Winners of four straight games to open the season, Southern Illinois continues to take a “one game at a time” approach. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Dan Verdun
Head coach Nick Hill’s Southern Illinois Salukis are off to their best start since he played quarterback in Carbondale 16 years ago.
Yet, Hill isn’t getting caught up in getting too far ahead.
“There’s different storms coming on the horizon,” Hill said following Saturday’s 33-20 win against Missouri State at Saluki Stadium.
SIU (4-0, 1-0) should well move up when the national FCS polls are released later today – especially since there were upsets in the Top 10.
No. 2 North Dakota State suffered a 24-19 loss at home to previously unranked South Dakota. No. 5 William & Mary lost, 14-6, at unranked Elon.
No. 6 Holy Cross, of the Patriot League, fell to the Ivy League’s Harvard, 38-28.
Sacramento State, the eighth-ranked team in FCS, edged one-win Northern Arizona, 31-30.
One focus
But again, Hill and his staff aren’t about to begin making postseason plans.
“My one focus is, and I’ve already thought about it, we’re going on the road to Youngstown (State) where we didn’t close a game out last year,” Hill said in reference to SIU letting a two-touchdown lead evaporate in a 28-21 defeat.
That loss knocked the Salukis out of playoff consideration and handed them their first losing season (5-6) in four years.
“(That) kind of ruined our offseason feeling a little bit,” Hill said, “and we talked about that all offseason. We have to go there (to Youngstown) in back-to-back years. It’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
One of many to come, as Hill pointed out.
“Four wins doesn’t get you to the playoffs, I know that,” he said.
It’s well known to his players too.
“Realistically, this is when the season starts,” linebacker Branson Combs said of the Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule. “You could go 0-3 (in nonconference games) and win every conference game and get a (championship) ring at the end of the regular season.”
Receiver Vinson Davis III, a transfer from Charleston Southern, talked about the Salukis’ energy level week in and week out.
“We just have guys that love football,” he said. “When we get out there, we’re ready.”
Running back Justin Strong, who missed the last five games a season ago with an injury, called this season’s Salukis “relentless.”
“It doesn’t matter how the game’s gotta be. It doesn’t matter if it’s 7-6; we’re going to play until the last snap. We just love to play as a group,” he said.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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