Saturday, November 18
Carbondale, IL
1 PM
Southern Illinois University
vs
Indiana St.
Football faces must-win matchup with Indiana State on Saturday
11/13/2023 | 12:26:00 | Football
Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day — all active duty and retired military personnel can claim a free ticket by showing their military ID.
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois hosts Indiana State on Saturday in a must-win matchup in the regular-season finale at Saluki Stadium.
With a win, the No. 16-ranked Salukis (6-4, 3-4) feel good about their chances of receiving an at-large bid to the 24-team FCS Playoffs when the field is announced the following day. A loss probably means the end to SIU's season.
"It's a test of your character and who you are on the inside," said SIU head coach Nick Hill. "It's about the will to compete and prepare. We're excited about this opportunity Saturday to get to 7-4 and feel good about our body of work."
Southern has been to the playoffs in two of the last three seasons and picked up wins over Weber State in 2020 and South Dakota in 2021. They also narrowly missed a playoff berth in 2019 with a 7-5 record.
"Nothing is guaranteed," Hill said. "All of our days, especially as a player, are numbered. Just having the appreciation for this game to go out and compete is what's important."
Saturday's game has special meaning for the Salukis, as it's Senior Day for the team's 16 seniors who will be honored during a pregame ceremony — #1 Ro Elliott, #2 Devin Cowan, #2 D'Ante Cox, #4 PJ Jules, #6 Justin Strong, #8 Nic Baker, #9 DJ Johnson, #10 Zach Burrola, #60 Sam Neuman, #66 Jackson Sailliez, #89 JD Czech, #91 Jake Baumgarte, #93 Dante Cleveland, #96 Kam Bowdry, #97 Thomas Burks, #97 Tim Varga.
It's also the program's annual Military Appreciation Day. The band will perform a special, patriotic halftime show, and leadership from the Marion VA will be recognized before and during the game.
All active duty and retired military personnel can claim a free ticket by showing their military ID.
With a win, the No. 16-ranked Salukis (6-4, 3-4) feel good about their chances of receiving an at-large bid to the 24-team FCS Playoffs when the field is announced the following day. A loss probably means the end to SIU's season.
"It's a test of your character and who you are on the inside," said SIU head coach Nick Hill. "It's about the will to compete and prepare. We're excited about this opportunity Saturday to get to 7-4 and feel good about our body of work."
Southern has been to the playoffs in two of the last three seasons and picked up wins over Weber State in 2020 and South Dakota in 2021. They also narrowly missed a playoff berth in 2019 with a 7-5 record.
"Nothing is guaranteed," Hill said. "All of our days, especially as a player, are numbered. Just having the appreciation for this game to go out and compete is what's important."
Saturday's game has special meaning for the Salukis, as it's Senior Day for the team's 16 seniors who will be honored during a pregame ceremony — #1 Ro Elliott, #2 Devin Cowan, #2 D'Ante Cox, #4 PJ Jules, #6 Justin Strong, #8 Nic Baker, #9 DJ Johnson, #10 Zach Burrola, #60 Sam Neuman, #66 Jackson Sailliez, #89 JD Czech, #91 Jake Baumgarte, #93 Dante Cleveland, #96 Kam Bowdry, #97 Thomas Burks, #97 Tim Varga.
It's also the program's annual Military Appreciation Day. The band will perform a special, patriotic halftime show, and leadership from the Marion VA will be recognized before and during the game.
All active duty and retired military personnel can claim a free ticket by showing their military ID.
Players Mentioned
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/ Football
DT
/ Football
K
/ Football
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/ Football
DT
/ Football
DE
/ Football
RB
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CB
/ Football
OT
/ Football
RB
/ Football
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