Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois University football team will host No. 17/22 South Dakota on Saturday for its final home game of the 2025 season. The matchup, set to begin at 12 p.m. at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, will also serve as Senior Day and the annual Military Appreciation Game.

A ceremony honoring 27 student-athletes is scheduled to start at 11:35 a.m. In recognition of military service, veterans and active-duty members can receive free admission by showing military identification at the ticket office. Guests accompanying military personnel are eligible for a 40 percent discount on their tickets.

The Salukis enter the game with a record of 6-4 overall and 3-3 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play, currently ranked No. 21 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and No. 23 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.

Southern Illinois is coming off a high-scoring loss to Youngstown State, where they were defeated 48-38 despite leading early in the second quarter. Quarterback DJ Williams had a career performance with 361 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, along with a rushing touchdown. Running back Edward Robinson led with 85 rushing yards, while tight end Ryan Schwendeman returned from injury to record five receptions for a career-high 96 yards.

Williams’ passing total ranks as the seventeenth-most in program history for a single game and is the highest since September 2023.

The Salukis have faced South Dakota ten times previously, with the Coyotes holding a slight advantage in wins (6-4). The series is tied when played in Carbondale (2-2). Southern Illinois has lost three consecutive games to South Dakota; their last win over the Coyotes was during the first round of the FCS Playoffs in November 2021.

South Dakota enters Saturday’s contest ranked second in conference standings with an overall record of 7-4 and a conference mark of 5-2. The Coyotes have recently secured victories against North Dakota and South Dakota State—both teams ranked eighth nationally at those times—and feature running back L.J. Phillips Jr., who is third nationally in rushing yards this season.

"All veterans and active-duty military members get a free ticket to the game. Show your military ID at the ticket office to receive your free ticket. All guests of military will receive a 40 percent discount of their ticket," states information provided by Southern Illinois University Athletics.

Senior Day festivities will recognize several players who have spent their entire collegiate careers at SIU, including brothers Caden and Peyton Reeves, Aidan Quinn, Lashaun Lester, Derek Harden Jr., and Jay Jones.

Statistically, Southern Illinois ranks among national leaders offensively with an average of nearly 35 points per game (fourth-best in conference) and over 200 rushing yards per game (sixteenth nationally). The team has allowed only eleven sacks this year—among the lowest totals nationwide—and boasts strong efficiency on third and fourth down conversions.

Quarterback DJ Williams continues his standout season with over 2,300 passing yards, eighteen touchdowns through the air, four interceptions, plus more than six hundred rushing yards and fourteen scores on the ground—a mark that ties him for ninth-most rushing touchdowns in SIU single-season history.

On defense, senior cornerback Jeremiah McClendon leads with eleven pass breakups—tied for most in conference play—and linebacker Chris Presto recently recovered SIU’s sixteenth turnover this season. Seniors Shug Walker and Colin Bohanek lead tackling efforts for Southern Illinois.

Fans interested in following or attending Saturday’s events can find additional information through official university social media accounts or mobile applications.