No. 8 Southern Illinois Faces Top-Ranked North Dakota State in Key MVC Clash

The No. 8 Southern Illinois University football team (4-1, 1-0) will travel to Fargo, North Dakota, this Saturday to face undefeated and No. 1-ranked North Dakota State in a pivotal Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup.

The Salukis are coming off a dominant 55-27 victory over Indiana State yesterday, marking the first time since 2007 they’ve scored over 50 points in consecutive games. Southern Illinois amassed a historic 430 rushing yards in that contest, the eighth-most in program history. Senior quarterback DJ Williams continues to shine, having thrown for 1214 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, and currently ranks among the national leaders in total offense. A win against North Dakota State would significantly bolster SIU’s chances of contending for an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs.

Southern Illinois has a 4-13 all-time record against North Dakota State, and has never won in Fargo, holding a 0-7 record. Linebacker Shug Walker was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after a career-high 12 tackles against Indiana State, along with 2.0 tackles for loss and two pass breakups. The Salukis are 2-5 all-time against teams ranked No. 1, including a 38-14 victory over North Dakota State in 2021 when the Bison were also at the top of the polls – you can find more information about the Missouri Valley Football Conference here.

Saturday’s game at the Fargodome is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Fans can also follow live stats on the SIU Athletics website or listen locally on 101.5 CIL-FM. Coaches anticipate a challenging game against a consistently strong North Dakota State program.