SoCon Football 2026: Samford Has a Quick Turnaround to Host Southern Illinois
WEEK 1 OVERVIEW AND PREVIEWS
The 105th season of SoCon football is off to a fast and furious start and while I didn't pick a game of the week this season, due in large part to the fact that will be more of a feature I will introduce when there is a league game to preview.
For instance, next week's "Game of the Week" will be when Furman travels to Mercer in what should be an early-season intriguing league game.
If there were a game of the week, however, it would either be in Buies Creek between Western Carolina and Campbell, or it would be in Chattanooga, as the Mocs host Tennessee Tech in a non-conference game due to the fact that the game had been previously scheduled prior to the Golden Eagles joining the SoCon last year.
From the off-the-field drama that has gripped Gardner-Webb's football program, to the game that suddenly takes on huge importance between Western Carolina and Campbell after the Camels' surprising 49-37 win at East Tennessee State last weekend.
Once again SoCon football begins its week of football on a Thursday night, with Samford hosting Southern Illinois in its home opener.
It's a game that the Bulldogs have a real shot in, especially if talented QB DJ Williams can't go, but the Bulldogs are very much a "work in progress" and will be the definite underdog in this game. A win would be a huge bonus for the league, however.
Both teams lost their season openers, with Samford dropping a 23-13 season opener at North Alabama, while the Salukis were surprised by new FCS member West Florida, as the Argonauts claimed a 35-31 win in Pensacola.
Three SoCon teams will take on FBS foes this weekend, with Furman traveling to take on No. 18 Tennessee in a 3:30 p.m. EST contest slated for Neyland Stadium, and it will mark the first time the two have faced off against one another since the World War II, or 1942 to be exact.
The Citadel will head to Group of Five FBS member Charlotte looking to rebound from last Saturday's 42-14 loss at Wofford in its SoCon opener, while VMI looks to find some positives in Blacksburg against ACC member VMI after starting the season with a 38-10 loss in Pocatello, ID., to the Idaho State Bengals of the Big Sky Conference. The Keydets and Hokies will tee-it-up at 7:30.
The lone SoCon team to face off against a team from a lower division is East Tennessee State, which will look to even its overall record at 1-1 following its first-ever season-opening loss at William B. Greene Jr. (8-1) Stadium, as the Bucs were upset by Campbell, 49-37, in what was the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
That win by the Camels came despite a record-setting debut performance from Mason Mims, who completed a single-game school record 33 passes in the 12-point setback, surpassing both Greg Ryan (1993) and Cade McNamara (2025) who were tied for the previous school mark of 31 completions in a single game. The Bucs and Pioneers will kickoff at 5:30 p.m. EST at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium.
The game of the day in the SoCon may well be the one that kicks off at 6 p.m. EST at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, as the Mocs will host No. 12/13 Tennessee Tech, who brushed aside No. 22/23 Monmouth in strong fashion in the season lid-lifter, posting a 38-14 win at Tucker Stadium in their first game as an official SoCon member. The Golden Eagles played their first game under a different conference affiliation for the first time in 77 years, joining the Ohio Valley Conference one year after its inception back in 1949. The OVC, which is now known as the OVC/Big South Conference, was founded in 1948.
Though its second game under the SoCon affiliation won't feature a league game, it will feature a conference opponent in what was a previously scheduled non-conference clash.
With that said, the Mocs have a chance to make a big statement about their return to the top of the league as a title contender if they can find a way past the Golden Eagles in this contest. The Mocs got an impressive 24-10 road win over West Georgia on the road in the season opener last Thursday. The Golden Eagles torched UTC in Cookeville last season, claiming what was a 45-17-week two win over the Mocs a year ago.
That's a brief look at some of the more intriguing matchups in the SoCon this week. The league went 4-3 against other FCS foes in the opening weekend of games, and 6-4 overall if you count Furman's win 20-3 win over Anderson and count a win for Wofford and a loss for The Citadel in the only conference game played so far, which saw the Terriers claim a 42-14 win in Spartanburg over the Bulldogs in a game simply known as "The Big Dog Bowl." With Wofford's win, it was the Terriers' 25th win in the last 31 meetings against The Citadel.
