(Brookings)- The last time South Dakota State was in the football playoffs...current head coach John Stiegelmeier was a student assistant coach with that SDSU Division Two team in 1979.

John Stiegelmeier/SDSU Head Coach "It's neat...the negative side was it took 30 years to possibly being there again...I was a pup then...but John Gregory gave me a chance to be a student assistant...I had some great mentors."

The Jacks and Southern Illinois are both 7-1 overall...and have perfect 6-0 marks in the Missouri Valley...State should have an advantage at home...where they've won seven straight league games.

Kyle Minnett/SDSU Jr. RB "Our first goal was to win a conference title...and we have a chance to win a conference title and clinch a playoff spot...all in the same weekend."
Ryan Crawford/SDSU Sr. QB "It's great that we get to play the game at home...teams don't like to come here and play us."

Senior quarterback Ryan Crawford is back from injury...and will start for a 2nd straight week.
It will be a battle of great defenses...SDSU is number one in the FCS in scoring defense...the D will be a strength of Southern Illinois as well.

Derek Domino/SDSU Sr. LB "We've got great camraderie as a defense...we're always around each other slapping hands and high fives."
Stiegelmeier "I'd like to win 21-nothing...but you never know what's going to happen...it depends on the turnovers...for the outcome this game."

SDSU and SIU kick things off at 1pm Saturday in Brookings.