Carbondale Reporter

After a 31-17 victory over Northern Iowa during Homecoming, the Southern Illinois University football team, currently ranked No. 16/17, will begin a two-game road trip starting with a matchup against Murray State on Saturday at 4 p.m. The game will take place at Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray, Kentucky.

In their recent win over Northern Iowa, the Salukis ended a two-game losing streak by dominating the first half and leading 24-3 at halftime. The defense limited Northern Iowa to just 247 total yards and only 127 passing yards. Southern Illinois forced five punts and one interception on UNI’s first six drives before allowing a field goal late in the second quarter.

Offensively, SIU recorded 433 total yards—203 passing and 230 rushing. This marked the fourth time this season that the Salukis have rushed for more than 200 yards; they are undefeated in those games. Quarterback DJ Williams completed 19 of 23 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, also adding 49 rushing yards. Edward Robinson ran for 86 yards and Chandler Chapman added 81 yards with a touchdown. Jay Jones led receivers with 52 yards and a touchdown, while tight end Aidan Quinn scored his first touchdown since last year.

Cornerback Jeremiah McClendon had a standout performance with an interception, sack, two pass breakups, and five tackles. The team’s four sacks tied their season high.

Southern Illinois leads its series against Murray State with a record of 12-10-2 and has won the last five meetings dating back to 2003. In these games, SIU has outscored Murray State by a combined margin of 220-40. Their most recent meeting was on November 23, 2024, when SIU won decisively, 62-0. Michael Lindauer set the school’s single-game passing touchdown record with seven in that contest.

Murray State enters Saturday’s game winless this season (0-8 overall; 0-4 conference) and is seeking its first victory since September of last year. The Racers are currently on a seventeen-game losing streak and have struggled in conference play since joining the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Senior Tae Marrero Jr. was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after returning an 81-yard punt for a touchdown against Northern Iowa—the program’s first punt return touchdown since October 21, 2006.

The Salukis’ running game continues to be among the best in their conference; they average over 200 rushing yards per game and rank fourteenth nationally in rushing offense. Both DJ Williams (479 rushing yards) and Chandler Chapman (396) are among the top twelve rushers in the conference.

Williams has scored eleven rushing touchdowns this season—second among FCS quarterbacks—and is approaching several school records for single-season quarterback rushing touchdowns and yardage. He ranks highly nationally in points responsible for (fifth), total offense (seventh), passing yards (eighteenth), and is tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns among all players at his position.

Wide receiver Vinson Davis III leads the conference with 653 receiving yards this year and is close to surpassing his career high from last season.

Defensively, Southern Illinois is second-best in its conference against the pass, allowing just under 188 passing yards per game. Defensive end Vontrell Chairse leads SIU with four sacks this season; linebacker Colin Bohanek leads with fifty tackles.

Southern Illinois remains ranked No.16 in this week’s Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and moved up to No.17 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.

Fans can follow updates about Southern Illinois football through social media channels or via mobile app.