Kyle Thomas catches three touchdowns in Southern Illinois win over Indiana State

Kyle Thomas catches three touchdowns in Southern Illinois win over Indiana State

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Wide receiver Kyle Thomas caught three touchdown passes to lead the Southern Illinois football team past Indiana State 37-20 on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

Thomas Joins Rare Saluki Receiving Company

Thomas, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior, became just the fifth Saluki ever to catch three receiving touchdowns in a single game. His 57-yard scoring catch with 5:58 remaining in the first quarter gave the Salukis a lead they never surrendered. He later added touchdown grabs of 18 and 7 yards to pull Southern Illinois even at 5-5 overall and 3-3 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with two regular-season games remaining.

By hauling in three scores, Thomas joined an exclusive group of past Saluki receivers that includes Hall of Famer Cornell Craig, Brian Hamlett, LaVance Banks, and Rob Derricotte. It marks the first time a Southern Illinois player accomplished the feat since 1999. Craig remains the only player in school history to record three receiving touchdowns twice in a single season, doing so against Murray State and Illinois State during the 1999 campaign.

Indiana State Football: Highlights vs. Southern Illinois (11-7-26)

Saluki Defense Forces Three Turnovers in Win

Indiana State fell to 2-8 overall and 0-6 in conference play, dropping its sixth straight game since defeating Valparaiso on September 19. The Sycamores scored 14 points in the fourth quarter after Southern Illinois inserted most of its defensive reserves, but the rally fell short.

The Saluki defense forced three turnovers on the night. Linebackers Chris Presto and Charlie Whelpley paced the unit with seven stops each, while Sebastian Vargas and Matthew McClelland each intercepted passes. Southern Illinois has recorded at least one takeaway in every game this season except one. Late in the contest, preseason All-American long snapper Ryan Algrim recovered a fumble after Indiana State muffed a punt.

Quarterback DJ Williams orchestrated the Saluki offense by throwing for 211 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, taking just one sack. Quade Chatmon led the ground attack with 82 rushing yards on 13 carries.

The Road Ahead Against South Dakota State

The Salukis will host No. 5 South Dakota State next on Saturday, November 14, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

More on State: Boise State overwhelms Colorado State 64-38 as Dylan Riley scores 3 TDs · Toledo Defeats Sacramento State 20-17 on Strong Second-Half Run · Boise State Leads Colorado State 29-10 Behind Max Cutforth's Passing

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