Quarterback Nic Baker (8) was SIU’s leading rusher with 31 net yards on 15 carries in the Salukis’ 17-10 home loss to No. 1 South Dakota State. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Dan Verdun
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the 1983 national championship Southern Illinois football team. That group was honored last weekend in Carbondale, giving current Saluki head coach Nick Hill the opportunity to get some sage advice from a predecessor.
Rey Dempsey, the head coach of the ’83 Salukis, was among those back for the weekend events.
“One of the highlights of my career is having Coach Dempsey back here,” Hill said. “I’ve known him since I was a player here (2004-07). He’s always been great when he comes back and with phone calls throughout the year.”
Both men share a religious faith that goes far beyond the game they played and coached.
“He’s such a man of faith,” Hill said of Dempsey. “Sometimes I get calls and he’s just praying for me.”
The 38-year-old Hill invited the 87-year-old Dempsey to sit in on a staff meeting leading up to last Saturday’s homecoming game with No. 1-ranked and defending FCS champion South Dakota State.
“The one thing that he said that struck me and I shared with our team was that even with that ’83 team, he (Dempsey) felt like there was more. They never played their best game. And he felt like he never coached his best game.”
Keep in mind that the 1983 Salukis steamrolled through the regular season to a program-best 13-1 record and playoff run in which they outscored opponents, 89-21. SIU thumped ninth-ranked Western Carolina, 43-7, in the title game.
“So, you’re always chasing more to get just a little bit better. So that’s what we’re after,” Hill said. “That starts this week.”
This week’s opponent
Western Illinois (0-7, 0-4) is mired in the longest losing streak in Leatherneck history. WIU has dropped 20 consecutive games, dating back to 2021.
Quarterback Matt Morrissey, a transfer from Northern Iowa, gives WIU something it didn’t have last season.
“They’ve settled in a quarterback. He’s definitely got some ability,” Hill said. “Last year they were changing quarterbacks a few different times.”
Despite Western’s losing string, Hill pointed out the Leathernecks “have been in some games.”
“Look at the (season-opening) New Mexico State game. It was a two-score game into the third quarter,” Hill said. “(Against) Southern Utah and Lindenwood, they had a chance to win. They had a chance to win against Illinois State in the fourth quarter.
“Their schedule doesn’t allow for (any breaks). We’ve been there before. It’s a grind to get up off the mat because you have to do it in the best conference in the country . . . Some things get skewed there (record-wise) when you’re trying to get going.”
When SIU last visited Macomb’s Hanson Field two years ago, the Salukis squeaked out a 31-30 overtime win.
(Kickoff: 3 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: CILFM.com)
Key matchup to watch
SIU run game vs. WIU defense
The Saluki ground game has been slowed by injuries in recent weeks. SIU ranks 86th out of the 122 FCS teams with a 114.9 yards-per-game average.
Western, meanwhile, is ranked 119th nationally against the run. The Leathernecks give up 239.7 yards per game.
What’s at stake?
With four games remaining, a win puts SIU (5-2, 2-2) back on track in its march toward the FCS playoffs.
The Division I Football Championship Committee will release its FCS Top 10 during the College Football Live broadcast each Thursday on ESPN2 for the remainder of the regular season. This will serve as a snapshot as to where the committee has teams ranked heading into the final four weeks of the regular season.
Quick hits
The Salukis are ranked No. 11 in the Stats Perform FCS polls and No. 12 in the AFCA poll. … Saturday’s game marks the final time the two rivals will meet as conference opponents. The Leathernecks are leaving the MVFC for the Ohio Valley next fall. … While WIU ranks dead last in rushing offense (43.9 yards per game), SIU ranks second among FCS leaders in stopping the run (80.1 yards/game). … The Salukis are third in sacks (3.29 sacks/game) and 13th in scoring defense (19.0 points/game). … SIU won the last three meetings with Western Illinois and 16 of the last 20. … Western leads the all-time series, 36-26-4. … The two schools first met on the football field in 1933 with Southern posting a 45-0 win.
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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