Final
Tenn-Martin 30
(9-3, 6-1 OVC)
S Illinois 36
(9-3, 4-3 MVC)
2:30 PM ET, November 25, 2006
McAndrew Stadium, CARBONDALE, IL
Top Performers
Passing: G. Preston (UTM) - 137 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: A. Whitlock (SIU) - 28 CAR, 207 YDS, 4 TD
Receiving: J. Burton (UTM) - 6 REC, 110 YDS
CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) -- Nick Hill connected with Alan Turner for a 45-yard touchdown pass with :57 seconds left to give Southern Illinois a come-from-behind 36-30 win over Tennessee-Martin the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
Southern Illinois trailed by 20 points early in the third quarter and 27-21 entering the fourth, but Arkee Whitlock scored from 1-yard out to give the Salukis their first lead of the day.
Taylor Brown responded with a 34-yard field goal to put the Skyhawks ahead 30-28 with 2:44 remaining, setting the stage for Hill's game-winning touchdown pass. Hill followed up the touchdown with a pass to Braden Jones for the two-point conversion.
Whitlock finished with 28 carries for 207 yards and four touchdowns, accounting for nearly all of Southern Illinois' rushing yardage. He set a new Saluki record for points scored in a season with 150, surpassing Muhammad Abdulqaadir's 128 points in 2002.
Southern Illinois (9-3) rolled up 350 yards of total offense, with 221 yards coming on the ground.
Tennessee-Martin (9-3) jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter after Donald Chapman scored on a one-yard run and Jack Greenwood intercepted a Nick Hill pass and returned it 51 yards for another touchdown. Chapman's second touchdown run put the Skyhawks ahead 27-7 with 12 minutes left in the third quarter.
Chapman finished with 108 yards on 31 carries, and quarterback Greg Preston completed 10-of-16 passes for 137 yards and one touchdown for Tennessee-Martin.
Hill completed 8-of-14 passes for 129 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Southern Illinois.
Southern Illinois and Montana will meet in the quarterfinals on Dec. 2.
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Team Stat Comparison
| UTM | SIU | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Downs | 17 | 20 |
| Total Yards | 299 | 350 |
| Passing | 137 | 129 |
| Rushing | 162 | 221 |
| Penalties | 5-40 | 5-52 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 4-11 | 6-11 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 1-1 | 0-1 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Possession | 29:16 | 30:44 |
Scoring Summary
| FIRST QUARTER | UTM | SIU | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | TD | 11:40 | DONALD CHAPMAN 1 YD RUN (TAYLOR BROWN KICK) Drive info: 3 plays, 57 yards. | 7 | 0 |
| TD | 8:34 | JACK GREENWOOD 51 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (TAYLOR BROWN KICK) | 14 | 0 |
| SECOND QUARTER | UTM | SIU | |||
 | TD | 12:57 | ARKEE WHITLOCK 1 YD RUN (CRAIG COFFIN KICK) Drive info: 9 plays, 60 yards. | 14 | 7 |
| TD | 7:45 | JUSTIN GLOVER 4 YD PASS FROM GREG PRESTON (TAYLOR BROWN KICK) Drive info: 11 plays, 80 yards. | 21 | 7 |
| THIRD QUARTER | UTM | SIU | |||
| TD | 12:04 | DONALD CHAPMAN 13 YD RUN (MISSED KICK) Drive info: 7 plays, 80 yards. | 27 | 7 |
| TD | 10:15 | ARKEE WHITLOCK 11 YD RUN (CRAIG COFFIN KICK) Drive info: 5 plays, 59 yards. | 27 | 14 |
| TD | 3:41 | ARKEE WHITLOCK 47 YD RUN (CRAIG COFFIN KICK) Drive info: 2 plays, 57 yards. | 27 | 21 |
| FOURTH QUARTER | UTM | SIU | |||
| TD | 9:42 | ARKEE WHITLOCK 1 YD RUN (CRAIG COFFIN KICK) Drive info: 11 plays, 58 yards. | 27 | 28 |
| FG | 2:44 | TAYLOR BROWN 34 YD FG Drive info: 15 plays, 51 yards. | 30 | 28 |
| TD | 0:57 | ALAN TURNER 45 YD PASS FROM NICK HILL (BRADEN JONES 2PT PASS FROM NICK HILL) Drive info: 8 plays, 80 yards. | 30 | 36 |
