Carbondale Reporter

On Senior Day, the Southern Illinois University football team lost a close game in five overtimes to South Dakota, with a final score of 53-51. The matchup took place in Carbondale and was Southern Illinois' first overtime contest since December 2023.

Head coach Nick Hill commented on the loss, saying, "You just feel gutted walking off the field like that. I just feel for the guys." He added after the game, "We just needed one more play. There's gonna be things throughout the game that shouldn't have come down to that. We've gotta be able to put teams away."

Southern Illinois gained 455 yards on offense, including 307 passing yards and 148 rushing yards. South Dakota finished with 524 total yards—300 through the air and 224 on the ground.

The Salukis started strong with quarterback DJ Williams connecting with senior Jay Jones for a 63-yard touchdown on their opening drive. Jones set a new career-high with his fifth receiving touchdown of the season. Both teams continued to trade scores throughout regulation, leading to a tie at halftime and again at the end of regulation after kicker Paul Geelen made a field goal as time expired.

In overtime, both teams exchanged touchdowns before entering multiple extra periods. Each side had opportunities but ultimately South Dakota secured victory in the fifth overtime period.

With this result, Southern Illinois now holds an overall record of 6-5 and is 3-4 in conference play. The team will next face Illinois State on November 22.

Fans can follow updates about Southern Illinois football through their official social media channels or by downloading their mobile app from either the App Store or Google Play Store.