Down by two scores in the fourth, the Salukis needed a scoring drive to get back into a position to keep the wheel in Carbondale. It appeared as though they might get the answer they needed when they found themselves in enemy territory on two big plays, but a pass blocked at the line on fourth down sucked the air out of the nearly 13,400 in attendance.
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“That’s probably my biggest disappointment,” Nick Hill said. “Not putting a better performance out for those that came out tonight.”
The attendance figure is the second most in Saluki Stadium history, the most since the stadium first opened and the most during Nick Hill’s tenure as head coach.
On Saturday, Sept. 21, SIU played host to the annual rivalry game against the Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) Redhawks, the War For The Wheel. After securing the wheel last year in Cape Girardeau, the Salukis looked to keep the wheel in southern Illinois territory for Family Weekend but fell short with a final score of 38 SEMO, 21 SIU.
SIU would get the ball with Hunter Simmons under center to start the game after losing starting quarterback DJ Williams against Incarnate Word in the Sept. 14 home opener. Williams is out indefinitely on a hand injury.
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The Dawgs went three-and-out on the first drive, a 32-yard punt return set the Redhawks up with a short field. A 12-yard pass from Paxton DeLaurent gave SEMO the first score of the night, but a blocked point after touchdown (PAT) would be brought the distance by Stephen Green to give the Salukis two points of their own.
On their next possession, the Salukis pushed into the red zone, but no further, forcing a field goal attempt. The try was pushed far right to leave the score at six to two.
Looking to extend their lead, the Redhawks moved the ball effectively, picking up 61 yards on six plays. On a first and goal from 19 following a holding penalty, DeLaurent bounced off the helmet of a defending Saluki and into the hands of Dorian Anderson for another SEMO touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, Vinson Davis found a seam and got taken down at the SIU 49. The Salukis, unable to get the offense going, failed a try on a fourth down and gave the ball back to the Redhawks.
Vinson Davis was a key piece in the success of the offense on Saturday, putting up 132 yards on nine receptions and a touchdown.
Simmons said, “It’s great having [him] out there.”
SEMO, starting from their own 46, picked up a couple first downs before stalling out, setting up a 49-yard field goal try that would miss to the right.
Simmons completed a bunch of short yardage passes to get into SEMO territory before dumping one off to Davis, who would break a tackle to get in the end zone.
Simmons, in his first career collegiate start, finished with a statline of 341 yards on 28 completions and the touchdown to Davis.
“I feel he played well,” Davis said, “he looked comfortable out there.”
On their next series, the Redhawks made it near midfield before punting the ball for the first time of the night.
Starting from their own 13, the Salukis drained nearly four minutes off the clock before Paul Geelen split the goal posts from 38 yards out to make the Saluki deficit a single point.
Operating under two with no time outs, DeLaurent found the soft zones in the defense to get the Redhawks into field goal range. DC Pippen nailed the 43-yard attempt to make the difference at halftime four in favor of SEMO.
SEMO got the ball out of the break and SIU pushed the Hawks backwards to force a three and out.
Simmons spread the ball around on the first SIU drive of the second half, highlighted by a 30-yard connection with Keontez Lewis. The drive ended with another Geelen field goal.
The SEMO drive that followed showed promise, getting into SIU territory, but Desman Hearns jumped the route for an interception.
A pickup of 28 to Davis on third and 10 setup Willtrell Hartson to run in from two out to give the Salukis their first lead of the night. Coach Hill elected to go for two to make the lead seven, but the attempt failed.
On the first play from scrimmage after the lead change, Payton Brown broke several tackles and rumbled for a gain of 52, setting up a touchdown pass to Anderson to reclaim the lead. The Redhawks converted on the two-point conversion to make the lead three.
“We got the lead and they quickly took the momentum back,” Hill said. “We just can’t have that.”
A pair of penalties to start the drive gave SIU a lot of ground to cover, resulting in a three and out.
After converting on fourth down in Saluki territory, DeLaurent would connect with Tristan Smith, setting up a three-yard touchdown pass to make it a two possession game.
Needing a scoring drive to get back into it, the Salukis would trust the arm of Simmons. Two big completions would get the Dawgs into SEMO’s half of the field, but a pass batted at the line on fourth down would give the ball back to the Redhawks.
With the turnover on downs, the crowd that nearly filled Saluki Stadium with a peak of 13,421, slowly started to fall apart.
On the drive that followed, the Redhawks drained more than six minutes from what little was left on the clock, and a one-yard touchdown by Brown would all but seal the deal for SEMO, ensuring them the wheel.
SIU pushed to the SEMO goalline before turning the ball over on downs. The Redhawks ran out the rest of the clock and left Carbondale victorious, taking the coveted wheel with them.
The Salukis will be on the road next Saturday for their first Missouri Valley Conference matchup of the season as they will take on the University of South Dakota Coyotes.
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