Football rolls to 48-28 win over South Dakota

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Oct 18

2 PM

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#9/#11 North Dakota

Carbondale, IL

Oct 25

2 PM

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Northern Iowa

Carbondale, IL

Nov 1

4 PM

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Murray State

Murray, KY

Nov 8

1 PM (CT)

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RV/#25 Youngstown State

Youngstown, OH

Nov 15

12 PM

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#22/RV South Dakota

Carbondale, IL

Nov 22

12 PM

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#10/#9 Illinois State

Normal, IL

VERMILLION, S.D. — Southern Illinois unleashed a dominant running game at South Dakota on Saturday, cruising to a 48-28 win, rolling up 334 rushing yards and keeping its playoff hopes alive and well.

The Salukis (4-4, 2-2) averaged 6.5 yards per carry and exploded for a 34-7 halftime lead that sent most of the crowd of 4,734 headed for the exits early.

It didn't take long for Southern to find the end zone. On the team's second play from scrimmage, wide receiver Avante Cox took a jet sweep, barreled through a pair of tacklers at the line of scrimmage and raced 65 yards to the USD 10. It was the first of many big plays for the Wyoming transfer, who caught eight passes for 113 yards, rushed for 80 yards, and scored three touchdowns.

"Avante was explosive tonight," said SIU head coach Nick Hill. "We talked about early in the season that he was going to have some games like this. It was one of those games."

Freshman running back Javon Williams Jr. finished the drive with a six-yard touchdown run out of the Wildcat formation. He, too, had a monster game, with 107 yards rushing and four first-half touchdowns, including a 48-yard scamper on 4th-and-1 and TD gallops of 23 and six yards. He is now third in school history in freshman rushing yards with 575.

"I feel like he's the best freshman in the country," Hill said. "He's a worker, he earns a lot of his yards. He's such a playmaker with the ball in his hands. He's committing to the details. You have to find ways to get 15 the ball."

The third key weapon for the offense was senior running back D.J. Davis, who ran 17 times for 125 yards and a 7.4 yard average. Only a month ago, no one was sure he could return this season from a badly dislocated elbow.

"This team has some toughness, has some grit," Hill said. "Four weeks ago, D.J. was told he's (going to be) out 6-8 weeks. He's out here pounding it. His yards were hard-earned yards."

Southern's defense allowed 21 points but held an explosive South Dakota team to 393 yards. Coyotes' quarterback Austin Simmons was harassed all day by a relentless Saluki pass rush that sacked him three times. Simmons threw three interceptions and was strip-sacked twice — once by by Anthony Knigton and once by Lucas Giegling. Two of the interceptions were by All-American safety Jeremy Chinn, who now has 13 career picks.

"To come in here and hold them under 400 yards and force five turnovers — that's winning football," Hill said.

The Salukis are tied for fifth place with the Coyotes (3-5, 2-2) in the conference standings with four games remaining and need at least three more wins for a playoff spot.

"We knew the process is the right process and we believed in it," Hill said. "We found our way back to 4-4 and these guys are committed. We didn't question anything and now we worry about Indiana State starting tomorrow at 2 o'clock.

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Team Stats

Karé Lyles

Players Mentioned

Jeremy Chinn

Avante Cox

D.J. Davis

Javon Williams Jr.

Players Mentioned

Jeremy Chinn

Avante Cox

D.J. Davis

Javon Williams Jr.

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