Southern Illinois at SEMO game preview

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The longstanding football series between Southern Illinois and SEMO dates back to 1909, but the “War For The Wheel” is a recent phenomenon, starting in 2018 and spanning just seven games.

The game’s significance is underscored by the fact that the winner of the ship’s wheel has made the playoffs all seven times.

Creating a trophy for the winner was the brainchild of the team’s head coaches — SIU’s Nick Hill and SEMO’s Tom Matukewicz — who were looking for a way to spice up the rivalry.

Clearly, they succeeded, as the game has generated increasing buzz each season, bringing in large crowds and producing memorable contests.

The visiting team has won each of the last four meetings.

Among the most memorable games:

Sept. 15, 2018, Game 1: In a contest that featured 10 lead changes, tight end Austin Crump caught a throwback pass from Daniel Santacaterina and rumbled 14 yards for the game-winning touchdown with 25 seconds left, lifting SEMO to a 48-44 win.

Oct. 30, 2020, Game 3: Nico Gualdoni drilled a 27-yard field goal as time expired to lift Southern Illinois to a 20-17 win in the only game for both teams during that COVID-impacted season. The Salukis drove 53-yard drive in the final 1:23 to arrive in field goal position.

Sept. 10, 2022, Game 5: Paxton DeLaurent threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Damoriea Vick in the left corner of the end zone with 11 seconds remaining to lift SEMO to a 34-31 win. The Redhawks were aided by a pair of fourth-down pass interference penalties against the Salukis, including one that permitted SEMO to have an untimed down.

Sept. 16, 2023, Game 6: Nic Baker passed for 408 yards in the second half, including a nine-yard TD to Izaiah Hartrup on fourth down, with 11 seconds left, for a 26-25 SIU victory.

Sept. 20, 2025, Game 8?: Who will write the next chapter in this storied rivalry?

Quick Facts

Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025

Kickoff: 6:00 PM CT

Location: Cape Girardeau, MO

Facility: Houck Stadium (11,015)

Radio: WCIL, 101.5 FM

TV: ESPN+

Series: SIU trails, 40-44-8

Spread: SIU -4.5

First and Ten

• Southern Illinois (2-1) is ranked No. 13 (up-4) in this week’s Stats Perform FCS poll, and No. 11 (up-3) in the Coaches poll.

• Picked to finish third in the OVC behind Tennessee Tech and UT Martin, SEMO (1-2) is receiving votes for the Top 25.

• Dating back to 1999, the teams have played each other every season except three. The series took a three-year hiatus from 2006-08.

• In 2018, the game was rebranded as the “War For The Wheel” rivalry. SEMO holds a 4-3 edge since that time.

• A ship’s wheel was chosen as the trophy, because the teams needed to cross the Mississippi River by boat when the series first began in 1909.

Quoting SEMO Coach Tom Matukewicz

“This game was a natural rivalry, but it really wasn't that big a deal when I got here. And so both programs have elevated and gotten to where this game’s been really competitive. I don't shy away from it. You can have a good year and lose to a rival, but you can't have a great year and lose to your rival. You got to win this game or it's a black eye on the season.

DJ Williams, I mean, number one, he's the whole offense. You know, he runs it and throws it. He's one of the best players in FCS football. And so we have our work cut out for us. It's just so different than what normal football is. The fact that you got a tailback in there that can throw it like a quarterback. You got to kind of pick and choose what you want to try to defend. The biggest thing is you just got to try to make them earn all of it. One thing we haven't done well defensively is eliminate the big plays. We've given up an average of seven explosives a game. And so that's what can't happen.

(SIU) is a very veteran, old team, and nowadays in football, that just doesn't happen. So I think that says a lot about Nick and his culture that he's created that a lot of those guys want to stay and be a part of that program. And I think they're seeing the fruit of all that work.”

Quoting SIU Coach Nick Hill

“Coach Tuke was here for seven years with Coach Kill and made a lasting impression on me. He’s a guy that I stay in contact with as much as anybody in the coaching profession. I think what drew us together was just our competitiveness and the passion to play the game. He was a defensive coach and I was a quarterback, but he took a liking in me and helped us with our leadership council. As a player, he was a guy that I just always really liked, and so now, it's fun to go compete against him. I know how he's wired.

