Senior Chandler Chapman (8) led Southern Illinois with 75 rushing yards in the season opener at West Florida. The Salukis play Samford University Thursday night in Birmingham, Ala. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Dan Verdun
During fall camp, Southern Illinois head coach Nick Hill brought in four guest speakers to talk to his team. One of the common themes was dealing with adversity.
The Salukis face their first test after losing, 34-31, at FCS newcomer West Florida in the season opener.
While SIU remains ranked No. 25 in the FCS coaches poll, the previously 16th-rated Salukis dropped out of Stats Perform poll.
That prompted Hill to return to the training camp presentation.
“All of the speakers’ messages really resonate with where we find ourselves this week,” Hill said.
Next up for SIU is Samford (0-1), a Southern Conference member. The Bulldogs – located in Homewood, Ala. – lost their opener, 22-10, at North Alabama Saturday night.
“There’s no going back. It’s just about how we respond and how we grow and how we get better,” Hill said.
A large percentage of SIU’s adversity occurred when quarterback D.J. Williams was sidelined with a knee injury during the first half against West Florida.
Jake Curry, Williams’ replacement, started slowly but gained confidence and momentum as the game played out, Hill said.
Curry, a junior from Edwardsville, managed to rally the Salukis to within three points twice in the game’s final 8 minutes.
Curry completed 14 of 30 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns, both of which went to receiver Kyle Thomas. Curry also ran for a 19-yard touchdown. He was sacked three times and threw three interceptions.
“The first pick was not a good play from the quarterback position, he’ll be the first to tell you that,” Hill said.
The second interception was returned for a West Florida touchdown.
“He was going where the ball was designed to go. They pressured; he changed the protection. He got himself protected. The corner jumped the route,” Hill said.
The last interception ended the final SIU drive and secured the West Florida victory.
“The third one was kind of a desperation play at the end of the game,” Hill said.
Kickoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: Cilfm.com.
Key matchup to watch
QB Jake Curry vs. Samford defense
Curry backed up Williams last season, making four appearances.
In 2024, Curry took over the offense as a true freshman when injuries struck the SIU quarterback room. He played in seven games and made five starts before being sidelined with his own injury.
“We feel good with Jake Curry and this team does,” Hill said.
Samford surrendered 394 yards – 229 in the air and 165 on the ground – of total offense in last week’s loss.
What’s at stake
A win would get SIU back on the track to its ultimate destination, the FCS playoffs.
Quick hits
Thomas led the Salukis with four catches for 61 yards last week. … Senior Chandler Chapman led SIU with 75 rushing yards. … Seth Adams, a transfer from Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater, kicked three field goals, including a 50-yarder. The La Salle-Peru High School graduate also made his two extra-point kicks. … The Salukis are playing seven road games for the second straight season. SIU was 4-3 away from Carbondale last fall. … Long snapper Ryan Algrim was a Phil Steele preseason first-team All-American. The Kaneland High School product snapped all 12 games last season for the Salukis.
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.
Find us on social media!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSPigskin
Facebook: Prairie State Pigskin
Instagram: Prairiestatepigskin
Blue Sky: PSPigskin
Prairie State Pigskin 
Leave a comment