entered the MAC title bout against the Redhawks with a 10-2 record and a perfect 8-0 mark in conference play. NIU was favored to win but stumbled and allowed a late lead to slip away before falling victim to the upset bug.

It was reminiscent of Kill’s final game with SIU, a loss to Delaware in the FCS playoffs that would have sent the Salukis to Chattanooga, Tenn., and the championship round of play. The end of that game was marred by a timeout taken between possessions, a head-scratcher that left Southern without an opportunity to stop play one last time.

Yet, another inauspicious ending for a Kill-coached team.

And even though I have no ties to NIU, best of luck to the Huskies moving forward — especially in their bowl game.

And while we found a few photos of the senior quarterback in our photo vault, we stumbled across this photo of a lovely Saluki Shaker from last year’s final regular season game at McAndrew Stadium.

Besides, after a disappointing season, wouldn’t you rather have eye candy than no candy at all?

After the jump, we’ll try to come to a conclusion on how we’ll remember Dieker’s career at Southern Illinois University.

As it turns out, Chris Dieker’s career game was too little too late, as far as the SIU football team was concerned.

Southern Illinois’ senior quarterback threw for a career-best 279 yards and accounted for six touchdowns in a decisive 49-21 victory against Indiana State on Saturday at Saluki Stadium. And for that, Dieker was named the MVFC’s Offensive Player of the Week.

Unfortunately, Dieker won’t get a chance to top his best performance as a collegian as the Salukis finished at 5-6 and 4-4 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. And for the time since 2002, SIU is on the outside looking in on the playoffs.

This season was a microcosm of Dieker’s career — a rollercoaster that just didn’t know when enough was enough. He entered the year expecting to have a breakout season after a summer in which he was applauded for his work at the Manning Passing Camp and culminated with the 6-foot-5-inch quarterback regaining his starting job.

Dieker was good at SIU, but he should have been better than what he put out there. And that goes for the rest of the Salukis — who were at one point ranked second in the nation.

There isn’t a SIU fan that doesn’t wonder what would have happened if Dieker and the Salukis would have put it together sooner, rather than later. They can’t help but ponder whether or not the postseason was attainable had Southern not gone 1-5 on the road, allowing 154 points over the span of those six games. Or had they not imploded at home against SEMO or South Dakota State.

Imagine had SIU opponents not been able to convert on 45 percent of third-down conversions. Or if the Salukis themselves converted on more than 37 percent of their own third-down attempts.

Maybe if SIU was that much more focused and that much more disciplined, this post is a playoff preview instead of a season recap.

And the same can be said about Southern’s quarterback. Not that it should all fall on Dieker’s shoulders, but where the head was detached was exactly where SIU fell.

For the Salukis to continue their impressive streak of consecutive playoff appearances, Southern will need a dominant finish to the end of the season. Improbable? Yes. Impossible? Not at all. Because, as a wise man once told me, everything is possible, but not everything is probable.

With that said, SIU football fans have something to celebrate this coming weekend. And that brings us to this week’s Saluki Football Song Of The Week.

Nothing says football like Boyz II Men.

Wait. What?

Well, at least everyone in Saluki Nation can rejoice as the gridiron Dawgs have reached the end of the road — literally.

The trip to North Dakota State University marks the final road game for Dale Lennon’s struggling squad.

SIU has revenge on its mind as the loss at NDSU two seasons ago was the only hiccup in Lennon’s first year at Southern. As for this season, well, it’s been full of hiccups and gags as far as I’m concerned. Injuries have played a huge role in decimating the Salukis, but mental and physical mistakes have made things worse in Carbondale.

And nothing has been more painful than when the beloved alma mater has taken to the road this season.

Last year, SIU allowed a total of 97 points in its six road games. The Salukis have allowed 99 points in their previous three road contests coming into this week’s match-up against the Bison.

If the Salukis want to pick up a rare road triumph, they’re going to need to plug some holes in its porous defense.

A win here would put SIU back on track to finish above the .500 mark on the season by winning each of its final three games. Do so impressively enough, and it could be just enough to possibly punch a postseason ticket.

And it all starts with one road victory.

