Saturday, October 28
Macomb, IL
3 PM
Southern Illinois University
at
Western Illinois
Football climbs to No. 11 ahead of Western Illinois matchup
10/23/2023 | 12:19:00 | Football
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Top 25 voters showed their respect for Saluki Football this week, moving Southern Illinois up one spot in the rankings to No. 11, after SIU narrowly lost to No. 1 South Dakota State last Saturday.
With four games left in the regular season, the Salukis (5-2, 2-2) control their playoff destiny, beginning with Saturday's matchup at Western Illinois. The game will be televised on ESPN+ with kickoff set for 3 p.m.
"All of our goals are still ahead of us," said SIU head coach Nick Hill. "There's a lot to be proud of with this team. What we do down the stretch in these last four games will determine the story of this team."
Southern continues to rank among the nation's best defenses at the FCS level. The Salukis are second in rushing yards allowed (80.1 yards/game), third in sacks (3.29 sacks/game) and 13th in scoring defense (19.0 points/game).
The Salukis have won the last three meetings with Western Illinois and 16 of the last 20.
However, the last trip to Macomb in 2021 was a nailbiter, as SIU squeaked by with 31-30 overtime win. In that game, Nic Baker threw a 25-yard touchdown strike to Landon Lenoir on the first play of overtime. Western decided to go for two after its ensuing touchdown. Saluki linebacker Jakari Patterson stopped receiver Dennis Houston behind the line of scrimmage to end the game.
With four games left in the regular season, the Salukis (5-2, 2-2) control their playoff destiny, beginning with Saturday's matchup at Western Illinois. The game will be televised on ESPN+ with kickoff set for 3 p.m.
"All of our goals are still ahead of us," said SIU head coach Nick Hill. "There's a lot to be proud of with this team. What we do down the stretch in these last four games will determine the story of this team."
Southern continues to rank among the nation's best defenses at the FCS level. The Salukis are second in rushing yards allowed (80.1 yards/game), third in sacks (3.29 sacks/game) and 13th in scoring defense (19.0 points/game).
The Salukis have won the last three meetings with Western Illinois and 16 of the last 20.
However, the last trip to Macomb in 2021 was a nailbiter, as SIU squeaked by with 31-30 overtime win. In that game, Nic Baker threw a 25-yard touchdown strike to Landon Lenoir on the first play of overtime. Western decided to go for two after its ensuing touchdown. Saluki linebacker Jakari Patterson stopped receiver Dennis Houston behind the line of scrimmage to end the game.
Players Mentioned
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