1983 Southern Illinois Salukis football team

The 1983 Southern Illinois Salukis football team was an American football team that represented Southern Illinois University (now known as Southern Illinois University Carbondale) in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Under eighth-year head coach Rey Dempsey, the team compiled a 13–1 record, finished second in the MVC, and won the NCAA Division I-AA Championship, defeating Western Carolina in the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game.[1] The team played its home games at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.

1983 Southern Illinois Salukis football
NCAA Division I-AA champion
ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference
Record13–1 (4–1 MVC)
Head coach
Home stadiumMcAndrew Stadium
Seasons
← 1982
1984 →
1983 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Tulsa $ 5 0 0 8 3 0
No. 1 Southern Illinois ^ 4 1 0 13 1 0
No. 5 Indiana State ^ 3 2 0 9 4 0
New Mexico State 3 2 0 5 6 0
Illinois State 2 2 1 6 4 1
Wichita State 3 3 0 3 8 0
Drake 1 6 0 1 10 0
West Texas State 0 5 1 0 10 1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
  • The conference was a hybrid of NCAA Division I-A and I-AA programs. New Mexico State, Tulsa, and Wichita State were I-A and the other teams were I-AA.
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

Schedule edit

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 3at Western Illinois*W 38–68,893
September 10Eastern Illinois*W 17–1412,800
September 17Southeast Missouri State*
  • McAndrew Stadium
  • Carbondale, IL
W 56–710,200
September 24at Northern Iowa*No. 8W 52–911,613
October 1at Arkansas State*No. 5W 35–2810,281[2]
October 8DrakeNo. 3
  • McAndrew Stadium
  • Carbondale, IL
W 28–914,700
October 15at Southwest Missouri State*No. 2W 24–67,700
October 22at No. 14 Indiana StateNo. 2W 34–2114,111
October 29New Mexico StateNo. 1
  • McAndrew Stadium
  • Carbondale, IL
W 41–314,000
November 5Illinois StateNo. 1
  • McAndrew Stadium
  • Carbondale, IL
W 28–2616,600
November 12at Wichita StateNo. 1L 6–283,911[3]
December 3No. 5 Indiana State*No. 1
W 23–78,000
December 10No. 11 Nevada*No. 1
  • McAndrew Stadium
  • Carbondale, IL (NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal)
W 23–712,000
December 17vs. No. 9 Western Carolina*No. 1W 43–715,950[4]

References edit

  1. ^ "Southern Illinois Saluki Football 2019 Media Guide" (PDF). Southern Illinois University. 2019. p. 118. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  2. ^ "Snoozing Salukis awaken to put the bite on ASU". The Commercial Appeal. October 2, 1983. Retrieved October 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Wichita State shocks Salukis". Southern Illinoisan. November 13, 1983. Retrieved February 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Salukis satisfy their appetites, 43–7". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. December 18, 1983. Retrieved March 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.