Freshman Jerrian Parker (33) led SIU with 20 rushing yards in Saturday’s loss at No. 3 South Dakota State. (Photo by Saluki Communications)
By Dan Verdun
Having been to the playoffs three of the last four seasons, Southern Illinois got a firsthand glimpse of a likely deep postseason run this year by the defending FCS national champion.
South Dakota State, ranked No. 3 in the national polls, breezed to a 41-10 win against SIU Saturday at Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, S.D.
“That’s an outstanding team,” SIU head coach Nick said on SIUSalukis.com “That’s the level they play at consistently each week.”
South Dakota State (9-2 overall, 6-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference) improved its playoff resume, while Southern Illinois (3-8, 1-6) has one game remaining on its schedule.
SDSU exploded with four second-quarter touchdowns, staking the Jackrabbits to a 31-0 halftime lead.
By game’s end, South Dakota State had amassed 503 yards of total offense.
SIU, meanwhile, produced 233 offensive yards with only 34 coming on the ground.
“We weren’t good enough to make it a game today,” Hill said. “We didn’t make it difficult on them and put them in tough situations.”
Plagued by injuries all season, the Salukis again faced adversity Saturday. Freshman quarterback Jake Curry, who saw limited practice time with a hamstring injury during the week, played only the first half.
“It was a game-time decision with him,” Hill said. “If the game was on Wednesday or Thursday, he probably would’ve been ruled out. He gave it a go in the first half, but the doctor said it’s putting him at risk to keep going.”
Thus, backup Michael Lindauer – added to the roster from his graduate assistant position a month ago – played the second half. He completed 12-of-17 passes for 145 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown to Allen Middleton.
Making things even more difficult for SIU, linebackers Chris Presto and Shug Walker did not play because they were in concussion protocol.
Game changers
0:29, 2nd quarter: Kirby Voorhees scored on a 4-yard touchdown run. After the extra point, South Dakota State lead, 31-0, at halftime.
3:16, 3rd quarter: Lindauer threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Middleton to get SIU on the scoreboard.
2:17, 4th quarter: Paul Geelen kicked a 36-yard field goal for the Salukis.
Top ‘Dawgs
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Southern Illinois players in the game:
Lindauer, QB: The Evansville native passed for 148 yards and a touchdown in the second half.
Middleton, WR: The redshirt freshman led SIU with five receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown.
Ubayd Steed, P: The senior led SIU with 11 tackles. It marked his fifth double-digit tackle game in the last six contests.
What it means
SIU – playing the third most difficult schedule in FCS according to the Massey rankings – lost for the seventh time in the last eight games.
What’s next?
Southern Illinois finishes its 2024 schedule by hosting Murray State Nov. 23 in a Missouri Valley Football Conference game.
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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