CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The wheel is coming back to Carbondale. The Salukis won the 91st War for the Wheel game on Saturday, edging SEMO 26-25 in Cape Girardeau.Â
No. 15 ranked SIU traveled to No. 13 SEMO on Saturday evening for the annual War for the Wheel game. It was the 91st game between the two schools, dating back to 1909, when the series first began. Saturday's game was the 40th in Cape Girardeau, and the first at the newly renovated Houck Field.
The Salukis edge the Redhawks, 26-25
The wheel has been sitting in SEMO's locker room for a year now, the Salukis had it the previous two years.Â
Saturday night's game was a sell-out at Houck Field for the first time since 2010. Both teams gave fans something to cheer about.
Score-less game late in the first quarter, Paxton DeLaurent finds Dalyn McDonald deep in Saluki territory, Redhawks finish off the drive with a field goal, they led 3-0 after one quarter.Â
Redhawks with a 6-0 lead in the second quarter, Southern pinned into its own endzone, the SEMO defense swarms Ro Elliott for the safety. Redhawks with an 8-0 lead.Â
In the final minutes of the first half, DeLaurent connects with Mitchell Sellers in the endzone for the touchdown. SEMO shut-out the Salukis in the first half, 15-0.Â
But Southern, not going down without a fight, they scored back-to-back touchdowns in the quarter to make it a two-point game. Then, after a SEMO fumble, the Salukis score a touchdown with 11 seconds left in the game on 4th and 7.Â
The wheel is coming back to Carbondale. SIU wins a thriller, 26-25.Â
