Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
SEMO
Williams' 4 TDs Help Saluki Football Hold Onto Wheel
09/13/2026 | 1:25:00 | Football, General
CARBONDALE, Ill. - If Saturday's game against Southeast Missouri State was Southern Illinois quarterback DJ Williams' last matchup with the regional rivals, it'll be one the Redhawks will remember.Â
One year after throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for two more at SEMO, Williams rushed for four touchdowns and threw for another in the Salukis' come-from-behind 34-20 victory. In front of a home-opening crowd of 12,310 fans, the 6-foot-3, 218-pound senior rallied SIU from one score down in the third. Three of Williams' four rushing touchdowns came in the fourth quarter to help the Salukis retain the wheel.
Williams, who missed last week's game at Samford with a knee injury, wasn't even sure he was going to start against SEMO earlier in the week.Â
"It's been a long road to get back," Williams said. "I only missed one game, but I went through a lot, and I just gotta thank God for it. That I'm able to play the game that I love and play it at a high level."
Williams threw for 342 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 151 yards and two scores last year at SEMO. Saturday, his 16-yard touchdown run in the first quarter pulled the Salukis (2-1) within a field goal.
Williams' first pass of the game went for a touchdown, but the play was called back for a penalty. Williams rolled right and then found Kyle Thomas for what appeared to be a 75-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. Thomas was called for offensive pass interference.
SEMO got on the board first with a 46-yard field goal from Justin Keller with 8:31 to go in the first quarter. The Redhawks went up 10-0 after Payton Brown's 1-yard touchdown run over the left side. Keller added the extra point.Â
SEMO reached the 2 after a 49-yard pass from Braylen Ragland to wide receiver Demetrius Pearce. Khyair Spain was stopped at the 1 on the next play. Brown, working out of the wildcat formation, took the snap and bolted around the left side for the score with 3:59 to go in the first.
SIU got on the board off Williams' 16-yard touchdown run with 1:03 left in the first. Williams dropped back to pass on a second-and-12, but was able to escape pressure and beat the Redhawk defense to the front left corner of the end zone. Seth Adams added the extra point to pull the Salukis within three, 10-7.Â
Keller's 21-yard field goal put SEMO up 13-7. The Redhawks got all the way to the SIU 3 before the drive stalled.Â
The Salukis tied it up on a scintillating toss from Williams to Thomas in the back-right corner of the end zone right before the half. Thomas, a 5-11, 190-pound junior, laid out to snare Williams' high-arcing, 24-yard throw with 38 seconds to go in the half. Adams missed the extra-point attempt.Â
The Redhawks struck quickly to break the tie. Wide receiver John Anthony Jr. won a jump ball with Saluki cornerback Sebastian Vargas and went 63 yards for the touchdown. Keller's kick with 7:14 put SEMO up 20-13, but the Dawgs weren't done.
Pinned at their own 3 to start the drive, the Salukis gambled with a play-action pass, and Williams delivered. Williams found Thomas behind the defense for a 71-yard gain down the middle of the field. Cornerback Malik Baker caught him at the 26 to save the touchdown. SIU drove to the 2-yard line before Williams crashed in over the right side for the tying score.Â
Weston Schofield hit the extra-point attempt to tie the game at 20 with 7:46 to play.Â
The Redhawks (1-2) never got on the board again. Quarterback Braylen Ragland, who threw for 316 yards and a touchdown, ended the game with three straight interceptions. Vargas, linebackers David Ogaden and Charle Whelpley and cornerback Gavin Shepard all snared interceptions.Â
The Saluki defense, which forced only 12 turnovers all last season, has now earned eight in its first three games.Â
Linebacker Andrew Behm and Shepard both tipped balls that were intercepted. Behm finished with a game-high 12 stops. Safety Vinny Pierre Jr. added nine tackles, and Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week Ben Fiegel had eight.Â
David Jones and Cyler Christmas led SEMO with seven tackles each.Â
SIU was tied with Samford going into the fourth quarter, before it rallied for its first win of the season. Saluki coach Nick Hill was glad to see the resilience of his group after overcoming two turnovers and.a 10-0 deficit to start the game.
"They've done that all three weeks," Hill said. "We've been in four-quarter games, and one thing that has been consistent, the games have been a little bit different, but the consistency there of our team has been second half, their bounce back. Their riding the emotions of the game, has been everything you could ask for as a coach."
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