Insides “Clean Play, Big Stakes: Southern Illinois Prepares to Challenge Ranked Rival After Forcing Four Turnovers!”

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois will face a ranked opponent for the third consecutive week, as the No. 17 Salukis visit No. 5 South Dakota this Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

This season, Southern Illinois has already battled several top-ranked teams, including a game at BYU (No. 22 in FBS), against Incarnate Word (No. 12 in FCS), and versus SEMO (No. 21 in FCS).

Series Against South Dakota Saturday’s game will mark the 10th meeting between these two schools, a rivalry that began in 2014. South Dakota currently leads the series 5-4, having won the last two encounters in 2022 and 2023. SIU’s last victory over the Coyotes came during the 2021 playoffs, where they secured a 22-10 win at the Dakota Dome, aided by a strong defensive performance that included forcing four turnovers while maintaining a turnover-free game. Safety Qua Brown made a significant impact with two interceptions.

Hill’s Record Against Top 5 Teams Head coach Nick Hill has an all-time record of 4-8 against FCS teams ranked in the Top 5, with his last victory occurring against No. 2 South Dakota State on October 9, 2021. Notably, nine of these 12 ranked opponents have been from the Dakotas.

QB Hunter Simmons Shines in Starting Debut In his first career start against SEMO, quarterback Hunter Simmons excelled, completing 28 of 48 passes for 341 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. This performance set a record for the most passing yards by a Saluki in their debut, ranking 23rd overall in school history.

LB Ben Bogle Excels Nationally Sophomore linebacker Ben Bogle currently ranks third in the nation with 10 tackles for loss and fifth in sacks with 5.5. He achieved a school-record 3.5 sacks in a game against Austin Peay in Week 2, earning FCS national player-of-the-week honors. SIU’s records for single-game tackles for loss and sacks are 18.0 (Bart Scott, 2001) and 12.0 (James Phillips, 1978), respectively.

SEMO Game Recap SIU led 21-15 late in the third quarter against SEMO but ultimately fell 21-0 to finish the game. Notable moments included linebacker Stephen Green blocking a PAT and returning it 89 yards for two points, marking a first in school history. True freshman running back Jerrian Parker made his starting debut, contributing 53 total yards, while wide receiver Vinson Davis III set a career-high with nine receptions for 132 yards, marking his second career 100-yard game—both against SEMO.

Attendance Record Set The matchup against SEMO on Family Weekend drew 13,421 fans, making it the second-highest attendance in stadium history, only surpassed by the 15,276 at the stadium’s opening in 2010. Saluki Stadium has an official capacity of 15,774, including standing-room areas.

Strong Secondary Play Safeties Iverson Brown and Ubayd Steed are key players in the secondary, each recording 24 tackles this season. Brown has one interception and two pass breakups while Steed has forced two fumbles. Both players contributed significantly last season, with Steed being named to the MVFC Newcomer Team.

Dawg Bytes Three of SIU’s four captains—TE Aidan Quinn, DE Dewey Greene, and LB Colin Bohanek—have missed the last two games due to injuries, with only C Chase Evans remaining active. SIU ranks seventh in the nation for sacks with 14.0 and 15th in rushing defense, allowing just 101.0 yards per game.

National Rankings Update The Salukis have been nationally ranked for 18 consecutive weeks. They appeared in all 13 polls released in 2023 (peaking at No. 5) and have been ranked in all five polls thus far in 2024 (highest at No. 7).