# 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. In their eighth year under head coach Rey Dempsey, the Salukis compiled a 13–1 record (4–1 in conference games), finished second in the MVC, and outscored their opponents by a total of 448 to 187. They played in the Division I-AA playoffs and won the Division I-AA national championship with a victory over Western Carolina in the championship game.
The Salukis scored an average of 32.6 points per game and allowed opponents to score 14.3 points per game. They set multiple school records, including most victories (13), most points (448), and most total offense (4,399 yards). Quarterback Rick Johnson ended his SIU career with the school record with 5,804 passing yards. Placekicker Ron Miller set the school's season scoring record with 110 points.
The defensive secondary set a school record with 41 interceptions (including eight against New Mexico State), and was led by three veteran defensive backs:
* Cornerback Terry Taylor was named to the Division I-AA All-America team. He later played 12 years in the NFL. Quarterback Rick Johnson later described Taylor's impact on opposing quarterbacks: ""With Terry Taylor, you could see the fear in the quarterback's eyes."
* Cornerback Donnell Daniel was named MVC Defensive Player of the Year.
* Free safety Gregg Shipp, a fifth-year senior, led the defensive backfield with 72 tackles. He set a school single-game record with four interceptions against Western Carolina.
The team was inducted as a group into the SIU Salukis Hall of Fame in 2023.
The team played its home games at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | at Western Illinois* | | Hanson FieldMacomb, IL | W 38–6 | 8,893 |
| September 10 | Eastern Illinois* | | McAndrew StadiumCarbondale, IL | W 17–14 | 12,800 |
| September 17 | Southeast Missouri State* | | McAndrew StadiumCarbondale, IL | W 56–7 | 10,200 |
| September 24 | at Northern Iowa* | No. 8 | UNI-DomeCedar Falls, IA | W 52–9 | 11,613 |
| October 1 | at Arkansas State* | No. 5 | Indian StadiumJonesboro, AR | W 35–28 | 10,281 |
| October 8 | Drake | No. 3 | McAndrew StadiumCarbondale, IL | W 28–9 | 14,700 |
| October 15 | at Southwest Missouri State* | No. 2 | Briggs StadiumSpringfield, MO | W 24–6 | 7,700 |
| October 22 | at No. 14 Indiana State | No. 2 | Memorial StadiumTerre Haute, IN | W 34–21 | 14,111 |
| October 29 | New Mexico State | No. 1 | McAndrew StadiumCarbondale, IL | W 41–3 | 14,000 |
| November 5 | Illinois State | No. 1 | McAndrew StadiumCarbondale, IL | W 28–26 | 16,600 |
| November 12 | at Wichita State | No. 1 | Cessna StadiumWichita, KS | L 6–28 | 3,911 |
| December 3 | No. 5 Indiana State* | No. 1 | McAndrew StadiumCarbondale, IL (NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal) | W 23–7 | 8,000 |
| December 10 | No. 11 Nevada* | No. 1 | McAndrew StadiumCarbondale, IL (NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal) | W 23–7 | 12,000 |
| December 17 | vs. No. 9 Western Carolina* | No. 1 | Johnson Hagood StadiumCharleston, SC (NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game) | W 43–7 | 15,950 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game |||||||