BONUS TRACK

This was the original selection for the Song of the Week, but I was feeling a little soulful on this Friday afternoon. Hopefully, the Salukis catch the Holy Ghost and deliver an inspired effort against NDSU in its road finale.

Because SIU hasn’t had a losing season since 2002.

And I’d like to keep it that way.

The Jack Rabbits jumped out and ambushed the Southern Illinois University football team, taking what was a 31-3 lead at one point en route to a 31-10 victory.

Raise your hand if you saw this coming.

(Looks around)

Didn’t think so.

SIU had handled SDSU in the previous two meetings between the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The loss drops the Salukis into a clusterdump of mediocrity at 2-2 in conference play — which is currently good enough for fourth place. A topsy-turvy Valley has more surprises than a guest on the Maury show, evidenced by Indiana State’s victory on Saturday, but the MVFC still has no clear-cut favorite.

Saluki Song Of The Day Part I: Momma Said Knock You Out, LL Cool J

To put it bluntly, the Salukis were punched in the gut on Saturday.

In a game in which I expected SIU to exploit a SDSU defense that allowed 219 rushing yards per game, it was the Jacks’ running back who did the trouncing. Kyle Minnett gashed through the Saluki defense, gaining 144 yards and scoring two touchdowns for the victors.

Turnovers did in SIU as South Dakota State ended up with two picks, one of which turned into SDSU’s first touchdown. Southern also continued its repulsive play on third down, allowing the Jack Rabbits to convert on 7-of-14 attempts.

SDSU also cashed in on its red zone trips, scoring on three of their four chances — two of which were touchdowns. On the other hand, SIU only scored on one of its three red zone tries. That score, of course, came on Chris Dieker’s 10-yard connection to Joe Allaria in the game’s closing minutes.

Which brings us to our second song.

Saluki Song Of The Day Part II: TNT, AC/DC
Color me surprised. I never would have thought Southern would have imploded without Chris Dieker in the starting line-up.

And here I am humbled, yet frustrated.

Southern was without its senior quarterback due to a suspension handed down by head coach Dale Lennon for a violation of team rules. Sources have indicated that Dieker was involved in some sort of altercation at a bar last week. However, the conflicting report from our people aren’t sure whether or not Dieker was to be suspended for the whole game or just the first half.

Dieker did indeed dress with the team but was not part of the action until the second half. By that point, Southern Illinois was already down 14-3.

No matter how you cut it, this could not have been a more disappointing outcome for SIU all the way around.

This was expected to be a banner year for the Salukis, who were ranked as high as No. 2. It’s been all downhill since being so sky-high.

A week ago, SIU’s fifth-year senior quarterback finally turned a corner in regard to on-field leadership with a fourth quarter comeback and a game-winning overtime drive, only to come back crashing to earth with a humbling suspension. Nothing like having one of the team’s most valuable members sidelined for a half because of a silly situation. It only becomes more complex considering said player is expected to perform at a high level in the game’s most important position.

How SIU responds from a 3-4 start is beyond me. The Salukis go on bye this week and there probably isn’t a better time for the Dawgs to take a breather.

Southern has a lot of questions to answer on the field, and most importantly, in its heart before it tries to conquer its next challenge.

The Big Dead Sidebar will be out of the office tomorrow as it tends to personal business and a road trip.

Hopefully, the young lady washing my car here doesn’t miss a spot.

Throughout the day, TBDS will have random postings to keep your interest until we return Tuesday for some hard-hitting action that includes Bears, Cubs, White Sox and Salukis postings.

Now, enjoy one of my favorite road trip songs.

The Big Dead Sidebar appreciates your continued support of this two-bit operation.

During the Salukis’ three-game losing streak, Dale Lennon’s club continued to find ways to lose games down the stretch. The skid included being outscored 21-0 in the final 15 minutes in a loss to Southeast Missouri State and giving up 31 unanswered points in the second, third and fourth quarters in a loss at Youngstown State University.

SIU brought back the good times with a thrashing of Illinois State for its first conference win of the season, but reverted to its wild times in an up-and-down overtime victory against Northern Iowa on Homecoming.

And that brings us to our Saluki Song Of The Week.

That’s right, a little throwback action for the folks with M.C. Hammer.

