Saluki Football has moved on from 5 OT heartbreaker

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Three days later, the heartbreaker loss to South Dakota doesn’t sting nearly as much for Saluki Football, especially not with a game at No. 11 Illinois State coming up and the team clinging to an outside chance of making the FCS Playoffs.

Lem Wash

“I spent the rest of the weekend just running through my mind the mistakes, if this play or that play went differently, what the outcome could have been,” admitted running back Lem Wash, who scored a second quarter touchdown in the 53-51 loss. “But come Monday, it was kind of like, alright, what happened, happened. We have to be thankful we still have one more opportunity.”

Tuesday morning’s high-energy practice demonstrated that this SIU team still has the same fighting spirit, nothwithstanding a five-overtime defeat.

“The mindset is the same — prepare for them, go out there and grind, and get the win,” said cornerback Gavin Shepard. “Hopefully, the committee puts us in the playoffs and we get a chance to make a run.”

Gavin Shepard

There are some scenarios where the No. 24-ranked Salukis (6-5) make the playoffs at 7-5. Considering that its five losses have come against a Big Ten opponent and four highly ranked MVFC teams, Southern would have a reasonable case should it beat the Redbirds. SIU’s best win to date is over UT Martin, and that win looks better each week with the Skyhawks at 6-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference and playing Tennessee Tech for the title on Saturday.

“For me, every weekend, it's like a Super Bowl,” said left tackle Blaine Halley. “You gotta have the same excitement and sense of urgency, no matter who you’re playing or what’s at stake.”

The Salukis played most of the South Dakota game without three starting offensive linemen. In a bit of news earlier in the day, head coach Nick Hill said at least one of them, right tackle Cam Dye, has a shot at playing at Illinois State. If not, the backups — Jimmy Lansing, Aidan Duerig and Jacob Katauskas — played admirably last Saturday, not allowing a sack for an offense that generated 51 points.

Blaine Halley

“I’m extremely proud of our group,” Halley said. “We have some guys who thought they probably weren't going to play this year, and they have ended up playing. Their focus on being ready to tackle those situations makes me excited for their future, too.”

The younger players on this Saluki team understand the clock is ticking on the 2025 campaign and want to extend the season as long as they can for the seniors.

“J Black (Jeremiah McClendon) is like my big brother, man,” said Shepard, a redshirt freshman. “He’s taught me so much as a corner. It means so much to have the opportunity to show all the seniors how much I care about them and this game that we love.”

Amir Dwight

Added sophomore defensive tackle Amir Dwight, who had a sack Saturday, “Caden and Peyton Reeves were the first guys I met, and they took me on my visit and showed me around campus. They obviously had a big impact mentoring me on and off the field, showing me different techniques. Bern (Bernadin Fleurima), Trell (Vontrell Chairse), Noah (Friedt) have been showing me the ropes, helping me learning good habits on and off the field.”

Wash has just one season of eligibility left, but he’s determined to show the seniors how much they mean to the program.

“We love these seniors, and as a team, we all agree, whatever we have to do to send these guys off on a good note, we are going to do,” he said.