The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Happy Homecoming

SMS celebrated homecoming Saturday, but there are at least two people the Bears wish had never come home.

Springfield, Mo., natives Matt Miller and Kellen Allen both made the most of playing in their hometown, making significant contributions during SIU's 27-3 victory Saturday.

Miller was a part of the Salukis' dominant offensive line, and Allen caught four passes for a career-high 49 yards.

Saturday was Allen's first collegiate game in front of his hometown, and he made the most of it. Go-to guy Brent Little was quiet, snapping his 20-game streak of catching at least one ball, but Allen found plenty of seams in the SMS defense.

"I can't say much about it. It's just one of those days," Allen said. "Everything was just clicking."

Allen was able to secure his four catches despite the vicious and confusing Southwest Missouri wind. It may have caused a few bad passes from quarterback Joel Sambursky, and it made life difficult for Allen as well.

Allen said he made sure to watch the ball into his hands every time, because until he had it, he wasn't always sure where it would go.

"If you didn't concentrate, the ball played tricks on you out there," Allen said.

Allen, a junior, missed the SMS trip his freshman year after breaking his thumb against Western Illinois, making it his first collegiate game against his hometown school.

Miller, on the other hand, is no stranger to the Robert W. Plaster Sports Complex.

He was the starting right guard during the disaster of 2002, when running back Muhammad Abdulqaadir was lost for the season and was happy to see his running backs make a mockery of the SMS defense. He also had the pleasure, this time, of not seeing any of his running backs get hurt.

"All we had to do was open a crease," Miller said.

The result, in which Miller played a key role, was 350 rushing yards for SIU, along with 200 all-purpose yards for running back Arkee Whitlock. The Saluki running backs ran at will, whenever and wherever they pleased.

SMS also never put pressure on Sambursky, another result of Miller and his teammates' blocking.

Miller was hoping to do a few more things during his homecoming, such as spiking the ball on his home turf and rubbing the win in SMS' face, but he was happy with the way things went.

"It's all right," Miller joked. "It's a good win."