Williams rushes for 4 scores, leads Southern Illinois' 37-7 rout of Illinois State

Updated: Nov 23, 2026, 05:39 am

NORMAL, Ill. -- — DJ Williams rushed for four touchdowns in Southern Illinois 37-7 rout of Illinois State on Saturday, in the final regular season game of the season for both teams.

Williams kept a 12-yard score to cap a 13-play, 83-yard drive to open the game for the Salukis (7-5, 4-4 Missouri Valley). He added 1-yard, 3-yard and 42-yard carries in the second and fourth quarters to power the Salukies to a 30-point win.

Williams was 18-of-30 passing for 159 yards and racked up 134 yards on the ground. It marked a combined 3,693-yard, 40-touchdown season for Williams through the air (2,846 yards, 22 TDs) and on the ground (847 yards, 18 TDs)

Tommy Rittenhouse provided the lone score on a 1-yard keeper in the first quarter for an FCS coaches poll T-No. 11-ranked Redbirds (8-4, 5-3) team that had won four consecutive games, and had not scored fewer than 16 points against an FCS opponent this season.

Rittenhouse was 12-of-22 passing for 134 yards with an interception. He had 28 touchdowns and four interceptions coming into the game.

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