Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University will host Youngstown State on Military Appreciation Day this Saturday at Saluki Stadium. The event, scheduled for 12 p.m., offers veterans and active-duty military personnel a free ticket upon presentation of their military ID.

Fans have the opportunity to purchase tickets for $10 using the promo code "FLAG." This offer includes a red, white, and blue Saluki car decal sponsored by Heartland HVAC. Additional decals can be purchased for $5 each. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a Military Appreciation rally towel, and patriotic-themed SIU gear will be available at the team store.

The history between Southern Illinois and Youngstown State has seen the Penguins winning six out of the last eight encounters. The last victory for Southern Illinois was during the 2021 spring season when they overcame an early deficit to win 30-22.

Southern Illinois has played one of the most challenging schedules in college football this year. According to WarrenNolan.com, it ranks as the toughest in the nation, while Massey power ratings place it third. Their opponent, Youngstown State, follows closely with the second-toughest schedule per WarrenNolan.com.

Jake Curry, a true freshman quarterback from Edwardsville, Illinois, has recently taken over starting duties for Southern Illinois. He is the first true freshman quarterback to start for SIU since Brendon Prenger in 1989. Injuries have sidelined quarterbacks DJ Williams and Hunter Simmons.

In response to these injuries, Michael Lindauer was activated under an NCAA waiver after initially retiring to become a graduate assistant coach. In recent games, Lindauer completed five out of ten passes with one touchdown and rushed five times for 71 yards.

In their last game against Missouri State, Southern Illinois made efforts to recover from a significant deficit but fell short despite several key performances from players like Paul Geelen and Jeremiah McClendon.

Sophomore linebacker Ben Bogle currently leads his league in tackles for loss (TFL) with 14.0 and is seventh nationally in this category. Safeties Ubayd Steed and Iverson Brown are notable contributors on defense with significant tackle counts.

Paul Geelen manages both kicking and punting duties effectively ranking seventeenth nationally in punting average (43.8).