Matchup Preview: Who has the edge?

Purdue vs. Southern Illinois, from a matchup perspective.

Date/Time: Saturday, September 6, 7:30 p.m. EDT

Location: Ross-Ade Stadium

Surface: Bermuda Grass

Capacity: 61,441 (tickets)

2025 schedules/records: Purdue 1-0 (0-0 Big Ten) | Southern Illinois 1-0 (0-0 Missouri Valley)

Series notes: Saturday will mark the second meeting between the Boilermakers and Salukis. The lone previous contest came in 2014, a 35-13 Purdue win under coach Darrell Hazell. 106 of Danny Etling’s 198 passing yards went to Danny Anthrop in the victory, one of three Purdue wins in 2014. Purdue holds a 14-0 record against FCS competition since Division I split into two subdivisions ahead of the 1978 season.

TV: BTN (PxP Jack Kizer, Analyst Jared Thomas, Sidelines Melanie Ricks)

Radio: Purdue Sports Properties (PxP Tim Newton, Analyst Mark Herrmann, Sidelines Kelly Kitchel)

Line: FBS vs. FCS lines typically open on the morning of the game

Weather: High of 70 degrees with mostly sunny skies and a slight breeze

Purdue Roster | Purdue Game Notes

Southern Illinois Roster | Southern Illinois Game Notes

Pregame: First Look: Southern Illinois | First and 10: Southern Illinois | Five takeaways: Purdue coach Barry Odom’s Monday press conference | Saturday’s dance moves just the start for Purdue’s Michael Jackson III | The 3-2-1: Talking pretty passes, goose eggs, loafs, ubiquitous DB and more | Opponent View: Southern Illinois | 345 pound Chops Harkless hungry to make mark on Purdue defense |

Southern Illinois running game versus Purdue against the run

For the second straight week, a mobile quarterback awaits Purdue. Southern Illinois’ 2024 season spiraled downward following a September injury to DJ Williams, who finished second on the team in rushing despite playing just three games. Though the Salukis didn’t need him to run much in a blowout win against D-II Thomas More, he did run for a touchdown. Expect to see him as a run threat early and often on Saturday.

Southern Illinois deployed a variety of tailbacks in its season opener. Senior Lashaun Lester led the way with just eight carries after contributing in each of his first three seasons in Carbondale. Juniors Jimmy Athans and Chandler Chapman both saw action, as well. The Salukis held a 28-3 lead at halftime in their opener, giving them plenty of time to substitute personnel. Seniors lead an offensive line that the Salukis like. Will head coach and offensive playcaller Nick Hill focus more on his top back, Lester, against a stiffer opponent? The Salukis managed 4.5 yards per attempt in their opener.

Purdue’s defense handled Ball State’s run-heavy approach well, limiting the Cardinals to just 3.2 yards per carry. Even with an athletic, run-first quarterback, Purdue held Ball State in check on the ground. Linebackers Mani Powell and Charles Correa showed why Barry Odom brought them along from the desert, combining for nine tackles. Tahj Ra-El made his presence felt from the safety position, flying around the field to lead the Boilermaker defense with seven tackles. A big factor, literally and figuratively, comes on the interior of the defensive line in Chops Harkless. The 345-pound tackle blew up a handful of plays by himself, and there’s no way for Southern Illinois to replicate his size in practice.

Southern Illinois passing game versus Purdue against the pass

Injuries have limited Williams over his collegiate career. After earning Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year honors in 2021 at Murray State, a knee injury in the first game cost him his 2022 season. He put together a respectable 2023 season there before his early 2024 hand injury ended his first season as a Saluki. Now, he’s off to a strong start in his fifth and final year, completing 75% of his passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns last week.

His top target, Vinson Davis III, nearly reached the 100-yard mark last week while six other wide receivers recorded multiple receptions. The backfield played a role, as four of Williams’ 18 completions went to running backs. The offensive line nearly kept Williams clean. He took one sack in the opener. Williams put together a big day on the ground against FBS opponent BYU last season, but he struggled passing, completing just 50% of his passes for less than 100 yards.

Ball State took a cautious approach to the passing game. Nearly half of the Cardinals’ throws didn’t cross the line of scrimmage, but Purdue contained the passing game well. 37 of Ball State’s 87 passing yards came on a forward pitch pass. Despite limited action, the Purdue secondary looked good containing the pass game and not giving the Cardinals anything easy. The Boilermakers totaled four sacks, bringing pressure from several different areas. Expect Purdue to look to get Williams out of rhythm early and often as it aims to force its first turnover(s) of the 2025 season.

