Southern Illinois vs. North Dakota game preview
- Tom Weber
- Oct 17
- 6 min read
Late Update: Saluki Athletics announced on Friday afternoon that the kickoff time for the game vs. North Dakota has been moved up two hours to 12 p.m. CT. Thunderstorms are expected in the area on Saturday evening.
CARBONDALE, Ill. — When the NCAA Playoff Selection Committee announced its mid-season Top 10 teams earlier this week, to close observers, it was no surprise to see North Dakota (4-2) come in at No. 8, ahead of no-loss teams like Tennessee Tech (6-0) and Presbyterian (6-0).
No surprise, because four points are all that separates North Dakota from an unbeaten season.
In their season opener, the Fighting Hawks (4-2, 2-0) lost to nationally ranked Kansas State, 38-35, when the Wildcats scored the game-winning touchdown with 41 seconds left. In Week 3, they dropped a 24-23 heartbreaker at No. 5 Montana, with the Grizzlies scoring a go-ahead TD with 1:35 to go.
With six weeks until the committee announces the field, landing in the Top 8 is a coveted position, since the Top 8 receive a first-round playoff bye in the 24-team playoff field.
Using last year as a guide, there are likely three byes in play for Missouri Valley Football Conference teams. North Dakota State and South Dakota State have the inside track on two of them. They are both undefeated and ranked No. 1 and 2 by the committee.
If a third team emerges to claim a bye, it is likely to come from the trio of North Dakota, Southern Illinois and Illinois State. Each team has two losses.
Saturday’s winner between UND and SIU isn’t guaranteed the bye. They’ll still need to keep winning.
For the game’s loser, though, it’s hard to see a path to the bye with three losses on the resume. They would likely need to win out and get some help.
The stakes are high when the Salukis and Fighting Hawks tee it up tomorrow.
Quick Facts
Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025
Kickoff: 12:00 PM CT
Location: Carbondale, IL
Facility: Saluki Stadium (15,000)
Radio: WCIL, 101.5 FM
TV: ESPN+
Series: SIU leads, 3-1
Spread: North Dakota -7
Weather: High of 81, 50% chance of scattered thunderstorms
First and Ten
This is the annual Blackout Cancer game, in which fans bid on player jerseys. On the jersey backs, winning bidders place the name of a loved one affected by cancer.
Blackout Cancer, which was started in 2011 by team safety Mike McElroy, benefits the SIH Cancer Institute.
North Dakota has out-scored opponents, 128-31, during its current three-game winning streak.
North Dakota is ranked No. 9 in the Stats Perform FCS poll and No. 11 in the Coaches poll
Southern Illinois is ranked No. 12 in both polls.
North Dakota joined the MVFC in 2020.
The first meeting between the teams as conference opponents came in a February 2021 game in Grand Forks during the COVID spring season, won by UND, 44-21.
The most recent meeting between the teams was in 2022, a 34-17 Saluki win in Carbondale. Only four current SIU players (Lashaun Lester, Cejai Parson, Aidan Quinn and Peyton Reeves) played in that game.
Familiar Faces
North Dakota head coach Eric Schmidt coached linebackers at SIU for six seasons (2008-13) on Dale Lennon’s staff.
His tenure did not overlap with the arrival of Nick Hill on Southern’s staff in 2014.
Schmidt’s current staff includes three former Saluki coaches: OL Trevor Olson (2016-21), DB Travis Stepps (2006-15) and RB DJ Davis (2023).
Davis (2016-19) ranked among SIU’s all-time best running backs in school history. He totaled 5,431 career all-purpose yards — finishing with the second-most yards in school history and seventh in MVFC history.
North Dakota offensive coordinator Isaac Fruechte is married to the sister of SIU defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske.
Quoting North Dakota Coach Eric Schmidt
“DJ Williams is how quarterbacks should look. They're taking advantage of all his athletic ability and a guy who really understands the offense. Obviously, he brings the element, which I think a lot of quarterbacks in our league now have, is being able to make plays with his feet, too. I like all their receivers. They do a great job of being able to complement one another.
