Kickoff: 6:00 PM CT
Venue: Houck Field, Cape Girardeau, Missouri (Capacity: ~8,000)
Broadcast: ESPN+ / Real Rock 99.3 FM (radio)
Weather Forecast (Cape Girardeau, MO)
Temperature: ~85°F (29°C) at kickoff, cooling into the mid-70s by the 4th quarter
Conditions: Clear skies, light winds (5–7 mph)
Impact: Ideal football weather; no disruptions expected.
Injury Report
Southern Illinois (2–1, Missouri Valley Football Conference):
QB D. Williams – Healthy; 429 passing yards, 4 TDs.
RB L. Lester – Healthy; 42 rushing yards on 10 carries.
WR V. Davis III – Healthy; 126 receiving yards, 1 TD.
Defense – No major injuries reported.
Southeast Missouri State (1–2, Big South–OVC):
QB J. Leatherwood – Healthy; 497 passing yards, 4 TDs.
RB P. Brown – Healthy; 119 rushing yards.
WR C. Pedro – Healthy; 136 receiving yards, 2 TDs.
Defense – No major injuries reported.
Key Player Matchups
QB Duel: D. Williams (SIU) vs. J. Leatherwood (SEMO)
Both quarterbacks have 4 TDs through three games; whoever limits turnovers could swing the rivalry.
RB P. Brown (SEMO) vs. SIU Front Seven
Brown is SEMO’s workhorse; SIU must contain him to force Leatherwood into obvious passing downs.
WR C. Pedro (SEMO) vs. SIU Secondary
Pedro is SEMO’s top red-zone target; SIU must double him in key situations.
WR V. Davis III (SIU) vs. SEMO Corners
Davis is Williams’ go-to receiver; SEMO must prevent explosive plays.
Recent Team Form
Southern Illinois Salukis (2–1)
9/6: L 34–17 @ Purdue (FBS)
8/30: W 49–3 vs. Thomas More
11/23/24: W 62–0 vs. Murray State
Trend: Offense averaging 33.0 PPG; defense allowing 12.3 PPG.
Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (1–2)
9/6: W 30–21 vs. North Alabama
8/30: L 42–24 @ Arkansas State (FBS)
11/30/24: L 35–27 vs. Illinois State
Trend: Offense averaging 24.3 PPG; defense allowing 32.7 PPG.
Series History – War for the Wheel
All-time series: SEMO leads 44–40–8.
Rivalry dates back to 1909, the longest-running series for both schools.
SEMO won last year (2024) 38–21 over then-#7 SIU.
SIU had won the previous two meetings in Cape Girardeau.
The winner takes home the Wheel Trophy, symbolizing the Mississippi River boat crossings that once connected the schools.
Betting Trends
Southern Illinois:
3–2 SU in last 5 games.
4–1 ATS in last 5.
Unders hit in 3 of last 5.
Southeast Missouri State:
1–4 SU in last 5 games.
1–4 ATS in last 5.
Overs hit in 3 of last 5.
Head-to-Head: SEMO has won 2 of the last 3, including last year’s upset.
Historical Betting Results
Southern Illinois: Profitable ATS as a road favorite; unders common when defense dominates.
SEMO: Struggles ATS vs. ranked opponents; overs frequent when defense falters.
MVFC vs. OVC/Big South: MVFC teams cover ~61% of the time in September non-conference games.
Game Odds
Southern Illinois Salukis – 6.5
Southeast Missouri State Redhawks 54.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 19, 2025