Saluki Song Of The Week was inspired by a good friend and loyal TBDS reader who told me in a chat this week that SIU was, indeed, too legit to quit in regard to this season.

That’s when the lightbulb flashed above my head like a cartoon.

We had a new segment.

When SIU went through its three-game skid, it was assumed the team was going through its worst stretch. Blowing games in such spectacular fashion put Saluki Nation on edge and put the season at rock bottom status. At that point, we figured the worst was behind Southern because sometimes you have to take a few good punches before you land a hay-maker of your own.

The Salukis eventually landed its first big blow in a dominant performance against the Redbirds. SIU followed by taking another significant shot to the gut by delivering a shot across the bow of Northern Iowa in the overtime victory.

Down 38-31, SIU could have closed up shop after blowing a 31-14 halftime advantage. That would have been the easy part, and it looked as if it might happen just based on how the team packed the tents against SEMO, Youngstown State — and to an extent — Illinois. Instead, Southern strapped it down for game-tying and game-winning drives.

Illinois State and Northern Iowa, both ranked opponents, each had chances to close the casket on Southern when they were in panic mode during the losing streak. The Redbirds and Panthers each had ample opportunities to take the reigns of the conference away from SIU.

It’s a shame they couldn’t pull it off, because as a result of their inability to put away the Dawgs, a Saluki football team that has been outscored 135-145 this season is right in the thick of the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship race. The Salukis are tied atop the conference standings with WIU and UNI as all three have identical 2-1 records in MVC play.

Being 2-1 at this point is a good thing for SIU as it looks ahead on its schedule. The Dawgs have won 13 straight home games when up against MVFC goes and have won 23 of 25 home dates since 2003. Three of the Salukis’ final five games are at Saluki Stadium, including the final two against Valley rivals Western Illinois and Indiana State.

SIU owns the tie-breaker against UNI already, and a win against WIU could seal another MVFC title for Lennon’s boys if the Salukis handle business.

None of this bodes well for South Dakota State. The Jack Rabbits are 0-2 against SIU since joining the MVFC, and Lennon has a career 6-1 mark against SDSU and coach John Stiegelmeier.

If you thought watching Chris Dieker quarterback the Salukis was maddening, imagine what SDSU goes through with an offense that is minus-8 in the turnover battle. Much of that has to do with sophomore Thomas O’Brien accounting for nine of the 10 interceptions thrown by the Rabbits this season.

After flinging the pigskin around the yard to the tune of 329 passing yards last week, Southern Illinois would be wise to return to the formula it used to beat Illinois State.

SDSU opponents have rushed for 219 yards per game.

Somewhere, Shariff Harris must be licking his chops especially after gaining only 23 net yards on 17 carries one week after a 37-carry, 163-yard, two-touchdown game against the Redbirds.

The season-high 342-yard rushing effort by SIU against ISU probably should be shattered if the Salukis show commitment to the run early and carry it out through four quarters.

Defensively, SIU still needs to be better at stopping third-down conversions. Saluki opponents have converted 37-of-67 — or 55.2 percent — of third down attempts.

It’s possible that SDSU serves as the tonic for a beleagured Southern third-down defense as the Jacks have only converted on 34 percent of their third down tries. At that clip, the Saluki defense would be markedly improved.

(Note: TBDS only considers stats accumulated against Division I or Division I-AA schools. Stats earned vs. Quincy don’t count in our book. Sorry.)

All in all, Southern Illinois should improve its record to 3-1 in conference play before taking to the road for back-to-back games against Missouri State and North Dakota State.

But I feel as if we’ve said that before about SEMO.

In short, handle your business at home and thing will take care of themselves outside of your realm.

Southern Illinois is right in the middle of that topic, and they treated the Homecoming crowd to a wild win over Northern Iowa on Saturday.

This is the same Saluki team that was left wondering what else is going to go wrong after a loss in Youngstown. They had dropped three straight games including a home defeat to SEMO. Well, after the Youngstown defeat, they turned around and rolled over Illinois State. Now, they grab a win over the Panthers after going from having the victory sealed to looking like a loss was going to happen to finally winning in the end.

