No. 12 Football Unable to Overcome First Half Struggles in 38-19 Loss to No. 9/11 North Dakota

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CARBONDALE, Ill. - In the annual Blackout Cancer game, the No. 12 Southern Illinois University football team (4-3, 1-2 MVFC) fell, 38-19, to No. 9/11 North Dakota on Saturday at Saluki Stadium.

The Salukis were out-scored, 28-0, in the first half.

"The first half is inexcusable," head coach Nick Hill said. "It starts with me. My job as the head coach, I'm in charge of the whole thing here. From coaching to playing, to the messaging and how we play, it just was not good enough."

North Dakota tallied 384 total yards of offense, but 311 of those yards were rushing. The Fighting Hawks averaged 6.2 yards-per-carry and scored four rushing touchdowns. In terms of passing, North Dakota posted 73 yards and went 9-of-15.

Southern finished the game with 337 total yards, with 258 passing and 79 rushing. Similar to last week at No. 1 North Dakota State, the Salukis were again hurt by turnovers in the loss to the Fighting Hawks, losing one fumble while also throwing an interception.

Both turnovers led to North Dakota touchdown drives.

"We got out-played, and we got out-coached," Hill said. "That's a good football team, but we did not put our best effort out there. I did not feel like the attention to detail on the things that we need to do to be a good football team was there and that's ultimately my responsibility."

After SIU had to punt on its opening drive, North Dakota put together a nine-play, 64-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard touchdown run by running back Sawyer Seidl.

At the start of the second quarter, the Salukis went for it on 4th-and-10 at the North Dakota 41-yard line but couldn't convert. Quarterback DJ Williams was sacked for an 18-yard loss, giving the ball back to the Fighting Hawks in Saluki territory.

The visitors capitalized, scoring on just four plays after Seidl's second touchdown of the game.

Southern Illinois moved the ball inside the opposing 20-yard line on its following possession, but a fumble lost by running back Edward Robinson put an end to the Saluki drive. North Dakota took advantage, going 96 yards to find the endzone via a two-yard run by quarterback Jerry Kaminski.

With just 23 seconds remaining in the half, Williams was intercepted by North Dakota's Zach Lewis at the Salukis' 21-yard line. One play later, Seidl rushed 21 yards for his third score of the game, giving the Fighting Hawks a 28-0 lead at the half.

The Salukis forced a three-and-out on the Fighting Hawks' opening drive of the second half, and took advantage on the offensive end. Running back Chandler Chapman capped SIU's seven-play, 67-yard drive with a four-yard run for Southern's first points of the day. This was Chapman's fifth rushing touchdown of the season.

North Dakota answered back with a lengthy drive that led to another trip to the endzone. The Fighting Hawks held onto the ball for seven minutes and 23 seconds, going 75 yards on 14 plays before Kaminski found Seidl for an 11-yard touchdown reception, his fourth score of the game.

Southern responded with a touchdown of its own to begin the fourth. From North Dakota's one-yard line, Williams ran it in for his team-leading 11th rushing touchdown of the season. After SIU was unable to convert on its two-point attempt, the score was 35-13 in favor of the Fighting Hawks.

After a North Dakota field goal, Tae Marrero Jr. scored his first touchdown of the season on a three-yard pass by Williams at the 2:05 mark of the fourth quarter.

The Fighting Hawks finished off the game on their next drive, leading to the 38-19 final score.

Williams finished the game with 258 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception to go along with one rushing score. Chapman rushed for a team-leading 68 yards on 15 attempts, while Fabian McCray was the team's leading receiver with 97 yards on six receptions.

Two linebackers tallied double-digit tackles, with Ben Fiegel leading the Salukis with 13 followed by Colin Bohanek's 10.

Southern Illinois will remain at home for its next game, which will be next Saturday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. vs. Northern Iowa for Homecoming.

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