Southern Illinois University
Illinois State
No. 24 Southern Illinois Concludes Regular Season on Saturday at No. 11 Illinois State
11/19/2025 | 5:36:00 | Football
Game Details
- Date and Time:Â Saturday, November 22, 2025 | 12:00 p.m. CT
- Location: Hancock Stadium - Normal, Ill.
- Opponent: No. 11 Illinois State - 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
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Recap of South Dakota
For the first time in program history, SIU played in a five-overtime game as it fell, 53-51, in a heartbreaker on Saturday against South Dakota. The previous longest game the Salukis had played in was two overtimes, which has happened twice.
This was the sixth-highest combined scoring game in program history, with the 104 total points being the most since Sept. 8, 2018 (117 - Mississippi, 76, SIU 41). The 51 points are the most SIU has scored against a ranked opponent since April 17, 2021, when it scored 55 in a 55-48 win over No. 15 SE Louisiana.
Southern Illinois led, 24-14, at the end of the first half but was out-scored, 20-10, in the second half. A 36-yard field goal by Paul Geelen in the final seconds of the fourth quarter sent the game to overtime. SIU totaled 455 yards on offense, with 307 passing and 148 rushing. It allowed 524 total yards on the other side of the ball.
Quarterback DJ Williams had his second-straight 300-yard passing game, going 19-of-31 for 303 yards and four touchdowns with one interception in the loss. Williams also rushed for 89 yards vs. South Dakota. Senior Jay Jones led the team in receiving on Senior Day, totaling 108 yards and two touchdowns on three receptions.
Defensively, linebacker Colin Bohanek led the team with 13 tackles and had 1.0 TFL. Defensive lineman Amir Dwight had the lone sack, while cornerback Jeremiah McClendon had an interception.
Series History
The Salukis hold a record of 43-39-3 all-time vs. the Redbirds in a series that dates back to 1929. Saturday's matchup will be the 86th all-time between the two programs. In Normal, Southern Illinois is 18-21-2 against Illinois State.
In their last meeting on Oct. 5, 2024, the Redbirds defeated the Salukis, 45-10. The 35-point margin of victory was the largest in the series since 2018 when SIU fell, 51-3.Â
Over the last 10 games between Southern Illinois and Illinois State, Southern is 4-6.Â
Looking at the Redbirds
The Redbirds head into their final game of the regular season as the No. 11 team in the nation with a record of 8-3 overall and 5-2 in MVFC play. Illinois State has won four-straight games, including a 35-21 win at No. 15 South Dakota State last weekend.
Three of its four wins during the winning streak have come on the road (def. Indiana State, 52-20, in Terre Haute on Nov. 8 and def. No. 21 South Dakota, 21-13, in Vermillion, S.D., on Oct. 25). Illinois State's three losses have been to No. 1 North Dakota State, No. 25 Youngstown State, and an eighth-ranked Oklahoma in the season-opener.
The Redbirds are fifth in the conference in scoring offense, averaging 32.7 points-per-game, and are also fifth in scoring defense, allowing 26.3 points-per-game.
Illinois State is led by quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse, whose 28 passing touchdowns are the most in the MVFC. Rittenhouse is also fourth in the league in passing with 2211 yards on the year.
Most Overtimes in Program History
The five overtimes SIU played in on Saturday vs. South Dakota are the most in program history. Prior to Saturday, the longest game Southern had played in consisted of two overtimes, which had happened twice (Sept. 7, 2013, vs. Eastern Illinois and Sept. 28, 2002, at Eastern Michigan).
This was the Salukis' first overtime game since Dec. 2, 2023, at No. 4 Idaho in the FCS Playoffs (the Salukis fell, 20-17). Southern's last overtime win was four years ago on Oct. 9, 2021, at No. 2 South Dakota State (42-41). Overall, Southern Illinois is 8-6 in its 14 overtime games all-time.
Historic Offensive Season
Southern Illinois' average of 36.4 points-per-game ranks 12th in the nation and are the most the program has averaged in a season since 2007 (37.9). The Salukis have scored exactly 400 points in 2025. This is the 11th time in program history SIU has reached 400 points in a campaign and the first time since 2021 (scored 402).
The Salukis are 18th in the country in rushing, averaging 199.2 rushing yards-per-game. This is SIU's best rushing average since the 2019 season (231.8 avg). Along with its dominance in the ground game, the Salukis' offensive line has also allowed the ninth-fewest sacks in the FCS with just 11 given up on the year.