The SoCon will look to continue the momentum this weekend, and with three losses expected in the FBS games and with two league foes facing each other in a non-conference matchup, the SoCon can't afford surprises in the any of the other Saturday matchups, which includes Presbyterian's trip to Macon to take on two-time reigning SoCon champion Mercer.
Last season, of course, the Blue Hose shocked Mercer, 15-10, at Five Star Stadium. The Bears have won 21 of their last 25 at Five Star Stadium, with the Blue Hose responsible for one of those four setbacks at home since the start of the 2021 season.
The SoCon needs both ETSU to win convincingly over NCAA Division II Tusculum, while both Western Carolina and Wofford both need wins to strengthen the argument that the league is indeed better this season than it was a year ago. While Wofford should win its home clash with Gardner-Webb, that leaves the one real toss-up being No. 24 Western Carolina's game at Campbell.
While it's way too early to call this a "make or break game" for the league, a win here could go a long way in furthering momentum moving into week three for the league, while a loss to a Campbell team not expected to finish highly in the CAA could allowed to further the narrative by the national media that it pounced upon last season when both Furman and Mercer dropped games against Presbyterian.
Two losses by a SoCon team to Campbell simply can't happen. After all, as bad as last year was, the SoCon still managed a 2-0 record against the Camels, with both Furman (W, 28-24) and Western Carolina (W, 42-35) winning in Barker-Lane Stadium a year ago.
As far as my predictions went in the opening week of the season, I didn't do too badly. I went 7-2. I was right on my picks of: Furman, Idaho State, Tennessee Tech, Western Carolina, Wofford, Mercer and North Alabama. I missed on my picks of ETSU and West Georgia. Overall, the league was a solid 6-4 in week zero.
All 10 teams were in action, with one league game accounting for a 1-1 record for the league in that particular game, which is why it differs from my 7-2 mark on picks.
Three SoCon programs will take on FBS games, with Furman (1-0) facing Tennessee on Saturday with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. EST at Neyland Stadium, while The Citadel (0-1) will be on the road for a 3:30 p.m. EST battle against Charlotte, and VMI (0-1) will be in Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech. EST battle against Charlotte and VMI (0-1) will be in Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech.
Assuming all three FBS games go to the higher classification, the league could already assume three losses in week 1, however, there is a reasonable chance The Citadel could make things interesting against Charlotte but will have to play much better than they did against Wofford in the season opener.
Similar to Chattanooga when it faced West Georgia, which had head coach Steve Englehart suspended for the season opener pending a compliance issue and investigation by the UAC, Wofford might face an interim coached Gardner-Webb team after it was learned that Bulldogs first-year head coach Kris McCullough was suspended pending off-the-field allegations of a situation whose nature has not been announced by the school and is pending investigation.
After McCullough was suspended Monday, it was announced special teams coach Pete Bennett will be the interim coach until the matter is resolved. Kickoff for Saturday's contest between the Bulldogs and Terriers is set for 1:30 p.m. EST at Gibbs Stadium. The Terriers looked strong in their 42-14 win in a league battle against Palmetto State rival The Citadel.
The Citadel will be on the road to face Charlotte in a 3:30 p.m. EST contest at Jerry Richardson Stadium. The Bulldogs have a history of wins over FBS foes, having posted an 8-52 mark against FBS foes. The eight wins are more than any other current SoCon program, and while that mark is impressive, the Bulldogs must play much better than it did Saturday to have a shot.
Furman will brace for its return to SEC country, facing off against a foe from that league for the third time in the past four years, facing an SEC team in 2023, '24 and will face Tennessee in '26.
I say brace because the last time the Paladins faced an SEC team it was one of the highest paid rosters in all of FBS football, in Ole Miss, which handed Furman its worst loss (76-0) since a 77-0 loss to Davidson in 1969 and worst to an FBS foe since dropping an 81-0 contest to Army in 1955.
All told, the loss to the Rebels marked the fifth largest margin defeat in program history. I share this stat because it's more a reality in this NIL era that, a loss of this type of margin, has more of a probability now than it used to be. Not in the all too distant past, Furman routinely made FBS programs sweat in these types of games. In 2022, Furman outgained Clemson, 383-376, in total offense before dropping a respectable 35-12 loss to the fourth-ranked Tigers.
