Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois University football team, ranked No. 14/17 in the national polls, is set to continue its three-game road trip with a matchup against UT Martin on Saturday, September 13. The game will be held at Hardy M. Graham Stadium in Martin, Tennessee, and is scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

In their previous outing, the Salukis lost to Purdue by a score of 34-17. Southern Illinois scored touchdowns on its first two drives but was unable to find the end zone again until a field goal in the fourth quarter. The game drew an attendance of 54,663 at West Lafayette, Indiana, marking the fifth-largest crowd SIU has played before in program history and one of eight games with more than 50,000 spectators.

Southern Illinois accumulated 283 yards of total offense against Purdue—202 passing and 81 rushing yards—and did not commit any turnovers for the second consecutive game. The defense forced one turnover via an interception by Vinny Pierre Jr. Quarterback DJ Williams ran for a seven-yard touchdown and later connected with tight end Ryan Schwendeman for another score. Kicker Paul Geelen added a career-long 53-yard field goal late in the game.

The Salukis have excelled in turnover margin early this season, ranking second nationally among FCS teams with a margin of plus-three per game. They have forced six turnovers through two games while not surrendering any themselves. Only Youngstown State shares this distinction within the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). Southern’s six takeaways are tied for fourth-most nationally.

Defensively, under new coordinator Lee Pronschinske, SIU ranks fourth in its conference and tied for 23rd nationally in scoring defense at 18.5 points allowed per game over two contests. The team also sits fourth in total defense within the MVFC and is ranked No. 17 among FCS programs overall by allowing just over 282 yards per contest.

Senior quarterback DJ Williams has returned from injury to start strong this season, completing nearly two-thirds of his passes for 429 yards and four touchdowns through two games while adding two rushing scores as well. His performance places him among conference leaders both through the air and on the ground.

Linebacker Andrew Behm recorded 16 tackles against Purdue—a mark that ties him for the 21st-highest single-game total in school history—and now stands tied for No.13 nationally with 22 tackles so far this year after missing much of last season due to injury.

In terms of rankings movement, Southern Illinois dropped from No.14 to No.17 in this week’s Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll following their loss but climbed from No.15 to No.14 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.

Saturday’s contest marks the tenth meeting between SIU and UT Martin; Southern holds an all-time series lead at eight wins to one loss and enters on a four-game winning streak versus UT Martin dating back to their last defeat against them in 1994 (35-26). Their most recent matchup was won by SIU (28-14) on September 14, 2019.

Fans can follow updates about Saluki football via social media platforms including Twitter (@SIU_Football), Facebook (Facebook.com/SalukiFootball), Instagram (@SIU_Football), or through downloading the “Salukis” mobile app available on major app stores.