Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
South Dakota State
11/11/2026 | 1:00:00 | Football, General
The Salukis (5-5, 3-3 Missouri Valley Football Conference) come off a 37-20 win at Indiana State that evened up their record after a 3-5 start. Kyle Thomas became just the fifth Saluki player ever to catch three touchdown receptions in the same game and the defense held the Sycamores (2-8, 0-6) to just 10 first downs in Terre Haute, Ind. SIU won its second straight game and third road game of the season.Â
SIU will honor 20 seniors before the game. As part of Military Appreciation Day, the Salukis will host several high-ranking officers and have several vehicles from our Armed Forces. Fans can visit the vehicles for photos on Saluki Row south of Saluki Stadium. Two SIU alums are scheduled to fly two Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs over the field during the national anthem.Â
Tickets for Saturday's game are available at the SIU Ticket Office during normal business hours inside the Banterra Center, or online at https://saluk.is/4BVD3UW. Fans can also call the ticket office at 618-453-2000.Â
SIU is 12-30 all-time against top-five teams. The Salukis' last win over a top-five team came in 2021 in Brookings, S.D., against SDSU, 42-41. The Jackrabbits were ranked second in the country at the time. SIU last beat a top-five team at home on March 13, 2021, against then-No. 4 Northern Iowa (17-16). SDSU leads the all-time series against SIU 11-4.
Ball Hawkin'Â
   SIU forced 19 turnovers last season, and is on pace to eclipse that number today against SDSU.Â
   Safety Matthew McClelland's interception in the third quarter last weekend at Indiana State gave the Salukis at least one takeaway in every game this season except against Illinois State Oct. 17. Cornerback Sebastian Vargas added an interception against the Sycamores, and long snapper Ryan Algrim recovered a muffed punt. Seven different players, led by Sebastian Vargas' 4, have intercepted at least one pass this season. Fiegel, defensive back Gavin Shepard and McClelland each have two. SIU has also recovered five of 10 fumbles forced this season.Â
   SIU's 18 takeaways for the year are the 15th-most in the FCS heading into this weekend and No. 1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Salukis' 13 interceptions rank fourth in the country.
   The turnovers have come in bunches this season. Shepard and McClelland's interceptions in the Oct. 3 loss to Youngstown State gave the Salukis at least one pick in four straight games. Vargas' interception in the second quarter at Murray State on Saturday gave him a pick for the third straight game. The Salukis picked off four SEMO passes Sept. 12, the most since intercepting Marion native Matt Brown four times at Illinois State on Oct. 6, 2012. SIU's defense closed the game against the Redhawks, in fact, with three straight interceptions to open the door for quarterback DJ Williams' two late touchdown runs.Â
Marrero named MVFC Special Teams POTW
   Marrero, a 5-foot-10, 187-pound junior wide receiver/return specialist, returned one punt for 51 yards to set up a touchdown in the Salukis' 37-20 win at Indiana State Saturday night. The Louisville, Ky., native finished with 106 yards in punt returns and 81 yards off three kickoff returns at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Ind.Â
   Marrero's 285 punt return yards are the most in the MVFC and are the fifth-most in the FCS. He is one of 46 players in the FCS to return a punt for a touchdown this season after taking one back against Illinois State Oct. 17. Marrero's 506 career punt return yards rank fifth in school history. LaSteven McKinney (2011-14) is fourth with 644 punt return yards.
Trio of Salukis honored after Northern Iowa win
   A trio of Salukis were honored by the Missouri Valley Football Conference following their 20-17 win over then-No. 21 Northern Iowa on Oct. 24.Â
   Guard Derek Harden Jr. was named the league's offensive lineman of the week, defensive end Ibrahim Sanogo was the defensive player of the week, and kicker Weston Schofield was the special teams player of the week. All played critical roles in SIU ending its three-game losing streak at the Blackout Cancer game.
   Harden, SIU's most experienced player this season with 37 career starts, graded out at 96% against the Panthers. The 6-foot-3, 330-pound senior from Lawrenceville, Ga., didn't allow a sack and helped SIU (4-5, 2-3 MVFC) average 5.8 yards a carry on 33 attempts. The Salukis rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns, and threw for 112.
   Sanogo was a game wrecker for the Saluki defense, snaring 4.5 tackles for loss and 10 stops, overall. The 6-2, 244-pound graduate transfer from Albany also had a sack for a loss of eight yards in the win. Sanogo had three solo tackles and seven assisted.Â
   Sanogo's 15.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks lead the team. His 1.55 tackles for loss per game rank third in the FCS and lead the MVFC. Sanogo's 15.5 tackles for loss are the ninth-most in a single season in school history.
