CARBONDALE, Ill. — Two upsets and one near-upset in the Missouri Valley Football Conference turned the playoff picture murky for six of the seven teams still in the hunt for a playoff spot with three weeks left in the regular season.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — One statistic stands out as the key to victory for Saluki Football throughout the 2025 season. When Southern Illinois out-gains an opponent in the run game, it wins.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — After SIU’s disappointing loss to North Dakota and the team’s first two-game losing streak of the season, I asked Nick Hill for his prescription to get the Dawgs back to their winning ways.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Using history as a guide, SIU will need seven or eight wins to make the 24-team FCS playoffs. Nine wins puts the Salukis in the conversation for a first-round bye.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — A dominant running game has been the missing element from Saluki Football in recent years. That is no longer the case in 2025. Consider these facts: Southern Illinois leads the league and ranks sixth in the nation with an average of 240.4 rushing yards per game. The Salukis have recorded 17 rushing touchdowns through five games. Last year, they had 16 in the entire season. The team is averaging a stunning 7.1 yards per carry. That compares to 4.4 a year ago

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Missouri Valley Football Conference plays its first full slate of league games this week, and StrongDawgs Week 5 Power Ratings ranks them 1-through-10, including a few surprises. The top team is no surprise, however, as North Dakota State towers over the league. One power-rating system has the Bison at No. 39 in ALL of college football (just ahead of Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Florida.) NDSU’s analytics are off the charts on both sides of the ball. No out

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Every time SEMO scored during a frantic, third-quarter comeback bid, the Southern Illinois offense answered with a touchdown on its next drive. The demoralizing result for the Redhawks — SIU increased its 31-7 halftime lead to an insurmountable 52-24 advantage. A week ago at UT Martin, it was the Saluki defense that picked up the slack when the offense struggled. Last night, the reverse was true. SIU head coach Nick Hill called it complementary football.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — After three games, Saluki Football has clearly identified its winning formula for the 2025 season — a disciplined defense, combined with a heavy dose of quarterback DJ Williams.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — After two games, advanced metrics look solid on both sides of the ball for Saluki Football, with a slight edge to the defense. While it’s still a relatively small sample size — with one game against a Division II team and another versus a Power Four squad — here’s a closer look at each unit’s performance so far this season. Offensive Line The offensive line is playing clean football with zero penalties assessed against the unit through two games. Impressive

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Against a heavily favored Big Ten opponent, Southern Illinois played with confidence and poise, executed a carefully crafted game plan, and had a realistic shot to win.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — SIU’s 49-3 win over Thomas More was not unexpected, but the game provided some early insights into Southern’s strengths and weaknesses at this point in the 2025 season.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — It’s finally game week. Southern Illinois opens the season versus Division II Thomas More on Saturday at 6 p.m.