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."

Where's the big guy?

Everyone saw Craig Turner sprint down the field and break tackles to save homecoming foe SIU, but what you may not have seen was the Salukis' most hyped running back laying a devastating block on a Northern Iowa defender.

It was terrific, and showed Jacobs' commitment to the team and the proper attitude toward football.

But you have to wonder if this is what Jacobs imagined when he transferred from a crowded backfield at Auburn - blocking for a freshman.

Don't get me wrong - blocking is important and Jacobs needs to be doing it, but I know I'm not the only one who noticed Jacobs' absence on the field the majority of Saturday's game.

Even in short yardage situations, which had always been no-brainer Jacobs scenarios in weeks past, the massive running back was benched in favor of the small and nimble Arkee Whitlock.

I doubt Jacobs has a say in this, because I cannot imagine what it is like to sit on the bench in a situation you know you're perfect for.

How frustrating must it be to watch SIU's smaller running back go up against a wall of defenders in a short yardage situation - especially when you bear a distinct resemblance to a Sherman tank?

Whitlock is a great back, as is Terry Jackson, and Jacobs knows this.

But to someone sitting on the sidelines with similar speed and 3,000- inch biceps, the 5-foot-9 Whitlock must seem out of place on fourth-and-one.

Jacobs is not going to talk about this, and Kill seemed reluctant to as well, so all we really have is speculation and conjecture. Kill seemed to use one back per series most of the time, likely a result of the malfunctioning headsets that are becoming a comedy of errors and a burner of timeouts.

But by my count, I saw the NFL prospect in one series. Just one series with a mere three carries.

Kill said after the game he does not keep track of how many carries every back has, nor should he. He said this is a team game, and it is, but why such a dramatic shift in strategies?

After Jacobs scored four touchdowns against SEMO, Kill said he would be crazy not to use Jacobs on the goal line and in short yardage. But Saturday, Kill did not even have him on the field as a decoy when SIU desperately needed a yard.

Granted, Whitlock has been the premiere runner so far. His patience and remarkable vision have resulted in a ton of big plays. It makes sense to give him the ball plenty of times because he has performed better than anyone not named Craig Turner and has earned it.

But on fourth and one and inside the 5-yard line, no one is looking for big plays. You need forward progress, and Whitlock is fast, but he only weighs 200 pounds dripping wet. Jacobs is the only guy that is guaranteed to not go backward, especially against smaller Division I-AA defenders.

The Southern Illinois press, in its entirety, was shocked when Kill said Jacobs was not in any trouble after Saturday's game. We had already jumped to that conclusion when Jacobs was only playing kick returns in the first half and sat out situations where he was sorely needed.

To Kill's credit, playing Whitlock and sometimes Jackson in short yardage situations worked a few times, but it failed just as much.

Whitlock losing a few yards on an ill-fated run to the sidelines on fourth-and-one comes to mind, as well as the Joel Sambursky fumble inside the 5-yard line that was preceded by a 2-yard Jackson run.

I know I'm not a football coach and by no means do I claim to be John Madden, but fourth-and-one seems like a simple play call. All Jacobs has to do is fall forward, and it's a two-yard gain because of his power and quick first steps.

You could even run play action with Jacobs, which would fool the entire stadium, and slide a receiver or tight end behind the defense.

But it cannot happen if he is not on the field.

Jacobs is one of the grittiest runners I have ever seen and more importantly, he never fumbles. He cradles the ball in his massive arms, uses his other gun to stiff-arm a poor defender and rumbles to the end zone.

That's what we all expected to see Saturday, and hopefully Saluki fans will see it again soon.