   Schofield hit a field goal to end both halves Saturday, including a 31-yarder as time expired. The 5-8, 155-pound true freshman from Jefferson City, Mo., was hoisted in the air by the team after putting it through the uprights. Schofield also connected from 21 yards out to give the Salukis a 10-7 lead on the final play of the first half. This season he is 10 for 10 on field goal attempts. His long of 36 yards came at Murray State Sept. 26.   Â
Fiegel, Sanogo named Valley Football players of the week
   Fiegel and Sanogo were honored by the MVFC after the win at Samford.
   Fiegel, a 6-3, 230-pound junior from Batavia, Ill., came up with SIU's first interception of the season and had a team-high 10 tackles. Fiegel added 3.0 tackles for loss and was named the league's defensive player of the week.Â
   Sanogo teamed up with defensive tackle Amir Dwight for a safety in the opening quarter and finished the game with 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Sanogo had seven tackles and two quarterback hurries. Sanogo was named the league's newcomer of the week.
Francis, Schofield honored after Murray State win
   Offensive guard Kellen Francis and Schofield were honored by the MVFC after the win at Murray State.Â
   Francis, a 6-5, 320-pound junior, was named the league's offensive lineman of the week. He graded out at 95% and had seven knockdown blocks. Schofield was the Valley Football special teams player of the week after hitting a school-record four field goals at Roy Stewart Stadium.Â
Road Warriors in 2026
   For the second straight year, SIU will play seven road games, beginning in Pensacola, Fla., against West Florida.Â
   The Salukis went 4-3 away from home last season. It was the fourth time in the last five years they went at least .500 away from Carbondale. SIU went 1-5 on the road in 2024, 4-3 in 2023, 3-3 in 2022 and 5-3 in 2021. This year the Salukis are 3-3 away from Saluki Stadium.
   SIU played four of its first five games on the road. SIU opened at West Florida, then traveled to Samford in Alabama before hosting Southeast Missouri State Sept. 12. The Salukis then played Illinois in Champaign Sept. 19 before opening MVFC play at Murray State Sept. 26. SIU also played at South Dakota Oct. 10, at Indiana State Nov. 7 and will close the regular season at North Dakota Nov. 21.Â
   SIU is the only school in Valley Football to play six road games.
Looking at the Jackrabbits
   The preseason favorites in the league have won three straight games and risen to No. 4 in the national polls.Â
   SDSU has primarily done it at the defensive end. The Jacks lead the MVFC in total defense, allowing an average of 287.4 yards per game, and scoring defense, allowing an average of 16.2 ppg. Seven of SDSU's nine FCS opponents scored less than 20 points.
   Quarterback Chase Mason, a member of the preseason watch list for the Payton Award, is fourth in the league in total offense (216.75 ypg). Running back Josiah Johnson is the only 1,000-yard back in the league, with 1,061 rushing yards, and also leads Valley Football with 12 rushing touchdowns. He is third in the league in all-purpose yards (108.8 ypg).Â
   The Jacks have been consistent playoff contenders since moving from Division II to the FCS. They have appeared in the Stats Perform Top 25 poll 201 straight weeks, dating back to October 2012, and reached the postseason 14 straight years. SDSU captured the FCS national championship in 2022 and 2023.Â
Williams Back For Another Run
   Quarterback DJ Williams returns after one of the best offensive seasons in history in 2025. The Harvey, Ill., native rushed for 847 yards, an SIU record for quarterbacks in a season, and 18 touchdowns, which tied for the fourth-most of any Saluki in history for one year. His 2,846 passing yards ranked 11th in the country in the FCS, and his 22 passing touchdowns ranked 18th.Â
   Williams finished third in voting for the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year Award and eighth in the Walter Payton Award. This season, he was a second team preseason All-American by Phil Steele and a third team preseason All-American by Stats Perform.
   He is the only player in SIU history to rush for at least 25 touchdowns and throw for at least 25. This year he has 203 yards and eight touchdowns rushing and 1,660 yards and 10 scores passing in nine games.
   Williams surpassed 300 passing yards three times last season, including a 361-yard performance at Youngstown State on Nov. 8. He also threw at least three touchdown passes in four games. He rushed for more than 100 yards three times during the season. He recorded 128 yards and three touchdowns Sept. 13 at UT Martin, 151 yards and two touchdowns Sept. 20 at SEMO, and 134 yards and four touchdowns at Illinois State Nov. 22.Â
Oh Captain, My Captain
   Four seniors and one junior were elected team captains this season by the players. Senior linebacker Andrew Behm, senior guard Derek Harden Jr., senior linebacker Chris Presto and Williams joined junior defensive lineman Amir Dwight as captains.
