War For The Wheel has produced memorable performances, dramatic endings
CARBONDALE, Ill. — If you’re trying to spot a trend in the War of the Wheel series between Southern Illinois and SEMO, you won’t find one. About all you can say for certain is that you’re likely to be entertained on Saturday night.
Since 2018, when the trophy-game was created by head coaches Nick Hill and Tom Matukewicz, the schools have split eight meetings, 4-4. In fact they’ve alternated possession of The Wheel in each of the last five seasons.
The closest you might come to a pattern is that the visiting team has won five-straight times. Not surprisingly, Hill dismissed the significance of that statistic.
“Every game is different and takes on a life of its own,” said Hill.
The series has generated memorable performances by the team’s quarterbacks in recent years.
In 2023, Saluki quarterback Nic Baker passed for 408 yards in the second half alone, including a nine-yard touchdown pass with seconds remaining that gave SIU a 26-25 win.
In 2024, Paxton DeLaurent threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Redhawks to a 38-21 victory.
In 2025, DJ Williams piled up 493 total yards and accounted for six touchdowns — four passing and two rushing — in a 59-31 SIU thumping of SEMO.
Williams and Baker both earned National Player of the Week honors for their performances.
The series has also produced high drama (SIU walked it off with a Nico Gualdoni game-winning field goal in 2021) and controversy (SEMO won following two fourth-down pass interference penalties against the Salukis in 2022).
There’s a degree of intrigue at the quarterback position for the Salukis this year. It remains uncertain whether Williams, who hurt his knee in the opener at West Florida, will be able to go for Southern.
Game Facts
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Kickoff: 6 PM CT
Location: Carbondale, IL
Facility: Saluki Stadium (15,000)
Radio: WCIL, 101.5 FM
TV: ESPN+
Series: SEMO leads, 44-41-8
Spread: Southern Illinois -4.5
Weather: Upper 80s, Partly cloudy, 6 MPH W
First and Ten
Saturday marks the 94th meeting between the schools in a series that dates back to 1909.
Since Saluki Stadium opened in 2010, the teams have split eight meetings in the facility, 4-4.
It’s Family Weekend at SIU.
Banterra Bank purchased 500 tickets to distribute to first responders who helped battle the five-alarm fire in downtown Du Quoin last week.
Hunter Simmons made the start at quarterback for SIU when the teams last met in Carbondale in 2024. He passed for 341 yards, but SEMO rallied from a 21-16 deficit to win 38-21. The Family Weekend game drew the second-largest crowd in stadium history (13,421).
All five of Southeast Missouri's FCS Playoff appearances have come in years it beat Southern Illinois
Saluki cornerbacks coach Eriq Moore is a SEMO alum (2012-16). Moore became a three-year starter after beginning his career as a walk-on.
SEMO Notebook
In his 13th season, Tom Matukewicz has a 68-72 lifetime record and ranks third in SEMO history in career wins.
Matukewicz was SIU’s linebackers coach from 2001-07 under Jerry Kill. He coached at Southern while Hill was the team’s starting quarterback (2006-07).
Matukewicz is 5-7 against SIU.
SEMO was picked to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference behind UT Martin.
SEMO opened the season with a 23-21 win at Indiana State. The Redhawks lost at Iowa State last week, 38-10. SEMO limited the Cyclones to 303 yards of offense, but committed three turnovers in the game.
Alabama State transfer Braylen Ragland has started both games for the Redhawks and completed 43-of-58 passes with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He ranks sixth in the FCS in completion percentage (74.1). Ragland began his career at Georgia State.
Memphis transfer RB Khyair Spain leads the team in rushing with 138 yards on 33 carries. He had a 44-yard run against the Cyclones.
SEMO returns four starters on the offensive line with a combined 69 career starts between them.
Two Redhawk alums are currently on active NFL rosters: Dallas Cowboys WR Ryan Flournoy and Atlanta Falcons DB Mike Ford.
Last year’s starting QB, Paxton DeLaurent, was named the 2026 Indoor Football League Offensive Rookie of the Year for the Orlando Pirates.
Southern Illinois Notebook
Nick Hill posted career win No. 56 last week to pass Jerry Kill into second place in Southern’s head coaching record book.
The Salukis dropped out of the AFCA Top 25 poll this week, despite beating Samford, 22-18.
Jake Curry made his sixth-career start at SIU last week at Samford and passed for 153 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Curry made five starts as a freshman in 2024 and improved to 2-4 as a starter.
DJ Williams was injured early in the second quarter in the season-opener at West Florida. He started every game in 2025 and has a 9-7 career record as a starter for the Salukis.
RB Chandler Chapman rushed for a career-high 132 yards last week. It marked his first 100-yard effort in 14 games with the Salukis.
WR Traivon Dyson, a UNLV transfer, made his first two career catches at Southern last week. In two seasons with the Runnin’ Rebels, Dyson did not have a reception. Previously, he had 47 catches in 2023 at Division II Mary.
At Samford, TE Karsen Konkel recorded his first-career catch — a two-yard TD on SIU’s opening drive.
LB Ben Fiegel leads the team in tackles (18) and DE Ibrahim Sanogo leads the team in sacks (2.5).
After losing the turnover battle in Week 1 (-1), the Salukis won it in Week 2 (+1).
WR Markell Quick, a transfer from Chattanooga, made his first-career start last week. Making their Saluki debut a week ago were freshman DTs Jaden Hudgins and Caillou Robinson.
LT Jacob Katauskas made his second-career start for the Salukis, filling in for the injured Blaine Halley, who is expected to return this week.
Quoting Southern Illinois Coach Nick Hill
On Jake Curry: “Sometimes, a starting pitcher doesn't have his fastball. He's still got to figure out a way to get into the sixth, seventh inning and find a way to win. Grind it out, make winning plays, battle, and that's what I think Jake did at Samford.
On freshmen DTs Jaden Hudgins and Caillou Robinson: “Both of those young guys are going to be really good. They were hits in recruiting. It's time for them to play, and they earned themselves more reps. There's a young energy to them that makes the older guys around them better.”
On the fire in Du Quoin: “It's been a tough week. It's been a lot of tears and sadness for the people and businesses impacted by the fire.
What I was quickly reminded of is in life, there's more people willing to help than there's not. You're quickly reminded of the heroes that we live among. Some of them are my friends. My first cousin, Adam Hill, was the assistant chief. When you think about that job title and then obviously playing a day after 9-11, you think about how firefighters run into the fire. You just can't take that for granted.
My heart breaks for the people in our town. We live in a small community, 6,000 people and 20 people lost their jobs. What's cool about small towns is people will rally behind those people in our community, help them get back on their feet.”
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