CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) Sam Straub passed for 339 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 68 yards and a score, and Southern Illinois escaped with a 35-28 win over South Dakota on Saturday after nearly blowing a 21-point fourth-quarter lead.
Southern Illinois (3-6, 1-5 Missouri Valley) led 35-14 with 12:11 remaining after Straub's 2-yard run capped a 14-play, 80-yard drive.
After trading punts, Michael Fredrick ran 34 yards on fourth-and-1 to cut the deficit 35-21 with 7:30 left. The Coyotes (4-5, 3-3) forced a punt then drove 82 yards in nine plays. Chris Streveler's 27-yard TD pass to Alonge Brooks capped it with 2:35 to play and made the score 35-28.
South Dakota forced another punt, and Streveler led the Coyotes to Southern Illinois' 4-yard line, but Jeremy Chinn broke up Streveler's pass intended for Randy Baker with no time left.
Streveler threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice. He also ran for 113 yards and a score.