CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois freshman quarterback JC Mirasola offers StrongDawgs readers an inside look at the trip to North Dakota State from a player’s perspective.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Using history as a guide, SIU will need seven or eight wins to make the 24-team FCS playoffs. Nine wins puts the Salukis in the conversation for a first-round bye.

FARGO, N.D. — When you play FCS superpower North Dakota State in the Fargodome, the game can slip away in what seems like the blink of an...

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Saturday’s showdown between No. 8 Southern Illinois and No. 1 North Dakota State could come down to which team can establish its vaunted running game, control the line of scrimmage and win time-of-possession.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois safety Jagger Williams has handled adversity before, so coming back from a broken finger won’t do much to slow him down.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — SIU defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske reeled off a seemingly endless list of names of skill players his defense will need to defend on Saturday at North Dakota State.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Plenty of good teams have gone into North Dakota State’s Fargodome and left the building humbled. Southern Illinois knows that full well, going 0-7 all-time at NDSU and losing by an average margin of three touchdowns.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Craig Coffin (2002-06) didn’t start kicking footballs until his junior year of high school in Fort Myers, Florida.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — A dominant running game has been the missing element from Saluki Football in recent years. That is no longer the case in 2025. Consider these facts: Southern Illinois leads the league and ranks sixth in the nation with an average of 240.4 rushing yards per game. The Salukis have recorded 17 rushing touchdowns through five games. Last year, they had 16 in the entire season. The team is averaging a stunning 7.1 yards per carry. That compares to 4.4 a year ago

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois unleashed a devastating ground attack versus Indiana State with 430 rushing yards — the eighth-most...

CARBONDALE, Ill. — What a difference a year makes. Heading into conference play last year, Southern Illinois had lost its starting quarterback, DJ Williams, and dropped out of the Top 10 of the national rankings.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — During his recruitment last December, senior transfer Bernadin Fleurima Jr. knew he’d found the perfect fit at Southern Illinois.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Lee Pronschinske’s message to the Saluki defense coming off the bye week? Stay focused on what matters most.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Saluki Football enjoyed a well-earned, two-day break during its bye-week last week, but on Tuesday morning, the team was fired up to return to game prep.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois quarterback Leonard Hopkins (1972-75) could throw a football 75 yards in the air. He could sling a...

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Missouri Valley Football Conference plays its first full slate of league games this week, and StrongDawgs Week 5 Power Ratings ranks them 1-through-10, including a few surprises. The top team is no surprise, however, as North Dakota State towers over the league. One power-rating system has the Bison at No. 39 in ALL of college football (just ahead of Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Florida.) NDSU’s analytics are off the charts on both sides of the ball. No out

CARBONDALE, Ill. — It’s Athletic Equipment Managers Appreciation Week, and no one does it better than SIU’s Matt Orbany, who is in his fourth year leading the Salukis’ equipment operation.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — In part two of Derek Harden Jr.'s powerful story at SIU, he talks about his dad’s battle with cancer, caring for him during his illness, the support he received from Saluki coaches and teammates, his fiancee, his recovery from knee surgery and his future plans.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Now in his sixth season at Southern Illinois, Derek Harden Jr. has been a standout on the offensive line, helping the program make three playoff appearances during the last five years.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Heading into league play, SIU’s defense ranks third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in points allowed (19.5), and coordinator Lee Pronschinske and staff will use the bye-week for self-scouting and fine-tuning.