The meeting will be the first between the Paladins and Vols since 1942, with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. EST at Neyland Stadium and the game will be a part of the SEC Network+ package.
If you like offense, the clash between Campbell and Western Carolina in Buies Creek might be the one for you, as both teams have a lot at stake in this early-season clash at Barker-Lane Stadium in a 3:30 p.m. EST game.
All 10 teams were in action, with one league game accounting for a 1-1 record for the league in that particular game, which is why it differs from my 7-2 mark on picks.
Three SoCon programs will take on FBS games, with Furman (1-0) facing Tennessee on Saturday with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. EST at Neyland Stadium, while The Citadel (0-1) will be on the road for a 3:30 p.m. EST battle against Charlotte, and VMI (0-1) will be in Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech. EST battle against Charlotte and VMI (0-1) will be in Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech.
Assuming all three FBS games go to the higher classification, the league could already assume three losses in week 1, however, there is a reasonable chance The Citadel could make things interesting against Charlotte but will have to play much better than they did against Wofford in the season opener.
Similar to Chattanooga when it faced West Georgia, which had head coach Steve Englehart suspended for the season opener pending a compliance issue and investigation by the UAC, Wofford might face an interim coached Gardner-Webb team after it was learned that Bulldogs first-year head coach Kris McCullough was suspended pending off-the-field allegations of a situation whose nature has not been announced by the school and is pending investigation.
After McCullough was suspended Monday, it was announced special teams coach Pete Bennett will be the interim coach until the matter is resolved. Kickoff for Saturday's contest between the Bulldogs and Terriers is set for 1:30 p.m. EST at Gibbs Stadium. The Terriers looked strong in their 42-14 win in a league battle against Palmetto State rival The Citadel.
The Citadel will be on the road to face Charlotte in a 3:30 p.m. EST contest at Jerry Richardson Stadium. The Bulldogs have a history of wins over FBS foes, having posted an 8-52 mark against FBS foes. The eight wins are more than any other current SoCon program, and while that mark is impressive, the Bulldogs must play much better than it did Saturday to have a shot.
Furman will brace for its return to SEC country, facing off against a foe from that league for the third time in the past four years, facing an SEC team in 2023, '24 and will face Tennessee in '26.
I say brace because the last time the Paladins faced an SEC team it was one of the highest paid rosters in all of FBS football, in Ole Miss, which handed Furman its worst loss (76-0) since a 77-0 loss to Davidson in 1969 and worst to an FBS foe since dropping an 81-0 contest to Army in 1955.
All told, the loss to the Rebels marked the fifth largest margin defeat in program history. I share this stat because it's more a reality in this NIL era that, a loss of this type of margin, has more of a probability now than it used to be. Not in the all too distant past, Furman routinely made FBS programs sweat in these types of games. In 2022, Furman outgained Clemson, 383-376, in total offense before dropping a respectable 35-12 loss to the fourth-ranked Tigers.
The meeting will be the first between the Paladins and Vols since 1942, with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. EST at Neyland Stadium and the game will be a part of the SEC Network+ package.
If you like offense, the clash between Campbell and Western Carolina in Buies Creek might be the one for you, as both teams have a lot at stake in this early-season clash at Barker-Lane Stadium in a 3:30 p.m. EST game.
The Catamounts were impressive, especially in the second half, as they posted a 45-21 win over Eastern Kentucky in the season and home opener. The Catamounts and Camels will be meeting for the fifth all-time clash between the two, including the third-straight season the two will be facing each other in a "rubber match" of sorts.
The Catamounts were 42-35 victors in Buies Creek last season, while Campbell upset the Catamounts, 24-16, in Cullowhee two years ago. That was a loss that more than likely cost the Catamounts a chance at the FCS Playoffs. The Camels, who won just two games last season, knocked off East Tennessee State, 49-37, last Saturday in Johnson City.
The Bucs will look to get their first win of the season against NCAA Division II Tusculum, as the game is slated to kickoff at 5:30 p.m. EST at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium on what is supposed to be an exceptionally hot Saturday afternoon and evening throughout the southeast.
Tennessee Tech will face a SoCon foe in its first road game of the season, but it won't count as a league game when the Golden Eagles face Chattanooga in a previously scheduled non-conference game prior to the Golden Eagles making their official joining of the SoCon last year.
