Salukis energized by challenge that awaits them in Fargo

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.

While the No. 8-ranked Salukis (4-1, 1-0) are aware of the history and the challenge that awaits them, they are energized by the opportunity to play the No. 1-ranked Bison (5-0, 2-0). First place in the best FCS conference in the land is at stake, after all.

“If you want to call yourself the best, you have to go out and prove it against the best,” said SIU quarterback DJ Williams. “They're the best team in the nation right now, won a national championship last year. If you want to win a national championship, it runs through North Dakota State.”

NDSU bullies teams with a dominant offensive line and a rushing attack that averages 230 yards per game. Behind dual-threat quarterback Cole Payton, the Bison also lead the league in passing offense.

Caden Reeves

“For our defense to be successful, we need to control the line of scrimmage, free up gaps for our linebackers and create pressure,” explained defensive tackle Caden Reeves. “Put the name ‘North Dakota State’ aside and that’s true of every game in the Valley.”

Southern has the No. 2-ranked defense in the league (behind NDSU), according to Pro Football Focus, and defensive tackle Peyton Reeves said who wins the battle up front could be the game’s deciding factor.

“We have to fire off the ball, be really physical in our gaps, and our technique's gonna have to be sound,” he said. “It’s going to come down to who can be more aggressive and more physical?”

Loud music blasted over the PA system during today’s practice at Saluki Stadium to help Southern prep for the dome’s deafening noise level.

Aiden Logan

“The last time we played in the Fargodome, it was one of the craziest environments I've ever played in,” acknowledged left guard Aiden Logan. “When you’re in a super-loud environment, it's really just locking in on DJ's voice so that everything else becomes background noise.”

In each of the last two games, versus SEMO and Indiana State, SIU’s offense has produced more than 50 points and 600 yards of offense. It will be a stretch to replicate those numbers against the league’s top-rated defense, but Southern doesn’t necessarily need to.

DJ Williams

“Our team is very talented, their team is very talented,” Williams said. “It's going to come down to who executes the most. We have the players and coaches to go do it.”

SIU’s season-long mantra is to focus on the practice or game at hand — never look too far ahead. The anticipation is clearly building, though.

“This is what you play college football for,” Peyton Reeves said. “There's a certain element at the dome — a great opponent, their fans are going to be rowdy, a hostile environment. It’s going to take all of us collectively playing as one.”

The odds-makers will no doubt favor the Bison, but that’s ok with Williams.

“I've had an underdog mentality my whole life,” he said. “This is the kind of game I dream about playing in.”