SIU is top 10 in the nation on both third and fourth down. The Salukis are seventh in third down conversion percentage at .492, ranking second in the MVFC behind only North Dakota State. In terms of fourth down conversion percentage, SIU is 10th (.688).
DJ Williams' Special Campaign
Senior quarterback DJ Williams is among the nation's best in terms of both passing and rushing in 2025. Williams has thrown for 2687 yards and 22 touchdowns with five interceptions while also rushing for 713 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. The veteran signal caller is 313 yards away from becoming the fourth SIU quarterback to pass for 3000 yards in a season.
Williams' 713 rushing yards are the second-most by an SIU quarterback in a single season, trailing only Mark Iannotti who rushed for 716 yards in 2015. The Harvey, Ill., native's 14 rushing touchdowns are tied for ninth all-time with Arkee Whitlock ('05) and Tom Koutsos ('03) for the most in a season in program history. Williams is two rushing scores away from tying Andre Herrera ('76) and Karlton Carpenter ('98) for seventh.
Across the FCS, Williams is third in total offense (309.1), tied for 11th in passing touchdowns, 11th in passing yards, second in points responsible for (222), and tied for eighth in rushing touchdowns.
Jeremiah McClendon Ranks Near Top of FCS Leaderboards
Senior cornerback Jeremiah McClendon has tallied 14 passes defended;Â 12 pass breakups and two interceptions. The 14 passes defended are tied for the most in the MVFC and the fourth-most in the FCS.
McClendon's 12 pass breakups are the most by a Saluki since 2020 when James Ceasar had a program-record 14. They are also tied for the third-most in a single season in school history. McClendon is one pass breakup away from tying Darnell Hendricks who had 13 in 1994.
The senior registered his second interception of the season when linebacker Andrew Behm deflected a pass into the corner's hands. McClendon also had an interception vs. UNI on Oct. 25 and has four in his career.
Other Defensive Numbers to Note  Â
The Salukis are tied for 30th in the country in turnover margin at 0.36. SIU has gained 17 turnovers on the year and lost 13. The 17 turnovers gained are tied for 25th in the FCS. Of those 17, 10 are via interceptions. This is tied for 24th in the nation while Southern's seven fumbles recovered are tied for 34th.Â
Senior linebackers Colin Bohanek and Shug Walker are tied for the team-lead in tackles with 76 each. Veteran defensive end Vontrell Chairse's 6.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks are both team-high's, followed by Bohanek and fellow defensive end Donnie Wingate's 6.0 TFL. Wingate is also second on the team in sacks with 4.0. Safeties Cejai Parson and Vinny Pierre Jr. are tied with McClendon for the team-lead in interceptions with two each.
Looking at the Receiver Room
Senior wide receiver Jay Jones' 108 receiving yards and two touchdowns vs. South Dakota over the weekend both set new career-high's. Jones scored on SIU's opening drive on a 63-yard reception, the longest of his career, and also found the endzone on SIU's first play of overtime (25 yards). Fellow senior Vinson Davis III leads the team in receiving on the year with 780 yards and five touchdowns, and his 54 receptions are three shy of setting a new career-high.
Davis has had two 100-yard games in 2025, including 185 at SEMO on Sept. 20, which is tied for the eighth-most in a single game in program history.
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll Update  Â
In the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll, the Salukis are ranked 24th after their loss to South Dakota. The highest SIU has ranked in the poll this season was on Oct. 6 when it was No. 8 after defeating Indiana State.Â
North Dakota State is No. 1 with 56 first-place votes. Illinois State is ranked at No. 11 and is the second-highest ranked MVFC team in the poll, followed by No. 13 North Dakota. South Dakota is No. 16, Youngstown State is No. 18, and South Dakota State is No. 22 among other Valley teams.
Paul Geelen Looks to Continue Strong Season
Senior Paul Geelen has had an efficient year as Southern Illinois' kicker/punter. On field goals, Geelen is 12-for-14 (85.7%) and is a perfect 11-for-11 from inside 50 yards. From 50+, the senior is 1-of-3 so far in 2025.
Geelen is tied for 14th in the country in field goal percentage at 85.7%. This ranks third in the MVFC.
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.
