Quarterback D.J. Williams has shrugged off bumps and bruises throughout the season to pass for 22 touchdowns and rush for 14 more for the Salukis. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Barry Bottino
With 36 touchdowns this season, quarterback D.J. Williams’ impact on the Southern Illinois offense is indisputable.
The senior ranks second in the nation in points responsible for (222), is the team’s leading rusher (624 yards, 14 TDs) and is 313 yards away from becoming only the fourth player in SIU history to throw for 3,000 yards in a season.
“I think it’s one of the best seasons that Saluki quarterbacks have ever had,” said SIU head coach Nick Hill, who is one of those 3,000-yard passers. “He’s been outstanding.”
The SIU quarterback’s skills will be on display Saturday when the No. 24 Salukis (6-5 overall, 3-4 Missouri Valley Football Conference) finish the regular season in Normal against No. 11 Illinois State (8-3, 5-2).
Williams hasn’t just set himself apart on the field. The senior takes pride in connecting with people and building relationships. This season, he’s done plenty of both.
“D.J. is the kind of guy who takes the linemen out to eat,” said Noah Fenske, SIU’s center.
Whether it’s a meal with the guys who protect him or a training room conversation with an injured teammate, Williams sees it all as part of his job as someone who was chosen a team captain.
“This is the ultimate respect and the ultimate joy, having people follow behind you and having so much faith in you, believing in you through it all,” he said. “We’ve built so many memories and built so many bonds. I love this team. It’s a brotherhood that will last forever.”
Being a captain is something Williams said he doesn’t take lightly.
His experience as a college player – from season-ending injuries to transferring from Murray State to SIU – has provided a wealth of lessons.
That makes starting conversations easier with anyone across the roster.
“I’ve been at the bottom of depth charts,” Williams said. “I’ve been in battles for positions. I’ve had the highest of highs and times where everybody is looking at you when you’re not producing. That’s why I’ve been able to connect with people.”
Williams said the team has “support groups” for players to be heard and build bonds with teammates. Those talks are the foundation of Williams’s impact.
“Talking really works,” he said. “People feel like you understand them. I like to have that real connection. If you don’t have that connection, they’re not going to trust you.”
That goes for everyone in the Saluki program.
“The people who are injured, I talk to them all the time to just check on them. That’s because I know how it gets in that valley when nobody else is checking on you,” he said. “Extending a hand to my brothers is the best thing I can do.”
Hill said his starting QB has also earned trust by showing up amid the bumps and bruises a season can bring.
“He’s been banged up the whole year,” Hill said. “The toughness that he’s shown the last six weeks of not missing a practice, getting himself ready to go (is admirable).”
This week’s opponent
Illinois State’s offense is led by QB Tommy Rittenhouse, who has thrown a career-best 28 touchdowns and rushed for five more scores. “Rittenhouse is playing like a senior quarterback,” Hill said. The ISU quarterback also has thrown a career-low four interceptions. … The Redbirds are 7-0 in November over the last two seasons and are a likely playoff team in back-to-back seasons. The last time the Redbirds went to the FCS postseason in consecutive years was from 2014-2016. … All-American linebacker Tye Niekamp, a junior who is the son of ISU defensive coordinator Travis Niekamp, leads a young defense that has shown marked improvement since the start of the season. Tye Niekamp had a career-high 16 tackles in last week’s win at South Dakota State. With 110 tackles, Niekamp needs three stops to set a career-high in single-season tackles.
Kickoff: Noon; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: CILfm.com
Key matchup to watch
Illinois State QB Tommy Rittenhouse vs. SIU pass defense: Two weeks ago, Rittenhouse completed passes to 10 different receivers. This season, he has thrown for a career-high 28 touchdowns and a career-low four interceptions. He hasn’t thrown a pick since Oct. 18 against Youngstown State, a span of 138 pass attempts. The Redbirds also have scored 28 points in a quarter in back-to-back games.
What’s at stake?
For Southern, a win today means a seven-win season and would bump Illinois State down a notch in the FCS playoff committee selections.
Quick hits
Last weekend’s five-overtime loss to South Dakota severely damaged SIU’s playoff chances and had an emotional impact as well. “We’re all human beings,” Hill said of his team, which has losses to a Big Ten school (Purdue) and four likely FCS playoff teams from the MVFC. “This is why players come here. This is what the coaches’ profession is about. It’s like anyone in any profession not winning a big meeting or a big sale. I want our guys to have emotion.” An avid hunter, Hill equated the feeling to his hobby. “I always joke around about missing a big buck. You’re sitting in your deer stand just gutted and embarrassed and sick. Nothing compares to that feeling. But that’s also the feeling that keeps you coming back.” … On offense, SIU’s game against South Dakota was a painful one. Redshirt freshman left guard Jacob Katauskas played in place of injured senior Aiden Logan. Veteran right tackle Cameron Dye started the game but had to come out due to an injury. Both veteran players have the potential to play this weekend. … Defensively, the Salukis have gotten younger in the secondary with a couple of recent injuries. Hill said safeties Cejai Parson and Jagger Williams, however, are likely to be back on the field Saturday. … In his 10th season, Hill is 3-4 against the Redbirds. In his 17th season at Illinois State, Brock Spack is 7-7 vs. the Salukis. “With Coach Spack, we’ve been playing against each other for a while now. He’s a lot older than me,” Hill joked. “But we’re the longest-tenured coaches in the league. He’s got another really good football team.” … Last weekend’s loss to South Dakota was the first time in school history that SIU has played a five-overtime game.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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