SIU cornerback D.J. Johnson (9) returns his second quarter interception Saturday against Nicholls at Saluki Stadium. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Dan Verdun
CARBONDALE – Southern Illinois began the season in August with an impressive home win. On Saturday, the Salukis opened the FCS playoffs with a dominant shutout victory.
SIU (8-4) started fast and breezed to a 35-0 win against Nicholls (6-5), the Southland Conference champion. The Salukis advance to a second-round Dec. 2 matchup at No. 4 seed Idaho (8-3).
Saturday’s victory was the first shutout in SIU playoff history. It was also the first postseason game at Saluki Stadium, which opened in 2010.
On Sept. 2, SIU rolled to a 49-23 victory against fellow FCS playoff participant Austin Peay, a game in which the Salukis led, 35-0.
“It’s been a goal of ours as a program to play one (at home). Our guys came out and just weren’t satisfied with being here,” SIU head coach Nick Hill said.
The Salukis put their stamp on the game with touchdown-scoring drives on their first three possessions.
“I don’t know if we could have gotten off to a worse start,” Nicholls head coach Tim Rebowe said.
Complimenting that was a stifling SIU defense that not only kept Nicholls off the scoreboard but produced two interceptions and four sacks.
“They shut our running game down. They kept us off balance. They controlled the line of scrimmage. That’s where the game is won,” Rebowe said.
Hill was nearly at a loss for superlatives for his defense and coordinator Antonio James.
“The defense, I can’t say enough about,” Hill said. “Everyone (contributed). We could go down from top to bottom. Coach James had those guys ready to play.”
SIU nose tackle Kam Bowdry had two sacks and seven tackles. He helped the Salukis set the tone early.
“We know they like to get 2 (running back Jaylon Spears) and 19 (running back Collin Guggenheim) the ball early. We knew if we could get them out of the game, there would be pretty much no chance for them,” Bowdry said.
After taking a 21-0 first-quarter lead, SIU’s defense held Nicholls in check during the second quarter.
The Colonels had their best opportunity to get back into the game after SIU’s offense turned the ball over on downs at the Nicholls 39 midway through the period.
The Colonels drove 70 yards in 13 plays to the SIU 1-yard line. Knowing it would receive the second-half kickoff, Nicholls bypassed a field goal attempt to instead go for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal.
With both its top runners in the backfield, quarterback Pat McQuade faked a handoff to Guggenheim and kept the ball, running to his left. Saluki safety P.J. Jules and linebacker Zach Burrola combined to drop McQuade for a four-yard loss.
“For us to get that stop was just huge,” Hill said.
The Salukis took a knee and headed to halftime with their three-touchdown lead intact.
SIU’s defense, thanks to a Bowdry sack on third down, forced Nicholls to punt on its first drive of the third quarter.
Running back Ro Elliott broke away for a 60-yard touchdown run on SIU’s first snap of the second half. That score essentially put the game away for the Salukis.
Game changers
10:46, 1st quarter: Cornerback D.J. Johnson intercepted a McQuade pass at the Nicholls’ 45-yard line. His 10-yard return set up the Salukis for their second touchdown drive.
0:26, 2nd quarter: The Salukis stopped McQuade on a fourth-and-goal run, thwarting Nicholls’ best scoring opportunity.
12:10, 3rd quarter: Elliott broke a 60-yard touchdown run off the right side of the Saluki line.
What it means
The Salukis advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Top Dawgs
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Southern Illinois players in the game:
Elliott, RB: The senior rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries.
Johnson, CB: The Indianapolis native registered six tackles, an interception, a sack and a pass breakup.
Bowdry, NG: The senior had seven tackles and two sacks.
Quick hits: SIU held Nicholls to 75 rushing yards, its third-lowest total this season. Only Southeast Missouri (61 yards) and FBS Tulane (62) held the Colonels to fewer yards. … Guggenheim, Nicholls’ leading rusher this season, ran for 41 yards on 11 carries, his second lowest total of the year. His season-low of 38 yards came in Week 2 against FBS TCU. … Nicholls was flagged for four pass interference penalties, all in the first half. … SIU linebacker Branson Combs had a third-quarter interception, which led to a Nic Baker touchdown pass to Vinson Davis III seven plays later. The TD put SIU ahead, 35-0. … Baker became the Saluki career leader in touchdown passes on a first-quarter TD toss to tight end Aidan Quinn. Baker moved past Joel Sambursky on the all-time SIU list. … Combs and Burrola each had a team-high nine tackles. … Nicholls had a third-quarter scoring opportunity when the Colonels tackled SIU punter Nathan Torney at the Saluki 11, where he fell on an errant snap. Nicholls, however, gained only four yards on four plays, turning the ball over on downs. … SIU was 8-of-13 on third down conversions. The Salukis nearly doubled Nicholls in first downs, 23-12.
What’s next?
SIU heads to Moscow, Idaho, to play against the Vandals, the fourth-seed in the 24-team playoff bracket.
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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