Recap | Football wraps up spring season with annual Spring Game
04/19/2025 | 1:59:00 | Football
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois football team wrapped up its spring season on Saturday with the annual spring game that lasted about 50 plays, finishing up just before a line of storms rolled in.
Head coach Nick Hill said the team made significant progress as it preps for the 2025 season, with fall training camp just 100 days away.
"We have a good idea of the makeup of our team going into the summertime, setting the standard of who we're going to be," he said. "We have a lot of guys that have played a lot of football for us that are experienced players, that are the core and the leadership on this team. I feel good about where we're at. It was good to find out what we can do and tweak our system to fit the personnel that we have."
On offense, SIU returns six starters, including senior quarterback DJ Williams, who started the first three games of 2024 before suffering a season-ending injury to his throwing hand in the win over nationally ranked Incarnate Word.
"I loved everything about DJ this spring," Hill said. "Just his presence, who he is as a person. Got a short glimpse of having him out there in a Saluki uniform (last fall). He knows this is his team and he's done a great job at that leadership role."
The Salukis also return six starters on a defense under new coordinator Lee Pronschinske.
"Defensive football — if there was a perfect scheme, then we'd see that every Saturday, every Sunday, so everybody would run it," Hill said. "When you boil it down, football schematically isn't as tough as some people want to make it. You got to fill every gap, you have to be sound, and you got to cover all of the eligible guys. And there's a lot of different ways you try to do that. I think Lee has a great grasp on how he wants to accomplish that."
Hill said coaches will meet one-on-one with players in the coming weeks to clarify their roles, and then recruiting will continue into the spring with the transfer portal for college football currently open.
"Now it's recruiting the spring, you're able to add some pieces, you lose a couple pieces, and when you get here in June, then you have your team," he explained. "Then the freshmen, we've got to on-board them in a great way. Every year, there's two or three freshmen that can help your football team out that weren't here in the spring."
The deadline for season-ticket holders to renew their seats for 2025 is June 16. Season tickets for new buyers go on-sale April 28. Southern opens the season on Aug. 30 at home versus Division II Thomas More, followed by a road trip to Purdue on Sept. 6.
"You can't get too far ahead of yourself in this game, in this profession," Hill said. "Every segment of the season is important, and we'll finish up the semester strong in the classroom, and they get a little break, and they'll come back, and we've got to have a great eight weeks in the summer."
Head coach Nick Hill said the team made significant progress as it preps for the 2025 season, with fall training camp just 100 days away.
"We have a good idea of the makeup of our team going into the summertime, setting the standard of who we're going to be," he said. "We have a lot of guys that have played a lot of football for us that are experienced players, that are the core and the leadership on this team. I feel good about where we're at. It was good to find out what we can do and tweak our system to fit the personnel that we have."
On offense, SIU returns six starters, including senior quarterback DJ Williams, who started the first three games of 2024 before suffering a season-ending injury to his throwing hand in the win over nationally ranked Incarnate Word.
"I loved everything about DJ this spring," Hill said. "Just his presence, who he is as a person. Got a short glimpse of having him out there in a Saluki uniform (last fall). He knows this is his team and he's done a great job at that leadership role."
The Salukis also return six starters on a defense under new coordinator Lee Pronschinske.
"Defensive football — if there was a perfect scheme, then we'd see that every Saturday, every Sunday, so everybody would run it," Hill said. "When you boil it down, football schematically isn't as tough as some people want to make it. You got to fill every gap, you have to be sound, and you got to cover all of the eligible guys. And there's a lot of different ways you try to do that. I think Lee has a great grasp on how he wants to accomplish that."
Hill said coaches will meet one-on-one with players in the coming weeks to clarify their roles, and then recruiting will continue into the spring with the transfer portal for college football currently open.
"Now it's recruiting the spring, you're able to add some pieces, you lose a couple pieces, and when you get here in June, then you have your team," he explained. "Then the freshmen, we've got to on-board them in a great way. Every year, there's two or three freshmen that can help your football team out that weren't here in the spring."
The deadline for season-ticket holders to renew their seats for 2025 is June 16. Season tickets for new buyers go on-sale April 28. Southern opens the season on Aug. 30 at home versus Division II Thomas More, followed by a road trip to Purdue on Sept. 6.
"You can't get too far ahead of yourself in this game, in this profession," Hill said. "Every segment of the season is important, and we'll finish up the semester strong in the classroom, and they get a little break, and they'll come back, and we've got to have a great eight weeks in the summer."
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football10.5.25 | Saluki Radio Postgame Indiana State - Nick Hill
Sunday, October 05
10.5.25 | Saluki Radio Postgame Indiana State - Chandler Chapman
Sunday, October 05
10.5.25 | Saluki Radio Postgame Indiana State - Shug Walker
Sunday, October 05
10.4.25 | Postgame Presser vs. Indiana State
Sunday, October 05