Southern Illinois University
Northern Iowa
Salukis Set to Host Northern Iowa for Homecoming Game on Saturday
10/21/2025 | 4:00:00 | Football
Game Details
- Date and Time:Â Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 2:00 p.m. CT
- Location: Saluki Stadium - Carbondale, Ill.
- Opponent:Â Northern Iowa - Missouri Valley Football Conference
- Live Stats:Â Follow Along Here
- Watch:Â ESPN+
- Listen: The Varsity Network or Listen Locally on 101.5 CIL-FM
- Ticket Central:Â Buy tickets here
Homecoming Returns
This weekend, Southern Illinois alumni Jeremy Chinn and Branson Combs will be returning to SIU for homecoming. Chinn will also be inducted into the Saluki Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 24, as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Chinn is in his sixth season in the NFL and is currently in his first year as a Las Vegas Raider. The safety was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2020 where he spent his first four seasons prior to playing in Washington in 2024.
As a Saluki, Chinn was a Consensus All-American in 2019, a three-time All-MVFC player, and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as a senior.
Combs made his NFL debut for the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday in London against the Los Angeles Rams. The linebacker was signed by Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 NFL Draft and made the practice squad on Aug. 27.
Combs was at Southern Illinois from 2019-2023 where he played in 49 games and registered 177 total tackles, 12 TFL, 4.5 sacks, and six interceptions.
Recap of North Dakota
On Saturday, Southern Illinois fell, 38-19, to No. 9/11 North Dakota at Saluki Stadium. This marked the first time this season the Salukis have been held to fewer than 20 points in back-to-back games.
SIU struggled in the first half, going into the break trailing, 28-0. Southern was out-scored, 21-0, in the second quarter with both a fumble lost and an interception leading to Fighting Hawks touchdowns.
The Salukis allowed 311 rushing yards in the loss. This is the second-most rushing yards Southern has allowed in a game this season, as it gave up 322 yards on the ground on Oct. 4 vs. Indiana State.
Southern totaled 337 yards of offense against North Dakota, with 258 passing and 79 rushing. The 79 rushing yards are the fewest SIU has had in a game this season, and fewest since having 34 yards at South Dakota State on Nov. 16, 2024.
SIU found the endzone on three separate occasions last Saturday, with the first score coming early in the third quarter off of a Chander Chapman run. DJ Williams also had a rushing touchdown, while Tae Marrero Jr. recorded his first touchdown reception of the season with around two minutes remaining in the fourth.
Series History
In a series that dates back to 1965, Southern Illinois holds a record of 17-22 all-time against Northern Iowa. The home team has had the edge in the series, with SIU going 13-7 against the Panthers in Carbondale while UNI is 15-4 vs. Southern in Cedar Falls.
The Salukis are looking to snap a two-game losing streak against the Panthers on Saturday. In their last meeting in 2022, the Panthers won, 37-36, in Carbondale, after a last-second Hail Mary pass from Nic Baker to Jay Jones ended up one-yard short on the final play of the game.
Southern Illinois' last win over the Panthers came in 2020 where Southern defeated UNI, 17-16, at home. Northern Iowa was ranked No. 4 at the time. Southern was down to its third-string quarterback, Stone Labanowitz, who threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Jerron Rollins at the 9:43 mark of the fourth quarter.
Each of the previous four meetings between the two programs have been one-possession games. Over the last seven contests, SIU is 1-6 against UNI.
Looking at the Panthers
Northern Iowa heads into Carbondale with a record of 2-5 overall and 0-3 in MVFC play. The Panthers have lost three-straight games, with all three losses being to ranked teams.Â
UNI has played No. 15/14 North Dakota, No. 2 South Dakota State, and No. 22/RV South Dakota in its last three games. Against South Dakota on Oct. 18, Northern Iowa fell, 17-14, in Cedar Falls.
The Panthers are 10th in the conference in offense, averaging 13.6 points-per-game. On the other end, UNI ranks inside the top five in the MVFC in scoring defense, allowing an average of 23.1 points-per-game. This also ranks 30th in the nation.
Northern Iowa is led by quarterback Matthew Schecklman. In seven games, Schecklman has thrown for 1355 yards and nine touchdowns with six interceptions. Running back Harrison Bey-Bule is the team's leading rusher with 263 yards and two touchdowns on 81 attempts, while wide receiver Tysen Kershaw's 328 receiving yards are a team-high.
