No. 10/11 Football Earns Third Consecutive Win, Defeats Indiana State, 55-27

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CARBONDALE, Ill. - The No. 10/11 Southern Illinois University football team (4-1, 1-0) continued its dominant stretch on Saturday with a 55-27 win over Indiana State in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener.

Southern has now scored over 50 points in back-to-back games. This is the first time SIU has done this since 2007 when it scored 58 points vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 22, 2007, and then 72 against Indiana State one week later on Sept. 29.

"I'm proud of the guys, proud of being 1-0 in the Missouri Valley," head coach Nick Hill said. "We could shout-out a lot of guys for this win in all three phases. Proud of the staff, proud of the way the guys just keep coming back up and showing up to work, and having the maturity about themselves."

For Family Weekend, SIU had an attendance of 10,132 on Saturday.

"Appreciate everybody that came out to Saluki Stadium," Hill said. "Hopefully it's something they enjoyed, and we've got to feel like that's a difference-maker as far as coming out here and making Saluki Stadium a home-field advantage."

The Salukis dominated from the beginning, scoring 21 points in the opening quarter and 17 in the second to take a 38-14 lead into the half. For the second-straight game, Southern piled up over 600 yards of offense, registering a season-high 656 yards against the Sycamores. 430 of those yards came on the ground, the most rushing yards Southern has had in a game since 2009.

"To be a successful run team, it takes everybody," Hill said. "From the offensive line, the back that's carrying the ball, the tight ends who are so engaged in most of our run game, and the wide receivers. Usually, if it's going to be an explosive run, it's the skill players down the field blocking that can spring a big one."

Indiana State also found success via the run game, posting 322 rushing yards on Saturday. Southern's defense limited the Sycamores' passing attack to 124 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception.

Donnie Wingate recorded his first-career interception at the start of the fourth quarter, SIU's sixth as a team in 2025.

Quarterback DJ Williams went 19-for-31 with 226 passing yards and two touchdowns to go along with 70 rushing yards and two scores. Wide receiver Vinson Davis III posted his second-straight 100-yard game, recording 140 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions. This is the first time Davis has tallied back-to-back 100-yard games in his career.

Several Salukis had strong rushing performances, with Edward Robinson leading the way. Robinson rushed nine times for a career-high 124 yards and a touchdown vs. Indiana State. Chandler Chapman turned eight carries into 93 yards and two touchdowns, while Lashaun Lester ran for 60 yards on one carry before leaving the game due to injury.

Linebackers Ben Fiegel and Shug Walker were tied for a team-best 12 tackles each, while Walker also had 2.0 tackles-for-loss and two pass breakups. Both Vontrell Chairse and Noah Friedt recorded sacks on Saturday.

Southern's first score of the game came off of a 20-yard pass by Williams to wide receiver Jay Jones after a quick, 54-second drive. SIU found the endzone on each of its opening three drives, with Chapman rushing for a 39-yard touchdown on the second drive and Williams punching it in from one-yard out on the third.

Three possessions in, the Salukis were ahead, 21-0. Indiana State got going offensively on the following drive, which lasted 11 plays and went 75 yards before Keegan Patterson ran for a nine-yard score.

Paul Geelen drilled a 40-yard field goal to begin the second quarter, extending SIU's lead to 24-7. Geelen is now 5-for-6 on field goals in 2025.

After an Indiana State drive stalled out, Southern Illinois hit one of its longest plays of the season as Williams found Davis for an 83-yard touchdown.

Southern ended the half with a 10-play, 68-yard drive that was capped off by a three-yard Williams run to push the Salukis ahead, 38-14, after 30 minutes.

Chapman found the endzone for the second time on Saturday with 00:34 remaining in the third quarter. This was the running back's first two-touchdown performance as a Saluki.

After Wingate's first-career interception, Geelen hit a 33-yard field goal to make it 48-20 in favor of the Salukis.

Southern's final trip to the endzone came off of a 81-yard run by Robinson, the longest rush of the sophomore's career.

The Salukis are now 4-1 overall and 1-0 in MVFC play heading into next Saturday's trip to No. 1 North Dakota State. Kick-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. in Fargo. N.D.

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