A 31-14 halftime lead made everything seem fine and dandy with the crowd wondering why this is so easy. They quickly changed that feeling after UNI scored 24 unanswered points in the second half. I moved from the hill behind the endzone to the nice press box at halftime, but I wondered while being in there for the first time if my move messed up the Salukis in some way.

Chris Dieker threw an interception in the fourth quarter with Southern down 35-31. The Panthers had the ball near the red zone, but all of a sudden, the SIU defense made a stop and held UNI to a field goal. Then, all of a sudden, the offense came through behind Dieker. The running game was non-existent, Northern Iowa’s rushing attack was rolling, but Dieker and the Dawgs figured out a way to go down the field and tie it up. Then, they pulled out a 45-38 win in OT.

The MVFC is filled with teams battling every week. Indiana State, of all teams, dominated Illinois State on Saturday. You never know what is going to happen in a weekend, but it is safe to say that Saluki fans are a lot more confident now than they were before.

Paul McIntosh had a couple touchdowns under center, Matt Guinn made some key plays at wide receiver and a healthy Jeff Evans looked good at wideout as well.

Will it continue? Who knows what to expect in this crazy season? UNI gets over 300 rushing yards, Southern cannot run the ball and SIU still wins. It’s been a wild ride, and there is still a long way to go.

There’s nothing better than Homecoming weekend at the alma mater.

Check that.

There’s nothing better than Homecoming weekend at the alma mater after picking up a decisive victory in a must-win game against an in-state opponent.

That’s where the Southern Illinois University football team sits as it prepares to host its first Homecoming at the brand spankin’ new Saluki Stadium.

The festive mood in Salukiville will only be tempered for a few hours when the Northern Iowa Panthers stroll into town. Mark Farley’s squad comes to Carbondale in search of avenging last year’s home loss to the Salukis at the UNI Dome. Things looked promising for UNI had the game been played last week as SIU entered Week 5 facing a three-game losing streak.

Thankfully, the streak ended as the Saluki football team routed Illinois State 38-17 in a game that had Saluki Nation thinking its team had returned to form. Here’s hoping it has.

One of the things that has held SIU football back this year has been inconsistent quarterback play. Fifth-year senior Chris Dieker has yet to live up to the lofty expectations that accompanied him coming into the year. He’s thrown more interceptions (six) than touchdowns (five) and the turnovers have been rally killers to this point.

So, rather than put the game in his quarterback’s hands to win — or lose — kudos to Dale Lennon for making an adjustment.

The Salukis rode the coattails of running back Shariff Harris, who rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Big numbers for the newcomer to Carbondale, but not the most important numbers on the day. SIU rushed for 342 net yards last Saturday — or exactly 59 more yards than Saluki runners had gained on the ground during the team’s three-game losing streak.

SIU had been out-gained on the ground 602-283 during its three-game skid. In the slump-busting win against Illinois State, SIU ran for 342 net yards while limiting the Redbirds to 69 net rushing yards.

The bigger, better and most important number to look at is the run-to-pass ratio. Lennon’s offense called for 64 rushing attempts and only 15 pass attempts. Quite a contrast considering the Salukis had called 75 run plays over their last two games.

It boils down to four rushes for every one pass attempt, and to me, that shows an offense willing to simplify things for the sake of winning rather than worrying about pacifying a quarterback who would probably rather wing it around the field.

Southern could take it to another level against Northern Iowa if it was able to find a way to get Paul McIntosh some snaps in the red zone. Unlike Dieker, McIntosh is more willing — and able — to use his legs. With a young offensive line in front of him, moving the pocket could be beneficial to the game plan.

What’s stopping Kaelen DeBoer from creating a package to utilize a quarterback who rushed for 588 yards in six games in 2009? Using a dual threat such as McIntosh when the Salukis get in striking distance could be the difference in a scoring drive and another costly red zone turnover.

With two teams on a level playing field, home-field advantage could be the difference for Southern. Sure, it really didn’t work against Southeast Missouri State, but if the Illinois State win is true to form, SIU has turned the page.

So, go and enjoy Homecoming weekend.

Have one for me. Have two for TBDS. Oh. And put it on Todd Hefferman’s tab.

(Just kidding. Kind of.)