Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois University football team, ranked No. 15/16 nationally, will travel to Youngstown, Ohio, this Saturday to face No. 21/22 Youngstown State in a Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT at Stambaugh Stadium and will be available for viewing on ESPN+ and local radio.

In their previous outing, Southern Illinois defeated Murray State 27-7 in Kentucky, marking the fewest points the Salukis have allowed in a game since their season opener against Thomas More. The team’s defense forced three turnovers, including two interceptions by safety Cejai Parson and a fumble recovery by Caden Reeves.

Running back Edward Robinson led the rushing attack with 109 yards, while quarterback DJ Williams added 90 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Williams also threw for 171 yards and connected with running back Lem Wash for a 40-yard touchdown pass—Wash’s first receiving touchdown of his collegiate career.

Reflecting on the win over Murray State, the press release stated: “Southern Illinois battled the elements in its last game on Saturday at Murray State, defeating the Racers, 27-7, on a rainy night in Kentucky. The seven points are the fewest SIU has allowed in a game since allowing three vs. Thomas More in the season-opener.”

Southern Illinois holds an all-time record of 14-20-1 against Youngstown State and is seeking its first road win over the Penguins since March 2021. In their most recent meeting last November, SIU overcame a 28-point deficit to defeat Youngstown State 37-33.

Youngstown State enters Saturday’s contest with a record of 5-4 overall and averages 33.7 points per game this season. Quarterback Beau Brungard has passed for over 2,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 yards so far this year.

Cejai Parson made a notable return after missing time due to injury by recording two interceptions against Murray State: “Veteran safety Cejai Parson...made a triumphant return to the lineup on Saturday night at Murray State. Parson recorded the first two interceptions of his career in the win to go along with four tackles.”

The Salukis’ ground game remains strong; they have rushed for over 200 yards in five games this season and are undefeated when reaching that mark. Robinson has become more involved recently with nearly 200 rushing yards across his last two appearances.

Quarterback DJ Williams continues to climb up program records with his rushing performance: “Senior quarterback DJ Williams rushed for two touchdowns in his return to Murray State, giving him 13 on the year. This ranks second among all quarterbacks in the FCS and are the most by a Saluki since 2019 (Javon Williams, 17).”

Defensively, senior cornerback Jeremiah McClendon has tallied career highs with tackles and pass breakups this season.

After limiting Murray State to just over 120 passing yards last week, SIU now allows an average of just above 180 passing yards per game—second-best in its conference—and has forced a total of fifteen turnovers this year.

Southern Illinois moved up one spot to No.15 in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll after their victory last week; they also advanced from No.17 to No.16 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.

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