   Williams, a preseason third team All-American by Stats Perform, is coming off one of the best offensive seasons by a Saluki quarterback in history. Behm (61 tackles last season) and Presto (59 stops) are two of the team's leading returning tacklers and two of five returning starters on defense. Harden Jr. started the first 11 games last season and was a preseason first team All-American by Phil Steele this year.Â
   Dwight, a 6-1, 272-pound junior from Cordele, Ga., finished third on the team last season with 3.0 sacks. His four quarterback hurries led the Saluki defense.Â
Salukis Land 13 Players on MVFC Preseason Watch List
   SIU was picked sixth in the MVFC preseason poll and had 13 players on the league's preseason watch list.Â
   Williams, Harden Jr., offensive lineman Blaine Halley, wide receiver Allen Middleton and running backs Edward Robinson and Chandler Chapman made the list. Behm, Presto, Dwight, defensive end Jake Parrella and defensive back Vinny Pierre Jr. were SIU's defensive selections.Â
   Long snapper Ryan Algrim, a preseason first team All-American by Phil Steele, also made the list. Algrim was a five-star long snapper and the 16th-ranked player at that position in the country by Rubio Long Snapping coming out of Kaneland High School (Maple Park, Ill.). Algrim snapped all 12 games last season for the Salukis and is attempting to become the program's first All-American long snapper.Â
   Five other specialists have been honored:Â
* K Craig Coffin (First Team 2006, Second Team 2004)
* P Mark Gagliano (First Team 1996)
* P Tom Striegel (Third Team 1981)
* P Scott Ravanesi (Honorable Mention 2007)
* P Lane Reazin (FCS Sophomore All-America Honorable Mention 2017)
Postseason success under HillÂ
   Of SIU's 11 playoff appearances in school history, Hill was the quarterback of two teams (2006, 2007) and head coach of three (2020, 2021, 2023). The Salukis have won 11 playoff games in school history and Hill was a part of six of them (quarterbacked three wins and coached three more).
   Since 2019, only three FCS programs have won three or more playoff games (South Dakota State, North Dakota State and Southern Illinois).
* In 11 Playoff Appearances, SIU is 11-10.Â
1983: Beat Indiana St. in the first round 23-7, beat Nevada in the second round 23-7 and beat Western Carolina in Charleston, SC for the 1AA Championship, 43-7.
2003: Lost at Delaware in the first round, 45-7.
2004: Lost to Eastern Washington in the first round, 35-31.
2005: Won at Eastern Illinois in the first round 21-6 and lost at Appalachian St. in the second round, 38-24.
2006: Beat UT-Martin 36-30 in the first round and lost at Montana 20-3 in the second round.
2007: Beat Eastern Illinois 30-11 in the first round, beat Massachusetts 34-27 in the second round and lost to Delaware in the Final Four, 20-17.
2008: Lost to New Hampshire in the first round, 29-20.
2009: Beat Eastern Illinois, 48-7 in the first round and lost to William and Mary in the second round, 24-3.
2020-21 (Spring): Won at Weber St. in the first round, 34-31 and lost at South Dakota St. in the Elite Eight, 31-26.
2021: Won at South Dakota in the first round, 22-10. Lost at North Dakota State in the second round, 38-7.
2023: Beat Nicholls State, 35-0. Lost at Idaho, 20-17 (OT)
Saluki Football in the last six seasons...
* Three FCS Playoff appearances and three playoff wins
* 12-14 against FCS ranked teams, including wins over No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4.
* Power Five win at Northwestern (9/17/22) — the only FCS team to beat a Power Five in 2022
* FBS win at Northern Illinois (9/6/23)
* FCS Playoffs Elite 8 (Spring, 2021)
* Playoffs Sweet 16 (Fall, 2021, 2023)
* Twenty-two weeks ranked in the FCS Top 10, as high as No. 3 (Oct. 25, 2021)
The Golden Era of Saluki Football (Coach Jerry Kill 2003-09)
* Overall Record: 70-19 (.787)
* Conference Record: 42-8 (.840)
* Conference Championships: 5 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009)
* FBS Wins: at Indiana (2006), at Northern Illinois (2007)
* FCS Playoff Appearances: All 7 years
* FCS Playoff Wins: 5
* Deepest Postseason Run: Final Four in 2007, Nick Hill's senior year
* Weeks in Top 25: 99-consecutive weeks from 2003 to 2010
* Weeks at No. 1: 18 weeks during 2004 and 2005
One of two FCS teams to beat FBS opponents in both 2022 and 2023 seasons
   Southern Illinois was one of two FCS teams that beat FBS opponents in both 2022 and 2023. The Salukis defeated Northwestern in 2022 and beat Northern Illinois in 2023. Sacramento State beat Colorado State (2022) and Stanford (2023).Â
   Since becoming a I-AA/FCS member in 1982, SIU is 6-39 versus FBS teams. Nick Hill was involved in five of the wins as either a player (Indiana-2006, Northern Illinois-2007) or head coach (UMass-2019, Northwestern-2022, Northern Illinois-2023).