It should be a game that we always play and I'm glad that the War For The Wheel has taken off. It just adds some excitement to the game. And then it's helped that a lot of them have been really great games that come down to the very end, they're memorable games. We've lost some of those, and we've won some. We had a walk-off field goal in the COVID game. We came back and scored on a 4th-and-9 two years ago when we were down there, a great comeback. In 2022, we took the lead, and they went down, had two pass interferences, got the untimed down, walk-off, beat us. So they've been great games, and that's what rivalry games should be like.”

It’s one game, and they all have to be important. It’s not a matter of getting up for this game or that game. I want a team that just shows up and plays consistent football, week-in and week-out.”

Scouting the Redhawks (1-2)

• SEMO’s two losses were to FBS Arkansas State (24-42) and No. 1 North Dakota State (14-41).

• SEMO beat FCS North Alabama, 30-21, scoring 30-straight points after falling behind, 7-0.

• In his 12th season at SEMO, Head coach Tom Matukewicz has a 64-65 record, including a 5-6 mark against SIU. He has guided the Redhawks to playoff appearances in four of the last seven seasons (2018, 2019, 2022, 2024).

• Matukewicz was an assistant coach at SIU under Jerry Kill from 2001-07. He coached linebackers and run defense for the Salukis.

• QB Jax Leatherwood is 59-of-92 for 642 yards with five touchdowns this season. He has not thrown an interception in his first 92 passes. Leatherwood began his career at Nevada, before transferring to San Diego Mesa College.

• WR Cam Pedro has caught 98 passes for 1,086 yards in his career at SEMO.

• S Landon Sylvie ranks 19th in the FCS in total tackles (29, 9.7 per game).

• Former SEMO safety Eriq Moore is in his first year as the cornerbacks coach at Southern Illinois. Moore (2013-16) was a three-year starter after walking on at SEMO as a freshman.

• SEMO is 6-for-6 on red zone conversions this season.

Scouting the Salukis (2-1)

• QB DJ Williams ranks 6th in the FCS in Points Responsible For with 10 touchdowns (5 passing/5 rushing)

• Williams is 51-of-75 (68.0%) passing. He threw his only two interceptions this season at UT Martin.

• Southern has scored a touchdown on its first drive in all three games this season.

• WR Vinson Davis III has two, 100-yard receiving games in his Saluki career, and both came against SEMO. In 2024, he had nine catches for 132 yards and a TD vs. the Redhawks. In 2023, he had eight catches for 126 yards and a TD.

• Williams leads the team with 35 rushing attempts. RB Chandler Chapman is next with 17 carries for 103 yards (6.1 avg). Chapman scored his first-career TD for SIU last week on a 44-yard run.

• The Salukis’ starting receiving corps has accounted for 30 catches through three games — Vinson Davis III (13), Jathen Jones (11) and Fabian McCray (6). Jones entered the season with 10 career catches.

• Davis III moved into 13th all-time in catches at SIU with 114

• LB Andrew Behm leads the team with 29 tackles, including 16 at Purdue — the most by a Saluki player since LB Royal Whitaker had 17 stops at Missouri State in 2002.

• LB Colin Bohanek is second with 27 tackles. He is the team’s active leader with 103 for his Saluki career.

• K/P Paul Geelen had a memorable night at UT Martin. All six of his kickoffs went for touchbacks, he averaged 48.5 yards on two punts, made a 28-yard field goal just before halftime, and ran a fake punt 29 yards for a first down.

• RT Cameron Dye is the team’s top-graded offensive lineman.

Salukis By the Numbers

• SIU’s 273 yards rushing at UT Martin was the most by the offense since posting 282 vs. Indiana State on Nov. 13, 2021.

• Against the Skyhawks, SIU attempted only 18 passes, the fewest since 16 attempts on Oct. 16, 2021 vs.North Dakota

• RT Cam Dye extended his longest-active starting streak to 11 games, and WR Vinson Davis III has the most overall career starts among active players at 25.

• SIU had its streak of Red Zone scores come to an end at 13 when Williams fumbled near the goal line during the fourth quarter at UTM.

• The Salukis rank in the top 3 nationally in kickoff return yardage (3rd/34.23) and punt return yardage (3rd/27.00)

• SIU’s four interceptions this season ranks sixth in the FCS. S Vinny Pierre Jr. has two of the picks.

• K Paul Geelen is 12-for-12 this season on PATs and has made 38-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.

• SIU has a five-week gap between its home opener and the next home game on Oct. 4 vs. Indiana State. The five-week gap matches the longest in school history, set in 1993.