Both the Golden Eagles and Mocs were impressive in their season-opening wins, with the Golden Eagles posting an impressive, ranked win for the league, as Tennessee Tech dominated No. 22/23 Monmouth, 38-14, last week in the Golden Eagles' home opener.
The SoCon had no ranked wins in the non-conference last season and went just 8-15 against other FCS leagues last season, including a pair of losses to Pioneer League foes. Kickoff between the Golden Eagles and Mocs will be at 6 p.m. EST at Finley Stadium on Saturday evening.
Two-time defending SoCon champion Mercer, which has won 21 of its last 25 games at Five Star Stadium, will look to avenge one of those four losses from the past four seasons, as the Bears will host Presbyterian Saturday night with kickoff slated for 6 p.m. EST.
The final game of the evening will see VMI on the road to face Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. EST.
The Elephant in the Room for the SoCon
If anything, the most alarming thing about the NIL era is the fact that the margin has widened between "Group of Five" FBS teams and FCS teams, which would also suggest an overall decline in the product of FCS football as a whole. That is the power of the almighty dollar unfortunately, and its effect on the overall brand. In other words, you get what you can afford to pay for in most cases.
The troubling part of the equation for the SoCon is that the league's demographic means that it lies squarely in a region that features the heart of both SEC and ACC programs where talent is lost more often than not. Even other leagues like the Sun Belt have raided the league's top talent that doesn't go to a Power four program in recent seasons.
The concerning piece of this equation as far as the SoCon is concerned is that the league's decline has more to do with the demographics of where its footprint is more than anything else. If you look back to recent seasons in 2022 and '23, the league was progressing and was competitive in the postseason, but the decline has really shown through each of the past two campaigns.
The Catamounts were 42-35 victors in Buies Creek last season, while Campbell upset the Catamounts, 24-16, in Cullowhee two years ago. That was a loss that more than likely cost the Catamounts a chance at the FCS Playoffs. The Camels, who won just two games last season, knocked off East Tennessee State, 49-37, last Saturday in Johnson City.
The Bucs will look to get their first win of the season against NCAA Division II Tusculum, as the game is slated to kickoff at 5:30 p.m. EST at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium on what is supposed to be an exceptionally hot Saturday afternoon and evening throughout the southeast.
Tennessee Tech will face a SoCon foe in its first road game of the season, but it won't count as a league game when the Golden Eagles face Chattanooga in a previously scheduled non-conference game prior to the Golden Eagles making their official joining of the SoCon last year.
Both the Golden Eagles and Mocs were impressive in their season-opening wins, with the Golden Eagles posting an impressive, ranked win for the league, as Tennessee Tech dominated No. 22/23 Monmouth, 38-14, last week in the Golden Eagles' home opener.
The SoCon had no ranked wins in the non-conference last season and went just 8-15 against other FCS leagues last season, including a pair of losses to Pioneer League foes. Kickoff between the Golden Eagles and Mocs will be at 6 p.m. EST at Finley Stadium on Saturday evening.
Two-time defending SoCon champion Mercer, which has won 21 of its last 25 games at Five Star Stadium, will look to avenge one of those four losses from the past four seasons, as the Bears will host Presbyterian Saturday night with kickoff slated for 6 p.m. EST.
The final game of the evening will see VMI on the road to face Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. EST.
The Elephant in the Room for the SoCon
If anything, the most alarming thing about the NIL era is the fact that the margin has widened between "Group of Five" FBS teams and FCS teams, which would also suggest an overall decline in the product of FCS football as a whole. That is the power of the almighty dollar unfortunately, and its effect on the overall brand. In other words, you get what you can afford to pay for in most cases.
The troubling part of the equation for the SoCon is that the league's demographic means that it lies squarely in a region that features the heart of both SEC and ACC programs where talent is lost more often than not. Even other leagues like the Sun Belt have raided the league's top talent that doesn't go to a Power four program in recent seasons.
The concerning piece of this equation as far as the SoCon is concerned is that the league's decline has more to do with the demographics of where its footprint is more than anything else. If you look back to recent seasons in 2022 and '23, the league was progressing and was competitive in the postseason, but the decline has really shown through each of the past two campaigns.
