Saluki quarterback Nic Baker became the all-time leader in passing yards on Saturday, as his team bounced back with a 27-6 victory over the Murray State Racers (2-4, 1-2 in MVC), and improved to 5-1, 2-1 on the season.
Baker completed a 10-yard pass to Izaiah Hartrup on the second drive of the first quarter, officially passing Saluki Hall of Famer Joel Sambursky for the school record in career passing yards.
“It hasn’t really set in yet, but just thinking about it, it’s super neat being number one on anything,” Baker said. “I came here out of high school, and these are the type of stuff I dreamt about.”
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However, the story of the game on Saturday was the Saluki rushing attack, which came out swinging to begin the game. The first play from scrimmage saw running back Justin Strong break free for an 80-yard house call, and SIU didn’t stop there.
The Salukis would finish with 270 rushing yards, meeting one of their key goals for the week. Coming off a loss to Youngstown State where the team gained just 58 yards on the ground, it was a point of emphasis against the Racers.
“At the beginning of the week, on Monday, I told them our goal was to rush for 250 yards as a unit,” head coach Nick Hill said. “We’ve got to take pride in that, and we stayed committed to it.”
All three of the Saluki touchdowns came on rushing plays. The second saw Vinson Davis III take a snap in the Wildcat formation and dive in for the score, and the third was punched in by Shaun Lester from two yards out.
Strong led the team in yardage with 128, followed by Lester with 85 and Jaelin Benefield with 39. Strong and Lester each had 14 carries, and Benefield added dozen.
Southern’s defense continued to shine as it has all season. It came up with stops on three red zone trips; the first two ended in turnovers forced by DJ Johnson and Mark Davis Jr., and the third resulted in a Murray State field goal. It also held the Racers to a 3-for-13 conversion rate on third downs, and 0-for-2 on fourth downs.
“It’s something that we’ve come to expect from them,” Hill said. “And they expect it out of themselves. We’ve had that happen in several games, and they’ve been outstanding.”
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Saturday marked the first time since Nov. 17, 2012 that the Salukis did not give up a touchdown against a Valley opponent.
“Defense, we always preach, man, no matter what goes on, just keep playing,” Johnson said. “So I was just proud of our guys, coming out and doing what we can no matter what the situation is.”
Murray State joined the Missouri Valley before the 2022 season, and this was the first meeting between the two teams as MVFC rivals. The win puts the Salukis at 3-0 against the Racers during Hill’s tenure, his first two wins coming in 2016 and 2017.
Coming off a tough loss to Youngstown State, Southern Illinois seemingly needed a get-right game to set it back on the path towards where it wants to be in terms of contention. The Salukis’ 2022 season was defined by a series of hot and cold streaks, but this win against Murray State ensures that the upset loss last week will not become a habit.
“Saturday couldn’t have came soon enough,” Hill said. “That taste lingers for a little while.”
SIU now faces its toughest test of the season, as it prepares to host the No. 1 team in the FCS, South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits are the reigning FCS National Champions, and are one of just two undefeated teams left.
“It’s an unbelievable opportunity,” Hill said. “You get those every year in our league though… It’ll be a great test for us that we want to have.”
Kickoff for next Saturday’s game against the Jackrabbits is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Saluki Stadium. It will serve as the annual Homecoming game.
Sports editor Brandyn Wilcoxen can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @BrandynWilcoxen. To stay up to date with all your southern Illinois news, follow the Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Twitter.
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