SIU unleashes devastating ground attack in 55-27 win over Indiana State

Final Stats

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois unleashed a devastating ground attack versus Indiana State with 430 rushing yards — the eighth-most in school history and most since 2009 — in a 55-27 win on Saturday night.

The No. 10-ranked Salukis (4-1, 1-0) have won three-straight games. In a good sign for Southern, every time it has started 4-1 under head coach Nick Hill (2020, 2021, 2023), it has ended up making the FCS Playoffs.

The ground game averaged 9.2 yards per carry and featured a balanced attack with no ball carrier getting more than nine attempts.

Lashaun Lester Jr. took the first handoff from scrimmage and raced 60 yards to the INS 20. That set up a 20-yard DJ Williams to Jay Jones touchdown pass to make it 7-0, as SIU extended its streak of opening-drive touchdowns to five games.

Lester Jr. did not return, however, due to an apparent leg injury. A trio of running backs picked up where he left off. Eddie Robinson (9-for-124, 1 TD), Chandler Chapman (8-for-93, 2 TDs) and Lem Wash (7-for-39) took turns pounding the rock.

“It’s a collective effort that starts with the offensive line, the tight ends, and obviously, the backs running hard,” Hill said. “We had some impressive runs with yards after contact. I'm excited to watch the tape just to see everybody that was involved in it.”

Chapman scored SIU’s second touchdown of the game on a 39-yard run down the right sideline.

“I’m finding my groove, finding where I can help the team,” he said. “We are a confident team, and a confident team is a dangerous team.”

Robinson’s 100-yard game was the first of his career at SIU and also came on his birthday.

“Whoever is in there, we shouldn't miss a beat,” he said. “There were just plays out there that had to be made, and Coach Hill did a great job of drawing them up.”

Williams had another stellar performance at QB with 226 passing yards, 70 rushing yards and four touchdowns — two passing, two rushing. He connected with his favorite target, Vinson Davis III, seven times for 140 of those passing yards.

“What DJ can do in both the run game and the pass game is special,” said center Noah Fenske. “You can't bring your safety down to protect against the run because he’ll throw it over the top. If you drop back too far, we'll just run it down your throat.”

The Salukis played with a new starter on the offensive line in left tackle Blaine Halley, who took over for the injured Coleon Smith.

“Blaine came out and balled, and (guards) Derek (Harden Jr.) and Noggin (Aidan Logan) make me look really good,” Fenske said. “Having those guys on combinations, we're just a group that wants to go out there and put people on their tails.”

Southern built a 31-7 lead midway through the second quarter, led 38-14 at the half, and all that was in question was the final score.

Coming off a game with 612 yards of offense at SEMO, the Salukis took it up a notch with 656 total yards against the Sycamores — the seventh-most in school history. The majority of those yards (449) came in the first half. They've scored 50+ points in consecutive games for the first time since 2007.

Defensively, Southern is known for its trio of stud linebackers in Colin Bohanek, Chris Presto and Andrew Behm. Ironically, tonight the team was led by linebackers Shug Walker and Ben Fiegel with 12 tackles apiece.

“That’s a just great group, and I think Coach (Mac) McLeren deserves a lot of credit for how well they’re prepared to do their job,” Hill said. “There's probably no one in the country that's going to play with their starting three linebackers for the entirety of the season because it’s such a physical position and people get banged up. So, recruiting to that and making sure you have depth is so important.”

The anticipation now begins for next week’s matchup at undefeated and No. 1-ranked North Dakota State. The Salukis have never beaten the Bison in Fargo, where they have a record of 0-8.

“Honestly, we’ll have the same focus we've had all year,” Fenske said. “We have a lot to clean up and keep getting better every single day. That's the only chance we have to compete for a conference championship, a national championship. We have to go up there and be a brotherhood.”