CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois finished a respectable fourth in scoring defense in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, but defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske said run defense and third-down efficiency are two areas that stand out for improvement.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — In speaking to the defense this week, Lee Pronschinske was philosophical about the five-overtime loss to South Dakota, telling his players a story about a sculptor who was crafting an eagle.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — After giving up a season-high 48 points at Youngstown State, the Southern Illinois defense dropped from 33rd in the nation in points allowed per game (23.6) to 57th (26.0)

CARBONDALE, Ill. — SIU defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske believes the Saluki defense has not yet played its best 60 minutes of football. It would be perfect timing if that top performance came this week against a high-powered Youngstown State offense.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — As the calendar turns to the month of November, SIU defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske said the defense is striving to play its best football down the stretch.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Saluki defense recorded a season-high in missed tackles last week versus North Dakota, and defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske said the unit is anxious to get that bad taste out of its mouth.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The college football coaching profession is a close-knit fraternity, a fact that SIU defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske is keenly aware of during this stretch of back-to-back games versus North Dakota State and North Dakota. Last week, Pronschinke’s defense squared off against an NDSU program where he spent two seasons on the defensive staff and helped the Bison win a national championship. Despite the loss, there were warm exchanges after the game amon

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

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.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske said the Salukis had their best performance on defense of the young season versus UT Martin.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — SIU defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske would like to see the defense improve upon its third-down success rate this week at UT Martin.