CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois quarterback Jake Curry was named the Stats Perform FCS National Freshman of the Week, as well as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Week on Monday.

The true freshman QB rallied SIU from a 28-0 deficit to beat Youngstown State, 37-33, on Saturday. It was the largest comeback in school history and tied for the largest in conference history. Curry completed 19-of-26 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns and also led the team in rushing with 10 carries for 78 yards and one TD. He threw two touchdown passes in the final three minutes – an 18-yard fade route to TE Colton Hoag, and a 20-yard TD to Bradley Clark for the game-winner with 1:09 remaining.

Curry has started the last four games for SIU after both DJ Williams (3 starts, broken hand) and backup Hunter Simmons (3 starts, broken tibia) were sidelined with major injuries. It has been 35 years since the Salukis started a true freshman at quarterback. The last player to do it was Brendon Prenger, a true freshman walk-on QB, who started at Northern Iowa on Nov. 11, 1989.

The Salukis play at No. 3 South Dakota State on Saturday. The game will be Southern’s seventh contest against ranked FCS teams this season.