CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Matt Brown threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns Saturday to lead Illinois State to a 38-30 victory over Southern Illinois.
The Redbirds (6-3, 4-2 Missouri Valley) jumped ahead less than 3 minutes into the game when Colton Underwood picked up a Saluki fumble and ran 53 yards for a touchdown. Brown connected with James O’Shaughnessy for an 18-yard score midway through the first quarter to make it 14-0. Illinois State led the rest of the way.
Brown’s 19-yard pass to Tyrone Walker gave the Redbirds a 24-7 lead in the second quarter. Southern Illinois (2-6, 1-5) got within 31-24 in the fourth quarter, but Cliffton Gordon’s 3-yard TD run with 4:31 to play put it away for Illinois State.
Kory Faulkner was 29 of 37 for 334 yards and a touchdown for the Salukis. He also led SIU with 44 rushing yards and ran for a score.