Offense Looking to Get Back-on-Track
After being held to below 20 points in consecutive games for the first time this season, Southern Illinois is looking to get the offense rolling again on Saturday against the Valley's fourth-ranked defense in terms of scoring. Despite the recent struggles, SIU is still averaging 36.1 points-per-game, which is tied for 13th in the country.Â
On the ground, Southern Illinois has been one of the nation's top offenses. SIU is averaging 200.6 rushing yards-per-game, ranking 14th in the FCS.Â
The Salukis have rushed for at least 270 yards in three games and are 3-0 when reaching this mark. This includes a Saluki Stadium record 430 rushing yards in the last home game on Oct. 4 vs. Indiana State, the eighth-most overall in program history.
When rushing for 200+ yards, SIU has a record of 23-11 under Coach Hill. When scoring 35+ points, it is 34-6 during Hill's time as the program's head coach.
DJ Williams Rising in Saluki Record Book
Senior quarterback DJ Williams is coming off a season-low three rushing yards against North Dakota on Saturday. Despite the down game, Williams has still rushed for a team-leading 430 yards on 72 attempts (6.0 avg) and has scored 11 rushing touchdowns. The 11 rushing scores are second among all quarterbacks in the FCS and are the most by a Saluki since 2023 (Ro Elliott, 11). Williams' 12th rushing touchdown will put him in a tie for the 11th most in a single season in program history with Arkee Whitlock ('04), Tom Koutsos ('99), and Amos Bullocks ('60).Â
The last time a Saluki reached 12 rushing touchdowns in a single season was in 2019 with Javon Williams Jr. who finished the year with 17, which is tied for fifth all-time.
Williams' 430 rushing yards are the fifth-most by an SIU quarterback in a season. Joel Sambursky ('02) is fourth at 487, while the single-season record belongs to Mark Iannotti ('15) who rushed for 716 yards.
Across the FCS, Williams is third in the nation in points responsible for (138), fifth in total offense (averaging 298.9 yards-per-game), 14th in passing yards (1662), and tied for third in rushing touchdowns (11).
Vinson Davis III's Career Year
Through seven games, wide receiver Vinson Davis III is well on his way to setting new career-high marks across the board in 2025. Davis has already surpassed his 2024 totals of 454 yards and two touchdowns in seven fewer games this year, tallying 37 receptions for 611 yards and three touchdowns. The three touchdowns are one shy of tying a career-high of four that was set in 2022 while Davis was at Charleston Southern.
Davis is first in the conference and 12th in the FCS in receiving yards. The senior is one of 14 players in the country that has reached 600 receiving yards so far in 2025. Davis is also 16th in the nation in all purpose yards-per-game (123.3).
Defense by the Numbers
The Salukis have gained 11 turnovers, which is tied for the second-most in the Valley. This is also tied for 18th in the country. In its last two games, however, Southern has not forced a turnover. The last time SIU was unable to force a turnover in consecutive games was in the final two games of the 2022 season against North Dakota State on Nov. 12 and Youngstown State on Nov. 19.
Southern's six interceptions are tied for fifth in the league and 36th in the FCS. SIU had recorded an interception in all five games prior to its last two contests. In terms of fumbles recovered, Southern's five are tied for second in the MVFC and rank 29th in the country.
Jeremiah McClendon has recorded nine pass breakups, which is tied for the league-lead and is also tied for third in the FCS. McClendon is one pass breakup away from tying Willie Davis ('89), Ernest Manghram ('88), Boo Rodgers ('14), and Jeremy Chinn ('18) for the 12th most in a single season.Â
Colin Bohanek is first on the team in tackles with 46 on the year, followed by fellow linebacker Andrew Behm's 42. Behm has missed SIU's last two games due to injury, last appearing on Oct. 4 vs. Indiana State. Shug Walker's 5.0 TFL are the most on the team, followed by Donnie Wingate and Vontrell Chairse's 4.0. Wingate and Chairse are also tied for the team-lead in sacks with 3.0 each. Safety Vinny Pierre Jr.'s two interceptions are a team-high.
Where the Dawgs are Ranked
After its loss to North Dakota, Southern Illinois is now ranked No. 16 in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll, which was released on Monday. Southern was previously No. 12 prior to falling four spots. North Dakota State, with 55 first-place votes, is ranked No. 1 followed by South Dakota State who received one first-place nod.
The Salukis are No. 18 in the latest AFCA FCS Coaches Poll after being No. 12 last week. North Dakota State was the only school to receive first-place votes, while South Dakota State is second. The Bison and Jackrabbits will meet on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. in Brookings, S.D.
Follow the Salukis
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_Football, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiFootball and on Instagram at @SIU_Football. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
