He said he was happy to be opening the season against a Big Ten opponent. Last season, Southern Illinois opened against Purdue and lost 35-13.
Here are some observations Lennon made about the Hoosiers.
On what impresses him about IU
“They were very close last year to being a competitive Big Ten football team,” Lennon said.
He mentioned IU’s victory against Missouri, which indicated the Hoosiers are capable of high-caliber play. Despite knowing IU has had to replace some crucial players, he said the team is strong where it needs to be.
He agreed with IU Coach Kevin Wilson when he said the offensive and defensive lines are very strong and are the strengths of the team.
“They’ve got a quarterback returning that I think is the real deal,” Lennon said. “I’m sure they’re optimistic about their season.”
On SIU’s 2006 upset of IU
Lennon was not the Salukis’ coach for the 35-28 upset of the Hoosiers in 2006, but Nick Hill, who was the quarterback in the upset, is now on the staff.
“All we’re going to say is what’s been done can be done again,” Lennon said. “We’re not going to dwell on that. We’re not going to use that as a theme, but it is something everyone is aware of.”
He said having Hill on staff brings in more awareness of what happened. Lennon described the win as a big moment in Saluki football history, but he said he wanted to focus on making their own history.
On how the two teams’ 3-4 defenses compare
Lennon said there are similarities because all 3-4 defenses are similar. He assumed IU is doing similar preparation to his team.
He said IU spends a lot of time with its defense against it offense because of the mirrored similarities.
“It just goes down to personnel,” Lennon said. “That’s probably the biggest difference — how you use your personnel. Some coverage adjustments are a little different than what we do, but, for the most part, the up-front stuff is very similar.”
On how SIU’s defensive line can beat IU’s
“I think they’re the fourth best in the Big Ten, but our defensive line — I think — is one of the best in the Missouri Valley, which is saying something,” Lennon said.
He spoke highly of Southern Illinois players like defensive linemen T.J. Beelen, Raysean Golden and Brandon Williams. He said Golden and Beelen complement each other, and Williams is getting NFL attention. He also mentioned Khari Waithe-Alexander as a player to watch.
“I think you’re going to see his name,” Lennon said. “He’s a quick guy that moves well and can get into the backfield. We have some depth up front, and that’s one of our strong areas.”
