Southern Illinois University
Thomas More
Preview | No. 20 Southern Illinois Opens Season on Saturday Against Thomas More
08/26/2025 | 12:30:00 | Football
Prior to kick-off, the annual tradition for each home-opener will continue as new students will be invited to participate in the "Saluki Sprint", which is to be followed by Hawgs & Dawgs where motorcycles will lead the team onto the field.
Game Details
- Date and Time: Saturday, August 30, 2025 | 6 p.m.
- Location: Saluki Stadium - Carbondale, Ill.
- Opponent: Thomas More - NCAA Division II, Great Midwest Athletic ConferenceÂ
- Live Stats: Follow Along Here
- Watch: Watch Live on ESPN+
- Listen:Â The Varsity Network
- Tickets:Â Buy Tickets Here
The 2024 Season in Review
Southern Illinois finished the 2024 campaign with a record of 4-8 overall and 2-6 in conference play. The Salukis started the year 2-1 with wins at Austin Peay and then at home against an Incarnate Word team that made it to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs as the No. 6 seed.
SIU concluded the season with a 63-0 win over Murray State on Nov. 23, its largest margin of victory against a Division I opponent in Saluki Stadium history and the 10th largest all-time. Michael Lindauer broke the single-game passing touchdown record (seven) in his only career start.Â
Breaking Down the 2025 Slate
In 2025, Southern will play five home games and seven road games, its most in a regular season since 2019.Â
After the home and season-opener vs. Thomas More on Aug. 30, the Salukis will head out on a three-game road trip starting on Sept. 6 at Purdue. This marks the fifth consecutive season where SIU has faced an FBS opponent. Since 2021, it holds a record of 2-2 against such teams with wins over Northwestern in 2022 and Northern Illinois in 2023.
Southern Illinois will then travel to UT Martin on Sept. 13 and SEMO on Sept. 20 before it heads into its bye week. The Salukis will return home on Oct. 4 vs. Indiana State for Family Weekend before a tough road test at defending national champion North Dakota State on Oct. 11.
The only time this season where SIU will play consecutive home games is Oct. 18 and Oct. 25 when it hosts North Dakota and then Northern Iowa.
Where the Salukis Are Ranked    Â
The Salukis enter the season ranked 20th in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll. The defending national champion, North Dakota State, was unanimously ranked at the top. NDSU is followed by Montana State in second and South Dakota State in third.
In the AFCA FCS Coaches Preseason Poll, Southern Illinois comes in at No. 20 with 132 points. North Dakota State also takes the top spot in this one, tallying 650 points, 38 more than second-place Montana State.
SIU will face three ranked teams according to the poll. Its first ranked opponent will be No. 1 North Dakota State on Oct. 11 in Fargo, N.D. Then, the Salukis will close-out the year with back-to-back ranked games against No. 5 South Dakota on Nov. 15 in Carbondale and No. 6 Illinois State on Nov. 22 in Normal.
DJ Williams Returns at Quarterback
After suffering a season-ending hand injury in Week 3 against Incarnate Word last season, DJ Williams returns for his senior year as the team's starting quarterback.
Prior to an injury to his throwing hand that ended his campaign, Williams had thrown for 571 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions to go along with 39 rushes for 242 yards (6.2 avg) and four touchdowns.
Williams opened the year with a 10-for-20, 98 yard passing line at BYU but also ran 15 times for 121 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The quarterback had at least 42 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in all three appearances.
Quick Hits
Colin Bohanek was Southern Illinois' lone representative on the 2025 Stats Perform Preseason All-America Teams, which was released on July 15. Bohanek was one of two linebackers to be named to the third team.
Bohanek leads a deep linebacker room that also consists of Andrew Behm, someone who missed most of the 2024 season due to injury. Senior Shug Walker and junior Chris Presto headline the returning group of linebackers who played a majority of the 2024 season, as both players participated in 11 contests. The duo combined for 142 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, and two interceptions.
Senior punter/kicker Paul Geelen was named to the Shrine Bowl 1000 Watchlist on July 28. Geelen was among the best in the country on special teams in 2024, ranking 19th in the FCS in punting with an average of 43.12 yards-per-punt.
In a mostly new-look receiver room, Vinson Davis III heads into his senior year as the team's leading returning wideout after tallying 38 receptions for 382 yards and two touchdowns in 2024. Davis' best game of the season came on Sept. 21 vs. SEMO where he posted nine receptions for 132 yards and one touchdown. His other score came in Week 2 at Austin Peay.
Some of the new faces include Fabian McCray and Jackson Parker. McCray comes to SIU by way of Jackson State, where he played just three games in 2024 due to injuries. The Chicago native was on the preseason HBCU+ Player of the Year Watch List prior to the injury. Parker spent five seasons at Albany (2020-24) and played in 35 games before arriving in Carbondale. During his time there, Parker tallied 94 career catches for 1,224 yards and five touchdowns.
Southern's offensive line boasts plenty of experience in 2025. All five projected starters - Coleon Smith, Aiden Logan, Noah Fenske, Derek Harden Jr., and Cameron Dye - are seniors with at least five years under their belt.
Southern Illinois Lands 13 Players on MVFC Preseason Watch List
The Salukis have 12 players on the MVFC Preseason Watch List, which came out on July 21.
Those players are the following: DJ Williams, Aidan Quinn, Ryan Schwendeman, Cameron Dye, Noah Fenske, Vinson Davis III, Donnie Wingate, Colin Bohanek, Chris Presto, Jeremiah McClendon, Ryan Algrim, and Paul Geelen.
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.
