Junior Zach Gibson (14) had three catches for 71 yards in the Salukis’ 33-20 win last Saturday. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Dan Verdun
After a wild weekend in which three of the top six ranked teams in FCS lost, Southern Illinois leaped up several spots in the national polls.
But that doesn’t matter to SIU head coach Nick Hill.
“Four games in, no one really knows these teams,” he said of the polls. “Our focus is on Youngstown State. It’s a team that has beaten us the last two years. They have our full attention.”
SIU has also gained attention – national attention. The Salukis moved up five spots in the FCS Coaches Poll to No. 5 and four spots in the STATS Perform FCS Poll to No. 6.
Hill’s Salukis (4-0, 1-0) are off to their best start since 2007. SIU opened its Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule with a 33-20 win over Missouri State last Saturday in Carbondale.
Now, it’s off to Youngstown, Ohio, a place Hill has “been to many times as a player and as a coach.”
This week’s opponent
Youngstown State (2-2, 0-1) fell out of the FCS Top 25 following a 44-41 loss at Northern Iowa.
“They can move the ball in a variety of ways,” Hill said of the Penguins.
Quarterback Mitch Davidson leads the way. The senior engineered fourth-quarter comebacks wins over SIU, Illinois State and Western Illinois last season.
“They have another good back (Tyshon King) this year (with) good skill,” Hill said.
King, who prepped at Kankakee Bishop McNamara, is a transfer from Division II Northern Michigan. The senior is averaging 7.6 yards per carry and has scored six touchdowns for Youngstown State.
“They’re good up front. They have one of the best offensive linemen (Jaison Williams) in the league,” Hill said.
Williams – a tackle – was selected as first team all-MVFC in the preseason along with receiver Bryce Oliver and defensive end Dylan Wudke.
“We can talk all we want about Southern Illinois,” Youngstown State head coach Doug Phillips said. “I think they’re a great program, great team, fifth-ranked team, great run defense, but we’ve got to fix us.”
(Kickoff: 5 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: CILFM.com)
Key matchup to watch
SIU protection vs. YSU pass rush
The Penguins have bagged 12 sacks this season, which ties them for 14th nationally.
Keeping Saluki QB Nic Baker in a clean pocket goes a long way to producing an SIU win.
What’s at stake?
A Southern Illinois victory not only moves the Salukis to a 2-0 start in the MVFC standings but also keeps momentum in their favor.
“When it comes to conference (games), you know what time it is. It’s a different feeling,” said senior Justin Strong, played a key role in last week’s win.
A Saluki win would also mark the first victory at Youngstown State since 2020. SIU has lost three of the last four games at Youngstown State’s Stambaugh Stadium.
Quick hits
QB Nic Baker enters the game needing 122 yards to pass Joel Sambursky (2002-05) as SIU’s career leader in passing yards. … Hill said running backs Ro Elliott (toe) and Jaelin Benefield (groin) continue to work through injuries sustained last week. Strong, who missed the last five games a year ago, caught five passes for 50 yards and rushed for a touchdown. … Receiver D’Ante’ Cox, who left the Southeast Missouri game Sept. 16 with a knee injury will not play against Youngstown State. “We got pretty good news as far as his outlook goes,” Hill said. “As far as long term goes, the outlook looks good.” … Hill added, “We play a physical game. There’s going to be injuries. There’s going to be people that get worn down, so your depth is tested but that’s not an excuse for any team in the country . . . That’s our job as coaches, to have people ready regardless of age.”
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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