Southern Illinois running back Chandler Chapman scored on a 39-yard touchdown during the Salukis’ 55-27 win against Indiana State Saturday in Carbondale. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Dan Verdun
The Southern Illinois homecoming doesn’t officially happen until Oct. 25, but the Salukis started a bit early Saturday night in Carbondale.
Playing its first home game since the Aug. 30 season opener, SIU throttled Indiana State, 55-27, in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both teams.
The Salukis (4-1, 1-0) rang up 656 yards of total offense, marking the second time SIU exceeded 600 yards this season. SIU rushed for 430 yards, the eighth best in program history.
“It starts up front with the offensive line and the tight ends,” SIU head coach Nick Hill told Saluki Radio. “(Center) Noah (Fenske) needs a lot of credit for his defensive identifications.”
Indiana State (2-3, 0-1) lost starting quarterback Keegan Patterson to a second-quarter injury. Sophomore Brock Riddle came on in relief. The Sycamores have lost 15 straight road games dating back to last season.
Indiana State junior Nick Osho led all rushers with 211 yards and two touchdowns on 28 attempts.
Duquesne transfer Edward Robinson topped SIU with 124 rushing yards on nine carries, including an 81-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Junior college transfer Chandler Chapman added 93 yards and a TD on eight attempts.
“We have so much depth in that room,” Chapman said. “I feel like it can be anybody’s night. Tonight, it was mine.”
SIU had four players rush for 60 or more yards.
“There were some impressive runs with yards after contact,” said Hill, who surpassed his predecessor Dale Lennon on the all-time Saluki coaching wins list.
“That was fun,” linebacker Shug Walker said. “You’ve got to see what you’ve got inside you.”
Game changers
14:06, 1st quarter: QB D.J. Williams found Jay Jones for a 20-yard touchdown pass to cap Southern’s opening drive and stake the Salukis to a quick 7-0 lead. SIU has scored on its opening drive in all five games this season.
9:58, 1st quarter: Chapman broke loose for a 39-yard touchdown, giving SIU a 14-0 lead.
9:36, 2nd quarter: Vinson Davis III hauled in a career-long 83-yard touchdown, upping the Saluki lead to 31-7.
Standout Salukis
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the the top three Southern Illinois players in the game:
Williams, QB: The Thornton Township High School graduate accounted for 296 yards of total offense and four touchdowns. He threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 70 and a pair of scores.
Davis III, WR: The junior caught a team-high seven passes for 140 yards, including a career-best 83-yard touchdown.
Walker, LB: The senior racked up 12 tackles, seven solo efforts. He added two TFLs and two pass breakups.
What it means
Southern Illinois has won its MVFC opener four of the last five years.
What’s next
Southern Illinois travels to Fargo to play No. 1-ranked and defending national champion North Dakota State at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 11. The Bison defeated No. 6 Illinois State, 33-16, Saturday in Normal.
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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