Their defense is much improved, too, the best secondary that possibly we could have played so far this year. I think (Jeremiah McClendon) is a really good player, and then they got guys in the box as well. They can get after the quarterback, even bringing four.
It's been over a decade since I've been there, but had my middle son was born right at Carbondale Hospital, so just had a lot of good memories of a lot of good people. Roger Lipe was a huge piece of my life down there and was involved with our guys in FCA. Nick was the Carbondale High School coach when I was there. It'll be fun to see some people that we haven't seen in a while.”
Quoting SIU Coach Nick Hill
“Think about North Dakota's schedule and their losses. At Kansas State, they took the lead with under two minutes to go, and Kansas State came down and scored at the very end of the game. It would have been the biggest FBS win of the season for the FCS. And then they had a two-touchdown lead at Montana in the fourth quarter. They could easily be 6-0 and maybe ranked No. 2 right now.
We talked in our team meeting about how Blackout Cancer is always a great game to make sure your perspective is right on life and the opportunity to play. You're playing with the name on the back of your jersey this week of someone that was affected by cancer.
Coach Schmidt and his staff, a lot of them are friends that you’re coaching against. I helped DJ (Davis) prep for his interview the night before and was excited for him to get that job. You want to win, but the respect before and after the game is going to be there.”
Scouting No. 9/11 North Dakota (4-2, 2-0)
In last week’s 35-17 win over nationally ranked Youngstown State, the Fighting Hawks scored touchdowns on their first four offensive possessions.
North Dakota ranks No. 10 in the nation in scoring (39.3 points).
QB Jerry Kaminski leads the conference in touchdown passes (17) and has thrown just one interception. He also averages 5.1 yards per carry.
WR B.J. Fleming, a Northern Arizona transfer, is one of the nation’s top deep threats, averaging 20.1 yards per catch, ranking No. 16 in the FCS.
The Fighting Hawks use a dynamic backfield by committee, with Sawyer Seidl, Gaven Ziebarth and Xavier Leigh averaging 201.3 rushing yards per game.
UND returns a veteran starting offensive line with four starters back from last season, led by RT Seth Anderson, who ranks among the nation’s top-graded tackles.
The defense allows only 95.5 rushing yards per game, No. 6 in the nation. UND ranks No. 17 in the nation in sacks per game (2.7) and No. 19 in tackles for loss (6.8).
LB Malachi McNeal was the national Player of the Week last week and is the team’s leading tackler.
The defense has eight takeaways this season, including six interceptions.
Punter Luke Silvernale leads the league in average (45.6).
Scouting No. 12/12 Southern Illinois (4-2, 1-1)
The Salukis have the nation’s No. 11-ranked scoring offense (39.0 points) and are 14th in total yardage (456.7).
Southern has scored on its opening drive in all six games this season, with five touchdowns and one field goal (at NDSU).
SIU is fifth in the nation in third-down efficiency, converting 53.0 percent.
DJ Williams leads the MVFC and ranks second in the nation in Points Responsible For with 126. He has 21 touchdowns to his credit — 11 passing, 10 rushing.
Williams is tied with Delaware State’s Kaiden Bennett for the most rushing TDs (10) in the nation by a quarterback.
WR Vinson Davis III has moved into 7th place in career catches (132) at SIU. MyCole Pruitt holds the record (221). Davis is 8th in career receiving yards (1,660).
Davis III leads the MVFC and ranks 11th in the nation in receiving yards per game (91.2).
CB Jeremiah McClendon ranks 11th in the nation in passes defended per game (1.33).
LB Ben Fiegel and DT Noah Friedt made their first-career starts last week at NDSU.
RT Cameron Dye, C Noah Fenske and RG Derek Harden Jr. are the team’s top-graded offensive linemen.
Salukis By the Numbers
SIU has started 4-1 four times (2020, 2021, 2023, 2025) during the Nick Hill era. In the previous three 4-1 starts, the Salukis made the FCS Playoffs all three times.
For the first time in school history, SIU 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 14 games, and WR Vinson Davis III has the most overall career starts among active players at 28.
K Paul Geelen is 29-for-29 this season on PATs and has made 55-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.
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