Carbondale Reporter

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The stakes are high in this year's War For The Wheel as No. 7 Southern Illinois hosts No. 21 SEMO in a Family Weekend showdown at Saluki Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m. Ticket prices start at $12 for groups.

The annual rivalry game versus the Redhawks marks the 92nd meeting between the two schools since the series began in 1909 and is the 47th game played between the teams in Carbondale.

SIU and SEMO are separated by just 45 miles and the Mississippi River. Since 2018, the winner of the game takes home a replica ship's wheel to its side of the river and displays it until the next scheduled matchup.

Last season, SIU quarterback Nic Baker passed for 408 yards in the second half alone to rally SIU to a 26-25 victory over No. 13-ranked SEMO. With 11 seconds remaining, Baker fired a nine-yard touchdown pass to Izaiah Hartrup for the game-winner.

Quarterback DJ Williams and wide receiver Keontez Lewis earned Missouri Valley Football Conference player-of-the-week honors following breakout performances in their team's recent win over No. 12 Incarnate Word. Williams completed 19-of-27 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns, also leading his team in rushing with 79 yards including a TD run. Lewis caught eight passes for 148 yards and one touchdown, adding another score on a 57-yard end-around.

Wide receivers Keontez Lewis (148 yards) and Nah'shawn Hezekiah (118 yards) became just the ninth duo in school history to record over 100 receiving yards each in a single game during their match against Incarnate Word. Their combined total of 266 yards ranks second among such duos.

Sophomore linebacker Ben Bogle leads the nation with nine tackles for loss and ranks second nationally with five-and-a-half sacks this season, trailing only Idaho's Keyshawn James-Newby.

Quarterback DJ Williams ranks fifth nationally in Points Responsible For with eight touchdowns—four passing and four rushing—and is eighth in total offense with an average of 271 yards per game.

Three of SIU’s four captains missed Saturday's game due to injuries: tight end Aidan Quinn, defensive end Dewey Greene, and linebacker Colin Bohanek. Center Chase Evans was the only captain who played against Incarnate Word.

The Salukis rank third nationally in sacks with thirteen and fifteenth in rushing defense, allowing an average of just over one hundred yards per game.

Southern Illinois has been nationally ranked for seventeen consecutive weeks, appearing in all thirteen polls released last year as high as number five, and all four polls released this year as high as number seven.