With the league's location in an area so congested with college football's wheelhouse when it comes to power programs, it's something that other FCS leagues like the Missouri Valley Football Conference, but even more the Big Sky Conference doesn't have to deal with.
The MVFC does have to deal with it a little bit, with close proximity of the Big Ten and Big 12 to an extent, but leagues like the Patriot League, Ivy League and the Big Sky have virtually no conferences that are worth leaving those respective conferences to join.
The MVFC does have to deal with it a little bit, with close proximity of the Big Ten and Big 12 to an extent, but leagues like the Patriot League, Ivy League and the Big Sky have virtually no conferences that are worth leaving those respective conferences to join.
It will be interesting to see what the long-term effect of North Dakota State's ascension to the FBS will be and whether that program will look to poach MVFC top players as it leverages its strength to continue to be a power program in NCAA Division I football.
Game 10: Southern Illinois (0-1) at Samford (0-1)
Date: Sept. 3, 2026
Location: Homewood, AL/Pete Hanna Stadium
Time: 7 p.m. EST
How To Watch: ESPN+
Samford Head Coach: John Grass (72-27/9th season as a head coach/0-1/1st at Samford)
Southern Illinois Head Coach: Nick Hill (55-62/11th YR as head coach at SIU)
Series: First-ever meeting
Players To Watch For Samford: WR Marquise Henderson (Offense) or WR Preston Bird /ROV Jalen Nelson (Defense)
Players to Watch For Southern Illinois: QB Jake Curry (Offense); LB Ben Fiegel (Defense)
Previewing the Matchup: Both Samford and Southern Illinois will be looking to put week one behind them, as both suffered defeat in their respective season openers. The Salukis were at West Florida in their season opener to face off against the Argonauts in what was the first-ever FCS game for both teams.
The Salukis rallied from an 18-point deficit to take West Florida down to the wire Saturday night, before dropping a 34-31 contest in Pensacola. Starting quarterback DJ Williams came into the season as an experienced starter for the Salukis, however, suffered an injured knee and his status is unknown for Thursday evening's contest. If he can't go, look for Jake Curry to get the reps in the game against the Bulldogs on Thursday night.
Curry finished his night 13-of-29 passing for 153 yards, with two TDs and three INTs, which included throwing a pick-six in the contest. If Williams is able to go for the Salukis, he is more of a dual threat but look for his mobility to be severely limited. Williams did a large majority of his damage on the ground, which included five rushes for 47 yards, with the injury occurring on his longest run of the night, which was a 26-yard gain.
Overall, the Salukis were able to outgain the Argonauts despite the fact that they were without their starting signal-caller for most of the night. Williams was solid in leading the Salukis' offense last season, as he finished out the season connecting on 222-of-352 passes for 2,846 yards, with 22 TDs and only five INTs. He is a player thought to be among the best signal-callers in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Offensively, the Salukis were led in the opener on the ground by Chandler Chapman, who rushed for 75 yards on 10 caries. Curry also added 31 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts under center.
At wide receiver, the Salukis had two players haul in four passes, with Kyle Thomas being the most impressive of those wide receiving options, as he hauled in four balls for 61 yards and a pair of scores. Allen Middleton also hauled in four passes for 42 yards to match Thomas' production rate for the Salukis.
Defensively, the Salukis did a decent job of containing the Argonauts in the season opener, holding their foe to just 335 yards of total offense in the game, but it was the four turnovers, including one that was returned for a touchdown, that proved to be backbreakers for the Salukis in the season opener.
Junior linebacker Ben Fiegel led the Salukis in tackles in the season-opening loss, as he posted eight tackles and forced a fumble.
The defensive line was a particular focus on the defensive side of the ball for head coach Nick Hill and staff, as defensive end Caleb Saner out of Southwest Baptist highlights the list of signees, posting 69 tackles, 20.5 TFL and nine sacks last fall. He could be an instant impact player as a member of the pass-rush for SIU in 2026.
Unlike SIU's offense, which despite turnovers and losing its starting signal-caller to a knee injury early in the game found a way to churn out more than 400 yards of offense, the Samford offense in its first game under new head coach John Grass ran the ball about as well as it did in Chris Hatcher's last season, as the Bulldogs allowed 13 tackles behind the line-of-scrimmage and six sacks in the opener against North Alabama.
