Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University faced a challenging defeat against Illinois State, losing 45-10 at Saluki Stadium. The game added to the Salukis' injury woes as they lost quarterback Hunter Simmons to a broken tibia in the third quarter, ending his season. The team was already without quarterbacks DJ Williams and ET Harris due to injuries.

The Salukis, ranked No. 19 with a record of 2-4, have now lost three consecutive games after starting the season with two wins. Their opponents, the No. 18-ranked Redbirds from Illinois State, improved their record to 4-2.

"It's frustrating, it's tough," stated SIU head coach Nick Hill. "Fans should be frustrated. There's nobody more frustrated than me or the players in the locker room. It ultimately falls on my shoulders to make sure that the guys are ready to go."

Despite out-gaining Illinois State with 487 yards compared to 407 yards, Southern struggled in scoring within the red zone and committed penalties totaling 109 yards compared to one penalty by Illinois State.

Defensively, SIU allowed six touchdowns of over 20 yards each and missed two field goal attempts during the game.

"There's going to be no unraveling; we're going to stick together," Hill expressed optimism about overcoming challenges ahead. "That's how you dig yourself out of these holes: with grit and fight."

Simmons' injury occurred during a five-yard run when his leg was caught under a defender at ISU's 11-yard line, leading him off-field in an air cast.

True freshman Jake Curry replaced Simmons and completed eight of nineteen passes for 133 yards but threw two interceptions. His debut drive ended with Paul Geelen's successful field goal reducing their deficit slightly.

Curry is set for his first start next week against No. 2 North Dakota State as SIU faces its fifth consecutive ranked opponent.

"We'll rally behind Jake," affirmed Hill about supporting Curry moving forward into upcoming matches.

Hill reiterated commitment towards team unity amid current adversities: "We'll stick together and keep fighting and try getting this thing turned around."