Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's football team faced a challenging game against Missouri State, ending in a 38-17 defeat. The Salukis attempted a comeback after trailing 24-0, scoring 14 consecutive points to narrow the gap early in the third quarter. However, they could only add a late field goal as Missouri State maintained their unbeaten streak in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

SIU head coach Nick Hill acknowledged the team's efforts: "I like the grit, the fight, to be down 24-0, to come back and make it a game there in the third quarter," he said. "We just have to find a way to complete a comeback."

Southern's offense struggled initially, failing to secure a first down until midway through the second quarter. A breakthrough occurred on their final possession of the half when freshman quarterback Jake Curry led a 75-yard drive culminating in kicker Paul Geelen's touchdown from a fake field goal play.

Hill praised Geelen's athleticism: "Paul's an athletic kid," he stated. "He played multiple sports growing up. He can run; he's one of the fastest guys on our team."

The Salukis opened the second half with another scoring drive led by Curry, who completed his third career start with mixed results—15-of-33 passing for 105 yards and an interception while rushing for 85 yards.

"Jake's scrambles and quarterback draws — any way we can spread them out and run the football to find success in the run game," Hill commented.

Despite being put under pressure frequently, Southern's defense limited Missouri State’s potent offense to 357 total yards and achieved four sacks alongside two red zone turnovers.

"I was proud of our defense," Hill noted. "We got back-to-back stops to start the game... That's a good offense, probably one of the best in our league."