Southern Illinois at North Dakota State game preview

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Saturday’s showdown between No. 8 Southern Illinois and No. 1 North Dakota State could come down to which team can establish its vaunted running game and win time-of-possession.

The formula has worked well in previous matchups between the teams.

For instance, the last time the Salukis played in the Fargodome in 2023, they were ranked No. 10 and felt pretty good about their chances, trailing the Bison at halftime, 13-10. In the second half, NDSU held on to the ball for 21 minutes and cruised to a 34-10 victory, finishing the game with a healthy 217-55 advantage in rushing yardage.

This year’s North Dakota State team is typical of the past, featuring a pair of ball carriers who average more than six yards per carry — running back Barika Kpeenu (6.2 avg, 422 yards, 8 TDs) and quarterback Cole Payton (6.7 avg, 356 yards, 3 TDs). After giving up 322 yards on the ground last week to Indiana State, can SIU re-group and contain the Bison attack?

A great illustration of the winning recipe on Southern’s side came in 2020, a 38-14 Saluki shocker of the nation’s No. 1-ranked team. In that contest, SIU produced an overwhelming, 41-19 advantage in time of possession and out-gained NDSU on the ground, 170-109.

Can SIU replicate that effort? Perhaps. The Salukis have the No. 1-ranked rushing offense in the Valley this season at 240.4 yards per game, led by quarterback DJ Williams (7.7 avg, 386 yards, 9 TDs) and running back Chandler Chapman (7.4 avg, 216 yards, 3 TDs).

However, the Bison have the nation’s No.1-ranked rushing defense, allowing only 92.6 yards per game.

So, let’s re-phrase the question. What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? Tune in Saturday to find out.

Quick Facts

Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025

Kickoff: 2:30 PM CT

Location: Fargo, ND

Facility: Fargodome (18,700)

Radio: WCIL, 101.5 FM

TV: ESPN+

Series: NDSU leads, 13-4

Spread: NDSU -7

First and Ten

• Defending national champion North Dakota State (5-0, 2-0) has held the No. 1 ranking the entire season. The Bison have won nine-straight games overall and 15-straight at the Fargodome.

• Southern Illinois (4-1, 1-0) has won three-straight games and is ranked No. 8 (up-2) in this week’s Stats Perform FCS poll, and No. 9 (up-2) in the Coaches poll. It’s their highest national ranking since coming in at No. 7 in Week 4 of the 2024 season.

• SIU is 2-5 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams with wins over North Dakota State (2020) and Western Kentucky (2005).

• The Salukis have never won in the Fargodome, where they are 0-7 with an average margin of defeat of three touchdowns.

• SIU defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske served as a defensive assistant for North Dakota State for two years, including its 2021 FCS National Championship season.

• NDSU won last year’s meeting in Carbondale, 24-3. It was the first-career start for true freshman QB Jake Curry, who ascended from the team’s No. 3 quarterback slot due to injuries.

Quoting North Dakota State Coach Tim Polasek

“It’s almost like looking in a mirror now with Coach Pron (Lee Pronschinske), who spent some time here with our guys, and the one thing you see is just really sound systems. Guys are in the right place.

I haven't really gotten to the details of, is (DJ Williams) a spy-worthy guy, or are we going to play mostly zone so we have zone eyes on him? The conflict they create is these receivers can hurt you, and they're not just an RPO screen team. These guys are pushing the ball. In fact, I give Coach Hill a lot of credit when they get rolling. Vinson Davis is leading the league in yards receiving, has 29 catches. He can go the distance. That's all over the film. These guys are a fast, confident, hot football team.

The charge to Bison Nation is to get in there and support us. I'd really like to play with 12 people and cultivate an edge and get them out of their seats and play good football for them.”

Quoting SIU Coach Nick Hill

“North Dakota State, year-in and year-out, their guys execute at a super-high level. When you couple that with great talent, you have a great team. They have an incredible home field advantage. It's just a fun environment to play in and compete.

We need to break the game down into small wins. Every time we get a stop, that's a win. Every time we pick up a third down on offense, that's a win. The ball's moving. We've just got to keep stacking as many wins on plays that we can for 60 minutes. The score will take care of itself after that.

We're going to have to do a great job of playing complementary football. If we give up a touchdown, the offense has to respond and go score ourselves. If we punt, then we've got to go get a stop. If they score and we punt, the defense has to bow-up and make them punt and trade possessions. We're going to have to respond.”

Scouting the Bison (5-0, 2-0)

• NDSU is on a record pace in passing and total offense through five games, averaging 493.6 total yards per game and 264.0 passing yards per game.

• QB Cole Payton leads the FCS in passing efficiency (222.1), completion percentage (.747) and passing yards per completion (18.05) and per attempt (13.48).

• WR Bryce Lance is on the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award. He leads the team with 18 catches for 382 yards and 3 TDs. For his career, 20 of his 94 catches have gone for touchdowns.

• LB Logan Kopp is on the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award. He has 228 career tackles, including 27 this season.

• RB Barika Kpeenu is ninth in the FCS with eight rushing TDs and 10th in total touchdowns (8).

• WR Jackson Williams is ranked 10th in punt return average (13.6).

• North Dakota State ranks first in scoring defense (9.2 ppg) and first in passing defense (127.0 ypg)

• The Bison lead the nation with only one turnover committed this season.

Scouting the Salukis (4-1, 1-0)

• DJ Williams leads the MVFC and ranks second in the nation in Points Responsible For with 120. He has 20 touchdowns to his credit — 11 passing, nine rushing.

• Williams is tied for the most rushing TDs (9) in the nation by a quarterback.

• Southern has scored a touchdown on its first drive in all five games this season. On its first two drives of a game, it has scored nine TDs on 10 possessions.

• WR Vinson Davis III has moved into 7th place in career catches (129) at SIU. MyCole Pruitt holds the record (221). Davis is 9th in career receiving yards (1,617).

• Davis III leads the MVFC and ranks 4th in the nation in receiving yards per game (100.8).

• CB Jeremiah McClendon ranks 7th in the nation in passes defended per game (1.60).

• LB Andrew Behm ranks 5th in the MVFC in tackles per game (8.4).

• LBs Shug Walker and Ben Fiegel each recorded career-highs in tackles last Saturday with 12 apiece. Walker was the Valley Player of the Week.

• RT Cameron Dye, C Noah Fenske and RG Derek Harden Jr. are the team’s top-graded offensive linemen.

• Sophomore LT Blaine Halley made his first-career start at Indiana State, in place of the injured Coleon Smith.

Salukis By the Numbers

• SIU has started 4-1 three times (2020, 2021, 2023) during the Nick Hill era and made the FCS Playoffs all three times.

• For the first time in school history, SIU has recorded 600+ yards of total offense in back-to-back games — vs. SEMO (612) and Indiana State (656).

• •RT Cam Dye extended his longest-active starting streak to 13 games, and WR Vinson Davis III has the most overall career starts among active players at 27.

• K Paul Geelen is 27-for-27 this season on PATs and has made 53-straight since missing his first kick in the opener at BYU in 2024. His longest career field goal is 53 yard at Purdue.

• The Salukis play seven regular-season road games in 2025, the most road games in school history.