Purdue vs. Southern Illinois: Preview, Prediction and More

Arhmad Branch, WR — Branch made a big impact for the Boilermakers in the season-opening win over Ball State in Week 1. He hauled in three receptions for a team-high 101 yards and a touchdown. His score came on a 49-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Browne less than one minute into the game. Branch appears to be one of the top playmakers at receiver for Purdue's offense this season.

Ryan Browne, QB — The opener couldn't have gone much better for Browne, who ended Week 1 as the Big Ten's leading passer. He threw for 311 yards and two touchdowns and completed 18-of-26 pass attempts. He's also accounted for a rushing touchdown in the win. The versatile quarterback presents a lot of trouble for opposing defenses.

Tahj Ra-El, DB — Making his debut in a Purdue uniform, Ra-El made several plays against Ball State. He finished Saturday's game with a team-best seven tackles, which included one for loss. Throughout fall camp, Ra-El has been a rising star and has an opportunity to be one of Purdue's top defensive backs this season.

Southern Illinois

DJ Williams, QB — Williams was stellar in Southern Illinois' win over Thomas More to start the season, completing 17-of-24 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns. Williams spent the first four years of his career at Murray State, where he showed dual-threat abilities. He transferred to SIU before the 2024 season and has proven to be a commodity for the Salukis. In his career, Williams has thrown for 3,533 yards, has rushed for 955 yards, and has accounted for 33 total touchdowns.

Vinson Davis III, WR — In his first two seasons at Southern Illinois, Davis totaled 92 receptions for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns. He picked up right where he left off in Week 1, hauling in a team-high five catches for 89 in a win. Williams has been a consistent player for the Salukis and one who can cause problems for the Purdue defense.

Donnie Wingate, DE — Wingate transferred to Southern Illinois after spending the last three years at Lindenwood. He got off to a strong start in the win over Thomas More, totaling five tackles and a sack in the win. Wingate is capable of disrupting the backfield, having 14 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks across his career.

The coaches

Barry Odom, Purdue

Odom is in his first year at Purdue after a successful two-year run at UNLV. The Rebels won 20 games in the past two seasons, reaching the Mountain West Championship Game each of the last two years. It was an impressive turnaround for a program that has struggled to find and sustain success over the course of its history.

Now, Odom comes to Purdue hoping to turn things around in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers ended the 2024 campaign with a 1-11 record. Although many would consider this a rebuilding project, Odom has refused to use that terminology with his team.

This year will be Odom's seventh as a college head coach. He was at Missouri from 2016-19, posting a 25-25 record and reaching a bowl game twice in that span. As an assistant coach, Odom has worked at Missouri (2003-15) and Arkansas (2020-22).

• Overall record: 45-33
• Record at Purdue: 1-0

Nick Hill, Southern Illinois

Hill is in his 10th season at Southern Illinois, having led the Salukis to three FCS playoff appearances in the last six years. The program has been incredibly consistent under Hill, but it hasn't always been that way.

When he first took over in 2016, Hill endured three losing seasons, finishing with records of 4-7, 4-7, and 2-9. The Salukis finally broke through with a 7-5 record in 2019 and reached the FCS playoffs in the 2020-21 season (impacted by COVID-19). Southern Illinois has enjoyed four winning seasons over the last six years.

Hill is a Southern Illinois alum, playing quarterback from 2004-07. He then spent time playing in the NFL and AFL before calling it a career in 2013. He stepped into coaching in 2013, where he led Carbondale Community High School for one season. Then, in 2014, Hill was named the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In 2016, Hill was named the head coach of the Salukis.

• Overall record: 49-56
• Record at Southern Illinois: 49-56

Preview and prediction

It may have only been one game, but Purdue already looks much more disciplined and purposeful than it was a season ago. Yes, there are a lot of new faces on the roster, but it's not easy to get 82 newcomers on the same page in such a short amount of time. That's a good sign for Odom and the Boilermakers.

Southern Illinois is considered one of the top teams at the FCS level, ranked No. 15 heading into Saturday's matchup with Purdue. The Salukis present some problems in the passing game, especially with DJ Williams under center and seven different receivers catching two passes or more in the opener against Thomas More.

Purdue has the upper hand in talent, but this is also a Southern Illinois program that has played spoiler a few times under Hill. The Salukis have knocked off three FBS opponents since 2016, which includes a 31-24 win over Northwestern in 2022.

The Boilermaker defense will be tested at times, but the Purdue offense is going to be way too much for Southern Illinois to handle. On Saturday night, Odom will become the first Purdue coach since Cleo O'Donnell (1916) to start his tenure 2-0.

Score prediction — Purdue 44, Southern Illinois 13