Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois University football team, currently ranked No. 8/9 in national polls, will travel to Fargo, North Dakota this Saturday to face the undefeated and top-ranked North Dakota State Bison. The game is scheduled for October 11 at 2:30 p.m. Central Time at the Fargodome.

Last weekend, Southern Illinois achieved a significant win over Indiana State with a score of 55-27. This marks the first time since 2007 that the Salukis have scored more than 50 points in consecutive games. The attendance for Family Weekend reached 10,132, which is the highest turnout since September 2024.

The team had a standout rushing performance against Indiana State, totaling 430 yards on the ground—the most ever recorded by Southern Illinois at Saluki Stadium and eighth-most in program history. SIU scored touchdowns on each of its first three drives and led Indiana State by a wide margin throughout both halves.

Quarterback DJ Williams completed 19 of 31 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 70 yards and two scores. Running back Edward Robinson contributed with 124 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Chander Chapman added two touchdowns as well.

Receiver Vinson Davis III led with seven receptions for 140 yards and one touchdown. On defense, linebackers Shug Walker and Ben Fiegel each recorded a team-high of twelve tackles, with Walker also making two tackles for loss and breaking up two passes. Defensive end Donnie Wingate made his first career interception during the game.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s matchup, this will be the eighteenth meeting between Southern Illinois and North Dakota State, with SIU holding a record of four wins and thirteen losses in previous contests. The Salukis have not beaten NDSU since their victory in October 2021 when they won by a score of 38-14 against then-No.1-ranked Bison. However, Southern Illinois has never secured an away win against North Dakota State in Fargo.

Senior linebacker Shug Walker was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week after tying his career high with twelve tackles against Indiana State—a feat he last accomplished during the final game of the previous season.

Historically, Southern Illinois is two-for-seven when playing teams ranked No.1 nationally; their only road win over such an opponent came in October 2005 at Western Kentucky.

DJ Williams has emerged as one of the top quarterbacks nationwide through five games this season, ranking among national leaders in points responsible for (second), total offense (third), passing efficiency (tenth), passing touchdowns (tied twelfth), passing yards (twenty-first), and rushing yards (thirty-sixth). He leads both his conference in passing yards and total offense so far this year.

Wide receiver Vinson Davis III has posted back-to-back games with over one hundred receiving yards for the first time in his career—185 yards at SEMO followed by another strong performance versus Indiana State—placing him ninth nationally in receiving yards this season.

Defensively, SIU is tied for first place within its conference—and sixth nationally—in turnover margin at plus-1.20 per game while forcing multiple turnovers in three out of five games played thus far.

Southern Illinois continues to rise in national rankings; they are now eighth in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and ninth in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll—one of four Missouri Valley Football Conference teams currently inside the top ten.