Saluki road warriors are excited to return home

CARBONDALE, Ill. — No team in Division I college football has played more road games this season than Southern Illinois, so after making five road trips in seven weeks, four long-time veterans of Saluki Football said they are excited to play in front of the home fans on Saturday for Homecoming.

Among FCS schools, the Salukis (3-4, 1-2) are tied with Eastern Illinois, Gardner-Webb, Mercyhurst and Stonehill for the most road games played to date with five. No FBS team has played more than four.

“It'll definitely be advantageous for us to play in front of the home crowd,” said offensive lineman Derek Harden Jr., who will make his 36th career start this weekend. “Last week at South Dakota in the dome, it was so dang loud that you couldn't hear.”

In addition to the Dakota Dome, the Salukis have played in sold-out stadiums at West Florida and Illinois. Statistically, the home team has a sizable home-field advantage in the FCS this season, winning 65 percent of the time.

No Division I team has played more road games so far this season than SIU (5).

“It’s always a good day to be in front of the Saluki faithful,” said fifth-year tight end Miles Marshall, who is playing in his 30th career game at Southern. “We have a great fan base and we just feed off that energy.”

Adding to the anticipation is the opponent and a nationwide audience. The Salukis host in-state rival and No. 13-ranked Illinois State (4-2, 0-2) in a game that will be seen by hundred of thousands of households on ESPNU. It will mark the first nationally televised home game since SIU hosted Delaware in the playoffs in 2007.

Both teams have lost two-straight league games, and SIU defensive tackle Amir Dwight said nothing matters more than winning.

“We’re desperate for a win right now,” said Dwight, who will play in his 34th game for Southern. “We’re hungry. Let’s just stick to the script and worry about executing our style of football and getting a win.”

Safety Vinny Pierre Jr. expects revenge will be on the mind of the Redbirds, after the Salukis whipped them 37-7 in the regular-season finale in 2025.

Safety Vinny Pierre Jr. leads the team in career games played (43).

“With us beating them last year, it’s gonna be a feisty game, it’s going to be a dogfight,” said Pierre Jr., who leads the team with 43 career games played and the longest active starting streak at 19 games. “There will be a lot of people watching on TV. I hope the crowd gets pretty rowdy, but we can't let any of that affect us. We just need to lock-in to our assignment and do our job.”

The game will include special recognitions, such as the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Saluki Football team, and the induction of the 2026 Saluki Hall of Fame class. Football alums Dave Smith and the late Byron Honore are featured in the class.

“You see all those players that leave and they come back,” Marshall observed. “It's a boomerang effect that SIU has on people, and I think that's a special thing. We’re getting the opportunity to fill the shoes of former players and it’s a big privilege. It’s a chance to honor those guys and just be thankful.”

“When you come to a school like SIU, you get the chance to be a part of history, and this is just another page in that story,” Marshall added.