Salukis need to bring their own energy for November night game at Memorial Stadium
CARBONDALE, Ill. — A November night game at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute? When was the last time that happened?!
Good luck finding someone who knows. In fact, when Southern Illinois kicks off after dark against Indiana State on Saturday, it might be the first November night game at Memorial this century.
Since installing new lights at the stadium in 2017, the Sycamores have played some early-season evening games, but none late in the season. Prior to 2017, the school had to discontinue night games because the old lighting system was too dark for TV.
Saluki defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske thinks the 6 p.m. ET kickoff, when temperatures are expected to be in the 40s and in-person attendance sparse, is the perfect set-up for Southern's defense.
“When that clock gets set back from daylight savings time and November rolls around, those games mean something,” he said. “People remember November football.”
It shouldn’t be hard to find a seat at the 12,764-seat facility, which at its peak this season was only one-third full. There are no stands behind the visiting team, which means SIU will need to bring its own energy.
“I think you're going to see a group that's excited to go play from the first snap to the last snap,” Pronschinske said. “As far as I'm concerned, that's a non-negotiable for us.”
Of greater concern for Pronschinske is the recent return of Indiana State quarterback Elijah Owens, who had more than 400 combined yards passing and rushing last week against Northern Iowa.
“When he's healthy, he's one of the better quarterbacks in this league,” Pronschinske said.
“I have a lot of respect for Coach Mallory’s program and how physical and tough they are. There's no give in these guys. They compete their tails off every single week and play the game the right way.”
Coordinator’s Corner: StrongDawgs conversation with defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske
SD: How important was the UNI win for the overall mindset heading into the bye week?
LP: It’s always good for the vibes of the program when you're able to win going into a bye week. Getting back into the locker room after a big-time win was worth its weight in gold.
SD: Guys like Vinny Pierre Jr. and Andrew Behm have played more than 500 snaps this season. Were you able to refresh the guys a bit last week?
LP: We took some practice reps off the guys that have played a lot of reps or are little banged up. In the same breath, guys like Vinny and Beamer, they're the first two guys to say, ‘Hey, no, I'm good. Give me my six-play rack and let’s get an early start on Indiana State prep.’
Some of the younger guys and guys who have played more special teams than defense, we were able to get them extra reps and it was good to cultivate their growth. It was a later bye week than anything we've had since I've been here, and I think we had a really good attack plan.
SD: You had a live scrimmage on Thursday with the younger guys. How did that go?
LP: It was really exciting to see some guys that Saluki Nation doesn't even know their names yet, go out there and execute. You have guys like (safety) Grant Thompson, who plays on Saturdays on third-down packages and special teams, he took every rep at nickel and had a really good day. The young defensive linemen continued to jump off the screen with the effort and high-motor they play with. A freshman like (cornerback) Randy Flint, who had a really good fall camp, got some live tackling in. It’s been a long time for some of those guys since they truly got to tackle and polish up those skills.
SD: What was your personal schedule like and did you have a chance to catch your breath?
LP: I spent a lot of Sunday and Monday on the self-scout, looking at situational football, down and distance after certain scenarios, making sure we're not giving anything away schematically. We also took some time to evaluate the roster, where we're at in the development at each position. We were on the road, watching our committed high school-guys or offered-guys play live. I always enjoy that. With it being high school playoffs, it was fun to be in that atmosphere. That in itself was a good recharge of the battery.
SD: I looked at some PFF rankings of conference-only games. I was a bit surprised to see that linebacker Charlie Whelpley had the third-highest linebacker grade in the Valley. You have to be pleased with his development.
LP: The cool thing with Charlie is, he's played defensive football for barely over a year and just continues to grow every week. He's extremely physical. Playing the Will position, he’s more athletic than people think, and in his role at Sam linebacker in 12 personnel, he takes some plays off of (Chris) Presto, which has helped keep him relatively healthy this year. He got the chance to play and produce, and he's done that at a high level as the grades are showing. He's just a guy that loves football, plays physical and you can never have enough of those guys around you.
SD: In those same rankings, Ibrahim Sanogo is rated first at edge rusher, and Amir Dwight is fourth out of 20 at defensive tackle. That’s a great measure of the defensive line play, isn’t it?
LP: Yeah, we already have more sacks this year than we did last year. We've touched on Abe’s play a lot, but his leadership has been outstanding in that room. It's also guys like Cam Miller and Lukus McDaniels that are doing a really good job affecting the quarterback, getting them off mark. Then guys like Amir, who’s just been steady-Eddie his whole time here, it's fun to hear him get some recognition. Sometimes interior guys don’t get as many stats as the outside guys. I think that room has really developed this season and it's shown up statistically in pressures and finishing at the quarterback.
SD: Indiana State QB Elijah Owens had a monster game last week in a loss at UNI, after missing four games with an injury. He caused a lot of problems for Southern two years ago. What’s your impression of Owens?
LP: Elijah's an easy guy to root for when he's not playing against you. He had a really good season in 2024, and then these last two years, he's kind of gotten bit by the injury bug, which is really unfortunate. When he's healthy, he's one of the better quarterbacks in this league. He's a really good passer and does a good job of extending plays. Last week, he finished the play with the ball in his hands on 71 reps — 24 carries, 47 passes. It shows how dynamic he is.
SD: It’s an unusual November night game in Terre Haute in front of what’s expected to be a small crowd. What is your messaging to the team about this particular road trip?
LP: First, I have a lot of respect for Coach Mallory’s program and how physical and tough they are. There's no give in these guys. They compete their tails off every single week and play the game the right way.
Defensively, the messaging doesn't really change for an away game or a home game. I'm not too concerned about our guys finding their own energy or excitement because I think that comes from a mature group that's had some ups and downs throughout the years, but has stayed the course. I think you're going to see a group that's excited to go play from the first snap to the last snap. As far as I'm concerned, that's a non-negotiable for us.
People remember November football. When that clock gets set back from daylight savings time and November rolls around, those games mean something. Take it one play at a time, one series at a time to make sure that it's a November to remember. It all starts Saturday versus Indiana State at Terre Haute.
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