It would ultimately lead to a game which would see the Lions record six sacks and the Bulldogs finished the contest with negative 11 rushing yards. The Bulldogs could only muster a total of 23 yards of total offense in the 22-10 loss to North Alabama in the season opener in Huntsville last Saturday.
The good news for Samford is that it appeared the Bulldogs have found their guy under center, in Oregon State transfer Gabarri Johnson. He finished out the season opener by connecting on 19-of-33 passes for 245 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
Marquise Henderson was as good as advertised in the season-opener for the Bulldogs, as he hauled in five catches for 151 yards, which included an 86-yard scoring catch to account for Samford's lone touchdown of the season.
With the running game really yet to get untracked, look for the offensive line to be the focus as the season progresses. The question we all had coming into the season was whether or not this unit could be improved from last season. In the final three seasons under Hatcher, one of the major reasons for such a decline of the "Hatch Attack" could be directly correlated to lack of overall talent along the offensive front.
Following a season opener that saw the Bulldogs yield 13 tackles-for-loss and six sacks, that trend looks to be unfortunately continuing. The good news is their is a lot of returning continuity along the front, and they still have some time to get it figured out.
Other than Johnson and Henderson showing signs they can be playmakers at quarterback and receiver, respectively, on the offensive side of the football in the season opener, this unit appears to be a work in progress until the offensive line can come along. Right now, without a running game, the Samford offense is a bit one-dimensional.
The other good news to come out of the season opener for the Bulldogs was the play of their defense, which looked to be much improved from a unit that struggled mightily last fall.
Samford safety Jalen Nelson would end up leading the Bulldogs in the season opener, as he posted 14 tackles, a tackle-for-loss and half-a-sack to lead the Samford secondary. All told, the Bulldogs posted 10 tackles-for-loss and two sacks in the season-opening loss to the Lions, holding North Alabama a shade under 400 yards (394 yds) and just 22 points. About the only major negative was the fact that the Bulldogs did not force a turnover in the season-opening loss.
Those are solid totals for an improved unit all around in the season given how much the offense struggled throughout the season opener. Given those struggles, the defense will have a much taller task on their hands this Saturday even if the Salukis are without their starting quarterback.
Despite that, I think this will be a charged environment, and Samford will have a chance to pull the upset. The SoCon needs this game, and assuming Williams can't go, I like the Bulldogs to get a big early season win for the league!
FINAL PREDICTION: SAMFORD 28, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 24
Date: Sept. 3, 2026
Location: Homewood, AL/Pete Hanna Stadium
Time: 7 p.m. EST
How To Watch: ESPN+
Samford Head Coach: John Grass (72-27/9th season as a head coach/0-1/1st at Samford)
Southern Illinois Head Coach: Nick Hill (55-62/11th YR as head coach at SIU)
Series: First-ever meeting
Players To Watch For Samford: WR Marquise Henderson (Offense) or WR Preston Bird /ROV Jalen Nelson (Defense)
Players to Watch For Southern Illinois: QB Jake Curry (Offense); LB Ben Fiegel (Defense)
Previewing the Matchup: Both Samford and Southern Illinois will be looking to put week one behind them, as both suffered defeat in their respective season openers. The Salukis were at West Florida in their season opener to face off against the Argonauts in what was the first-ever FCS game for both teams.
The Salukis rallied from an 18-point deficit to take West Florida down to the wire Saturday night, before dropping a 34-31 contest in Pensacola. Starting quarterback DJ Williams came into the season as an experienced starter for the Salukis, however, suffered an injured knee and his status is unknown for Thursday evening's contest. If he can't go, look for Jake Curry to get the reps in the game against the Bulldogs on Thursday night.
Curry finished his night 13-of-29 passing for 153 yards, with two TDs and three INTs, which included throwing a pick-six in the contest. If Williams is able to go for the Salukis, he is more of a dual threat but look for his mobility to be severely limited. Williams did a large majority of his damage on the ground, which included five rushes for 47 yards, with the injury occurring on his longest run of the night, which was a 26-yard gain.
