<p>OGDEN, Utah — <a href="https://twitter.com/SIU_Football/status/1386094312119693313">Stone Labanowitz lofted a rainbow of a fourth-down pass </a> to the back corner of the end zone for Branson Combs with under a minute left and Southern Illinois upset Weber State 34-31 in the first round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday.</p>
<p>The Salukis, making their first playoff appearance since 2009, answered Weber State point for point in a frantic fourth quarter and sealed the upset when Raquan Lindsey sacked Weber’s Bronson Barron as time expired.</p>
<p>The four-time Big Sky Conference champion Wildcats (5-1) were making a fifth-straight appearance in the playoffs.</p>
<p>SIU (6-3) meets top-seeded South Dakota State in the quarterfinals. Southern Illinois was thumped 44-3 by SDSU on March 20.</p>
<p>Labanowitz was 21-of-34 passing for 264 yards with two touchdowns. Trailing by two touchdowns in the first quarter, Labanowitz started the SIU comeback with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Avante Cox.</p>
<p>The Salukis put together three unanswered scoring drives over the second and third quarters to take the lead for the first time, 24-21, when kicker <a href="https://twitter.com/SIU_Football/status/1386082609734688771">Nico Gualdoni faked setting up for a field goal</a> and tossed the ball to Cole Steward, unguarded in the end zone.</p>
<p>That set up a fourth quarter where the teams traded field goal for field goal and touchdown for touchdown, with Labanowitz’ rainbow to Combs sending the Salukis through to the next round.</p>
<p>Barron threw for 224 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted twice. Daniel Wright rushed 11 times for 91 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats.</p>
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<p>More AP college football: <a href="https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball">https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball</a> </p>
