The Dawgs are rolling. Saluki football (4-2, 3-0 MVC) has now earned their fourth win in a row and third MVC win of the year after beating the Missouri State Bears on the road Saturday afternoon.

The dawgs fell behind early, leaving themselves in a 14-0 hole early after MSU scored two touchdowns off two straight drives in the first quarter. But the Salukis reeled off 38 straight points to take the lead 38-14 heading into the fourth quarter.

Coach Hill talked about the importance of knowing the reality of how some of these games play out before them.

“You gotta be able to adapt and adjust to whatever the game brings you. This team has done that and they did that today. They were challenged early. This is a team that can get high and comes in waves. We just had to settle in, get a stop, and get some points on the board and we’ve done that before. I’m proud of this team for doing it,” Hill said.

Junior quarterback Nic Baker impressed again today, going 21/30 on passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. It was both the Cox brothers who were wide open all day for Baker. Senior wide receivers D’ante and Avante Cox combined for 13 receptions and 215 yards receiving. Avante also had a 41-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter to help keep things a blowout.

Junior running back Javon Williams jr also shined in the running game. He netted 45 rushing yards off 15 carries and a pair of scores to further their efforts. Freshman running back Shaun Lester saw his first action today as well, leading the team in rushing yards with 81 off 17 carries.

Coach Nick Hill said William’s utility is what’s making him valuable on the team.

“It’s just the way we got to continue to use him. [Williams] is a special player. He can do so many good things differently and none of that even includes his return yardage. He had one big return that really set us up well,” Hill said. “He returned the ball, he passed the ball, ran the ball, and caught the ball on fourth down, third down. Proud all those guys.”

Hill also talked about the future of what to expect from Lester, who received his first carriers of the season today.

“For Saluki fans just getting their first look at him, I really feel like he can be a special kid here. Love his demeanor, love his attitude. He’s really overcome a lot here in the last six months just personally. A strong-willed kid that really has some talent,” Hill said. “He can just be an added weapon to us and he’s a combination of a few of our guys. Bigger back that’s got really good vision and really proud of his day.”

Williams also had a few words to say about his fellow running back.

“He’s a great football player, especially for his age. Great IQ of the game. He came out there and he was explosive and when we needed him he took his shot and took advantage of the opportunity,” Williams said.

As for the offense’s ability to not get concerned today? Williams said it was all about their confidence in each other.

“Even after those two touchdowns, we knew we had to respond and we knew we just had to continue to trust our defense because we’re a family. There’s always ups and downs in the game, but we got on the same page and played some complimentary football,” Williams said.

The defense took the faith they received in their offense and ran with it. Senior defensive tackle Keenan Agnew said there wasn’t a doubt in his mind throughout the game.

“That was probably the best thing about today. We got down 14-0 against a really good team that had our number the past couple of years. Nobody folded, nobody started pointing fingers, we stayed calm and knew we just had to do our job at a high level and we’ll have success,” Agnew said. 

That confidence must have lighted the fire the defense needed. They wreaked havoc again today, netting 6 sacks and eight tackles for losses while forcing two interceptions.

SIU would rather forget about the first quarter as their three drives all resulted in punts, while two of the Bear’s drives were quick, resulting in touchdowns off only four plays to earn a 14-0 lead.

Only a couple of plays into the second quarter, SIU already found the endzone with junior Justin Strongs 20 yard touchdown run. After that, it was almost a tale of two different games. The dawgs would score points on four straight drives after that going into the fourth quarter. Only a missed field goal attempt stopped the scoring streak for the Salukis.

William’s 1-yard touchdown run in the second tied things up at 14, then Jake Baumgarte’s field goal with six seconds left gave SIU the 17-14 lead heading into the locker room. The Salukis would receive the kickoff to start the second half and proceeded right down the field again with a familiar result, a 1-yard touchdown run by William to make it a 24-14 game.

A quick 7-play drive for Missouri State was halted by the SIU pass rush forcing an incompletion on third down to force a punt. The Salukis got the ball back and kept on the gas, going shotgun all the way down the field. At the 7-yard line, Baker found Bryce Miller for a touchdown for the Dawg’s fifth touchdown of the game, making it 38-14 heading into the fourth.

By then it was too little too late for Missouri State. They would tack on one more touchdown, but it wasn’t enough and SIU would cruise to the 38-21 win in Springfield Missouri.

The Dawgs will look to make it five wins in a row next Saturday when they host their annual homecoming game. They’ll take on Western Illinois (0-5, 0-2 MVC) with a 2 pm start at Saluki Stadium.

Sports editor Joseph Bernard can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Jojobernard2001. 

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