Southern Illinois @ Mississippi preview

THE STORY: Mississippi will be looking for its first win - and its first offensive touchdown - when it hosts Southern Illinois. The Rebels are looking to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2004. The Salukis, who are ranked 15th in this week's NCAA Football Championship Subdivision coaches poll, pounded Southeast Missouri State 38-10 in their opener. Mississippi is 11-1 against FCS teams since 1992, but the defeat came last year at home to Jacksonville State 49-48.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPN3.com. LINE: None

ABOUT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (1-0): Junior Paul McIntosh's first game as the Salukis' full-time starting quarterback was stellar as he passed for a career-high 246 yards and rushed for 65 yards to move into second place in Salukis history for rushing yards by a quarterback. Former Iowa running back Jewel Hampton had an impressive debut with the Salukis, rushing for 64 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Southern Illinois has won two of its past seven meetings with FBS teams. The Salukis beat Indiana in 2006 and Northern Illinois in 2007.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI (0-1): The Rebels never got their running game going against Brigham Young as it managed only 64 yards on 29 attempts. The passing game wasn't much more effective as Zack Stoudt and Barry Brunetti combined for 144 yards on 15-of-28 passing. The offense showed more life after Stoudt, a transfer from Iowa Western Community College, took over for Brunetti in the second quarter, but the Rebels' offense still didn't find the end zone. Mississippi's only touchdown came on Charles Sawyer's 96-yard interception return.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Mississippi won the only previous meeting 59-3 in Oxford in 1994.

2. Southern Illinois has the third-most wins among FCS programs since 2003 with 76. Only Montana (87) and Appalachian State (84) have more.

3. Rebels coach Houston Nutt has not started a season 0-2 since his first season as a head coach at Murray State in 1993.

PREDICTION: Mississippi 20, Southern Illinois 17 - The Rebels won't get shocked for a second year in a row, but the Salukis won't let them off the hook easily.