Receiver Jay Jones (13) and running back Chandler Chapman (8) celebrate after Southern Illinois scored on its opening drive Saturday at Saluki Stadium. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Dan Verdun
As if losing in five overtimes wasn’t bitter enough, Saturday’s 53-51 home defeat to South Dakota likely ended the Southern Illinois football team’s dreams of an FCS postseason berth.
“You just feel gutted walking off the field like that,” SIU head coach Nick Hill said. “They made one more play than us. I really feel for the guys. Like I told them in there (locker room), there’s not many words that I can say in here and elaborate.”
The visiting Coyotes defeated the Salukis for their third straight win. South Dakota boosted its record to 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
SIU (6-5, 3-4) has lost two straight games. Since the Salukis’ season-opening win came against a non-Division I opponent (D-II Thomas More), SIU can only claim six D-I wins should the Salukis defeat rival Illinois State in Normal in the Nov. 22 season finale. That total would more than likely keep Southern out of the postseason picture.
The loss followed a pattern that has haunted the Salukis this fall. SIU jumped out to a 10-point halftime lead, built it to 17 early in the third quarter and then surrendered a 20-0 run by the Coyotes.
“It’s going to be tough against the teams that we’re playing to score every drive. Nobody around the country is doing that,” Hill said. “There were moments in this season where we have not been able to find that drive when we really need it.
“It would have been big. We could have got some (defensive stops). It’s a team game.”
SIU did manage to rally and force overtime when kicker Paul Geelen nailed a 36-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining in regulation.
“This one stings a lot, at home, (we) needed it,” Hill said. “We’ll regroup. We’ve got one more game. We’ll have this team ready to compete, but right now it’s just . . . That one hurts.”
Quarterbacks D.J. Williams (SIU) and Aidan Bouman (USD) dueled throughout the game. Williams passed for 303 yards and four touchdowns, while Bouman threw for 300 yards and five TDs. Each was intercepted once.
The teams combined for 979 yards of total offense: USD with 524 and SIU with 455. The Salukis averaged 7.1 yards per play compared to 6.7 for the Coyotes.
“I’m definitely disappointed, but at the end of the day I’ve just got to stay positive,” receiver Jay Jones said. “We just haven’t been consistent the last two weeks.”
South Dakota outrushed SIU, 224-148. Freshman Carson Fletcher rushed for a career-high 104 yards on 19 carries. Redshirt sophomore L.J. Phillips Jr., who entered Saturday as the No. 3 rusher in FCS, ran for 92 yards and a touchdown.
SIU has not beaten South Dakota since a 22-10 win in Vermillion in 2021.
Game changers
2nd OT: Williams connected with Vinson Davis III for a 25-yard score. Williams then found tight end Ryan Schwendeman for the two-point conversion to force a third overtime.
5th OT: William’s two-point pass, intended for Fabian McCray, failed, opening the door for South Dakota.
5th OT: South Dakota won, 53-51, when sophomore Larenzo Fenner caught a two-point pass from Bouman.
Standout Salukis
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the the top three Southern Illinois players in the game:
Williams, QB: The fifth-year senior passed for 303 yards and four touchdowns. He led the Salukis with 51 rushing yards. Williams also scored the two-point play to force the fifth overtime.
Jones, WR: The senior led SIU with 108 receiving yards and two touchdowns on three catches.
Davis III, WR: The senior topped SIU with five receptions. He amassed 74 yards and caught a TD pass.
What it means
SIU’s loss likely proves to be the nail in the coffin of the Salukis’ FCS playoff hopes.
What’s next
Southern Illinois travels to Hancock Stadium in Normal to face rival Illinois State at noon Nov. 22. The No. 13/14 Redbirds outlasted No. 15/16 South Dakota State, 35-21, Saturday in Brookings.
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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