Overall, the Salukis were able to outgain the Argonauts despite the fact that they were without their starting signal-caller for most of the night. Williams was solid in leading the Salukis' offense last season, as he finished out the season connecting on 222-of-352 passes for 2,846 yards, with 22 TDs and only five INTs. He is a player thought to be among the best signal-callers in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Offensively, the Salukis were led in the opener on the ground by Chandler Chapman, who rushed for 75 yards on 10 caries. Curry also added 31 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts under center.
At wide receiver, the Salukis had two players haul in four passes, with Kyle Thomas being the most impressive of those wide receiving options, as he hauled in four balls for 61 yards and a pair of scores. Allen Middleton also hauled in four passes for 42 yards to match Thomas' production rate for the Salukis.
Defensively, the Salukis did a decent job of containing the Argonauts in the season opener, holding their foe to just 335 yards of total offense in the game, but it was the four turnovers, including one that was returned for a touchdown, that proved to be backbreakers for the Salukis in the season opener.
Junior linebacker Ben Fiegel led the Salukis in tackles in the season-opening loss, as he posted eight tackles and forced a fumble.
The defensive line was a particular focus on the defensive side of the ball for head coach Nick Hill and staff, as defensive end Caleb Saner out of Southwest Baptist highlights the list of signees, posting 69 tackles, 20.5 TFL and nine sacks last fall. He could be an instant impact player as a member of the pass-rush for SIU in 2026.
Unlike SIU's offense, which despite turnovers and losing its starting signal-caller to a knee injury early in the game found a way to churn out more than 400 yards of offense, the Samford offense in its first game under new head coach John Grass ran the ball about as well as it did in Chris Hatcher's last season, as the Bulldogs allowed 13 tackles behind the line-of-scrimmage and six sacks in the opener against North Alabama.
It would ultimately lead to a game which would see the Lions record six sacks and the Bulldogs finished the contest with negative 11 rushing yards. The Bulldogs could only muster a total of 23 yards of total offense in the 22-10 loss to North Alabama in the season opener in Huntsville last Saturday.
The good news for Samford is that it appeared the Bulldogs have found their guy under center, in Oregon State transfer Gabarri Johnson. He finished out the season opener by connecting on 19-of-33 passes for 245 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
Marquise Henderson was as good as advertised in the season-opener for the Bulldogs, as he hauled in five catches for 151 yards, which included an 86-yard scoring catch to account for Samford's lone touchdown of the season.
With the running game really yet to get untracked, look for the offensive line to be the focus as the season progresses. The question we all had coming into the season was whether or not this unit could be improved from last season. In the final three seasons under Hatcher, one of the major reasons for such a decline of the "Hatch Attack" could be directly correlated to lack of overall talent along the offensive front.
Following a season opener that saw the Bulldogs yield 13 tackles-for-loss and six sacks, that trend looks to be unfortunately continuing. The good news is their is a lot of returning continuity along the front, and they still have some time to get it figured out.
Other than Johnson and Henderson showing signs they can be playmakers at quarterback and receiver, respectively, on the offensive side of the football in the season opener, this unit appears to be a work in progress until the offensive line can come along. Right now, without a running game, the Samford offense is a bit one-dimensional.
The other good news to come out of the season opener for the Bulldogs was the play of their defense, which looked to be much improved from a unit that struggled mightily last fall.
Samford safety Jalen Nelson would end up leading the Bulldogs in the season opener, as he posted 14 tackles, a tackle-for-loss and half-a-sack to lead the Samford secondary. All told, the Bulldogs posted 10 tackles-for-loss and two sacks in the season-opening loss to the Lions, holding North Alabama a shade under 400 yards (394 yds) and just 22 points. About the only major negative was the fact that the Bulldogs did not force a turnover in the season-opening loss.
Those are solid totals for an improved unit all around in the season given how much the offense struggled throughout the season opener. Given those struggles, the defense will have a much taller task on their hands this Saturday even if the Salukis are without their starting quarterback.
Despite that, I think this will be a charged environment, and Samford will have a chance to pull the upset. The SoCon needs this game, and assuming Williams can't go, I like the Bulldogs to get a big early season win for the league!
FINAL PREDICTION: SAMFORD 28, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 24
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