Linebacker Shane Roth (42) has a career-best 24 tackles this season and grabbed his first career interception last weekend against Missouri State. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Barry Bottino
Shane Roth’s senior season at Naperville Central High School was full of big plays but void of a big number of college offers.
“At the time, I was debating about continuing to play,” he said. “During that COVID year, there really wasn’t many opportunities. I was on the fence.”
One social media post, and one interaction with Southern Illinois head coach Nick Hill, changed that.
“I posted my film out there,” Roth said. “Coach Hill followed me on Twitter. Within 24 hours I was committed without even visiting (Carbondale).”
Roth, now a junior at SIU, still laughs about the randomness of his walk-on offer and how he got familiar with Southern so quickly.
“I just watched a YouTube video to look at their campus. I said, ‘Let’s go!’ It was very quick.”
This fall, his fourth at SIU, Roth is getting the most opportunities of his career at both weakside and middle linebacker. Roth, now a scholarship player, has a career-high 24 tackles and grabbed his first career interception last week against Missouri State.
Roth’s story will continue Saturday, Nov. 9 in Carbondale when the Salukis (2-7 overall, 0-5 Missouri Valley Football Conference) try to snap a six-game losing streak in a home game against Youngstown State (3-7, 2-4). (Noon, ESPN-Plus)
“He’s found himself having a significant role for us,” Hill said, who honored Roth last season with the team’s Special Teams Player of the Year Award. “Our players would all speak for a long time on what Shane means to this team.”
Special teams are where Roth first made a name for himself.
“It gave me an opportunity to play, especially early in my career,” he said. “It was a path that got me on the field. It was a lot of fun. I took a path that didn’t happen overnight.”
At 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds, Roth more than makes up for his size with hustle.
In the fourth quarter last week at Missouri State, cornerback Jeremiah McClendon jarred the ball out of a receiver’s hands. It popped into the air and Roth – who was trailing the play – dove in to grab the interception.
“I was just running to the ball,” Roth said. “Jeremiah made a great hit, and I was able to make a play on it.”
Hill added: “That pick doesn’t happen unless it’s just extreme effort running to the football. I don’t know if he’s ever taken a play off since he’s been here.”
This week’s opponent
Stocky QB Beau Brungard is probably best known as a runner. He leads the Penguins with 799 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns. He has three 100-yard rushing games, but only one has come in the past five weeks. As a passer, Brungard has nine TDs and nine interceptions yet is completing nearly 65% of his passes. … While the Penguins rush for more than 206 yards a game, their defense has given up 214.3, with ranks ahead of only Murray State in the MVFC. … Junior wide receiver Max Tomczak, a graduate of Lincoln-Way East in Chicago’s south suburbs, has been a model of consistency. He has at least four receptions in a game nine times this season. He had a season-high nine catches for 90 yards Oct. 14 against South Dakota. In last week’s loss to Illinois State, Tomczak grabbed eight passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. …. Opponents have scored 94.3% of the time they enter the red zone against YSU’s defense. The Penguins are also minus-9 in turnover margin this season. … Senior defensive end Hunter Allen (4), junior defensive tackle Jaelen Crider (3.5) and junior defensive end Michael Voitus (3.5) have combined for more than half of Youngstown’s 20 sacks.
Kickoff: Noon; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: CILfm.com
Key matchup to watch
Youngstown run game vs. SIU defense: The Penguins haven’t won consecutive games all season, but their rushing attack has been one constant. YSU is one of only four MVFC offenses that averages more than 200 yards a game on the ground. Quarterback Beau Brungard (team-high 799 yards, 11 rushing TDs) leads the way but has help in the backfield from senior Ethan Wright (63 yards per game) and senior Tyshon King (43.9 ypg). Southern allows 163.4 yards a game.
What’s at stake?
The Salukis are seeking their first Valley win of the season and an end to a six-game losing streak.
Quick hits
Despite the team’s struggles, Hill said “there’s a lot of good on the tape that we can build off of. It’s just not good enough as a team.” One highlight is how many young defenders are contributing. Only safeties Iverson Brown and Ubayd Steed, along with defensive lineman Devin Love, will exhaust their eligibility this fall. “The defense has played winning football the last three weeks,” Hill said. Against Missouri State, they gained two turnovers and forced three-and-outs on the first two drives of the game. … As for the young contributors on defense, four current starters are sophomores (linebackers Chris Presto and Ben Bogle, cornerback Jamir Conn and safety Desman Hearns) and one is a redshirt freshman (defensive end Jamond Mathis). “It’s hard to get really good and get to that next level without getting out there on Saturdays,” Hill said. “I’m seeing a lot of growth from a lot of guys.” … SIU is 0-3 in the last three games against Youngstown and has lost six of the past eight contests against YSU. … Amid a wave of injuries on the offense this season, only center Shane Evans and right guard Jake Green have started every game on that unit. The seniors have started 47 and 36 games, respectively, in their SIU careers.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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