Purdue running game versus Southern Illinois against the run

Though the Boilermaker offense shined in the season opener, Purdue did most of its damage through the air. Ball State’s defensive approach dared Purdue to air it out, and it did so with success. Still, even when taking out sack losses, Purdue’s run game averaged just 3.5 yards per carry in the opener.

Devin Mockobee saw the bulk of the carries from the running back room, getting 14 carries for 59 yards. He eclipsed the 2,500 career rushing yard mark in the opener as he continues to escalate on the all-time rushing list. Antonio Harris received just three carries, and Malachi Thomas added two, showing how far Mockobee stands ahead the rest on the depth chart. Ryan Browne scampered for a touchdown, and Purdue will undoubtedly look to use his legs often this season.

Southern Illinois smothered the overmatched Thomas More run game, holding it to less than two yards per carry, though sack losses impacted that total. The Saluki defense racked up six tackles for loss, a strong start after a rough 2024 season. A year ago, opponents ran for more than 170 yards per game against Southern Illinois. The linebacker spot seems to be the strength of SIU’s defense, led by Colin Bohanek and Andrew Behm. New defensive coordinator Lee Pronschinske saw Purdue limited on the ground by a stacked box a week ago. His approach against Purdue could tell us how he feels about his group.

Purdue passing game versus Southern Illinois against the pass

Browne couldn’t script a much better debut. He hit on 18 of 26 pass attempts, racking up 311 yards and two touchdowns. In his third career start, he looked comfortable making throws at different levels and in various situations. Included in his big day: some deep balls, taking the top off the Ball State defense. He’ll look to continue his clean slate in 2025 this week against another overmatched opponent.

After generating buzz in fall camp, Michael Jackson III lived up to the hype. His six catches led the Boilermakers, and he even paid tribute to the King of Pop when he reached the end zone. He showcased steadiness in all aspects of the pass game and formed a nice duo with Arhmad Branch, who broke open the Ball State defense with a pair of big plays. He crossed the century mark with 101 yards, becoming Purdue’s first wide receiver with 100 receiving yards in a game since Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen vs. Syracuse in 2023.

Keep an eye on the status of Chauncey Magwood and De’Nylon Morrissette. Both players missed the season opener with an injury, but they each projected to contribute this season. While George Burhenn suited up last week, he saw limited action. Purdue will look to get him healthy and ready sooner rather than later.

Southern Illinois stifled Thomas More through the air, holding the Saints to 131 yards on 29 attempts. But the secondary is the most unproven area of the Salukis’ defense. It managed to pick off a pair of passes last week, something which will need replicated for Southern Illinois to spark an upset bid inside Ross-Ade Stadium. Opponents averaged nearly eight yards per attempt against Southern Illinois’ defense a season ago. A clean performance from Browne should put Purdue in a good position.

Special teams

So far, so good from Purdue on the special teams front. Spencer Porath made his lone field goal attempt, a welcome sight after a shaky end to his freshman season. Jack McCallister made a strong first impression, averaging over 50 yards on his three punts, pinning two inside the 10-yard line. Though the return game didn’t provide a spark, Purdue covered kicks and punts effectively. James Shibest, Purdue’s special teams coordinator, must’ve liked what he saw from his unit in week one.

All seven extra points sailed through the uprights for the Salukis, as primary kicker Paul Geelen handled six of them. He did not attempt a field goal last week, but he did make 16 of 21 with a long of 50 yards in 2024. Geelen also handles the punting duty, and he averaged 41 yards on four punts last week. Tae Marrero handled the lone kick return against Thomas More, taking it 27 yards.

Intangibles

Purdue looked the part in the season opener, taking care of business against an outmatched opponent. Now, it looks to do the same in its final opportunity for a tune-up before a major step up in competition. The Boilermakers committed just three penalties last week, a promising sign as they look to clean things up under a new regime. After a strong showing and with more formidable competition ahead, can Purdue string together impressive performances and begin 2-0 for just the third time since 2007?

Under Hill, who took over in Carbondale in 2014, Southern Illinois holds three wins over FBS programs: UMass, Northwestern and Northern Illinois. Some of the players on this roster were part of the wins over Northwestern and Northern Illinois in 2022 and 2023, respectively, so they believe they can compete against FBS competition. In addition to the three wins, Hill’s squad scared a handful of FBS foes, too. Purdue will look to avoid disaster as it hopes to keep its unbeaten record against FCS/I-AA opponents alive.