   SIU is 2-21 all-time against Power Five opponents, and head coach Nick Hill was a key factor in both wins. In 2006, Hill threw four touchdown passes and orchestrated a 35-28 win at Indiana. The Salukis were the only FCS program to beat a Power Five opponent in 2022, topping Northwestern, 31-24.Â
Salukis on active NFL rosters
   SIU currently has three players on NFL rosters — S Jeremy Chinn (Las Vegas), LB Branson Combs (Jacksonville) and S PJ Jules (Cincinnati).
* Chinn was a second-round draft pick (64th overall) in the 2020 draft and runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year. The safety signed a two-year, $16.25 million contract with Las Vegas in March 2025. Chinn had 62 solo tackles last season for the Raiders. He also had one sack and two pass breakups. Chinn is in his seventh season in the NFL.Â
* Jules, who was on the Bengals' practice squad in 2024, tied for second on the team with 16 special teams tackles in 2025. Jules had nine solo stops in 14 games last season.Â
* Combs had nine tackles for the Jags in 2025, including three solos. He played in 10 games.Â
Salukis' NFL Tradition
 * 43 SIU football alums went on to play in the NFL
 * RB Brandon Jacobs was a two-time Super Bowl Champion with the New York Giants.
* QB Jim Hart was a four-time Pro Bowl selection who threw for 34,665 career yards with the St. Louis Cardinals. Later, he served as SIU's director of athletics.
* LB Bart Scott was an 11-year NFL pro with the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets.Â
* OL Carl Mauck was a 13-year NFL veteran and 21-year NFL assistant coach (OL). He also coached at SIU from 2006-07. Â
Quick Facts: Carbondale, Illinois is located in the southern tip of the state — about a five-hour drive south of Chicago and two hours southeast of St. Louis...Many of SIU's alums are concentrated in those two cities... SIU is one of 21 universities nationally designated an R1 school for research and an Opportunity location by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Higher Education... The Flying Salukis, our aviation team, captured its 10th national championship in May. The team has finished in the top three in 14 of the last 15 years... The school's fermentation sciences major is one of four four-year programs recognized by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.
Famous non-football SIU alums:
* Kenny Troutt. owner of WinStar Farm and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify
* Walt Frazier, ex-NBA star.
* Dave Stieb and Steve Finley, MLB All-Stars
* Mark Newman, former New York Yankees Senior VP (deceased)
* Derek Shelton, Pittsburgh Pirates manager
* Curt Jones, inventor and founder of Dippin' Dots
* Dick Gregory, civil rights activist, author, and comedian (deceased)
* Joan Higginbotham, NASA astronaut who flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery
* Donald McHenry, former US ambassador to the United Nations
* Bob Odenkirk, Jim Belushi, Dennis Franz and Richard Roundtree, actors
* Hannibal Buress, comedian
* Jenny McCarthy and Melissa McCarthy, actresses
Why the Salukis?
   Southern Illinois had been known as the Maroons since intercollegiate athletics began in 1913. The name "Salukis" became official on March 19, 1951, when the student body overwhelmingly approved the dog as the new symbol of SIU athletics, easily besting "Rebels," "Knights," "Flyers," "Marauders," and "Maroons."Â
   The oldest purebred dogs in the world with records dating back to 3600 B.C., the Saluki is an ancient Egyptian hunting dog known for its speed and hunting prowess.
   So why is the name Salukis relevant to Southern Illinois? Natives of southern Illinois know that the region is frequently referred to as "Little Egypt." Historian Baker Brownell, in his book "The Other Illinois," explained how the region came to be known as Egypt.
   He wrote, "There was a drought in the northern counties (of Illinois) in the early 1800s... the wheat fields dried up, the streams died in their beds. But in Southern Illinois, rain fell and there were good crops, and from the north came people seeking corn and wheat as to Egypt of old. Thus, the name, Egypt."
   The 19th century drought in Illinois parallels the Biblical account of the country of Egypt in the Book of Genesis. "There was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. All the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was so severe. And (Jacob) said, 'Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live, and not die. So, 10 of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt."
   In Egypt at that time, Salukis were accepted as the finest animal a family could possess. Adopting such a well-respected dog as its mascot fit perfectly for a school in a region known as "Little Egypt."
King Tut's Tomb
   King Tut was the school's first live Saluki mascot after the nickname change from Maroons to Salukis in 1951. King Tut died in 1954 after being struck by a car, and a concrete pyramid was placed in his honor at McAndrew Stadium.Â
   The marker was moved to its current spot outside Saluki Stadium in 2010. Before each home game, the Salukis walk from their locker room and pat Tut's marker for good luck.
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.
