QB Williams accounts for 4 TDs and Southern Illinois dominates DII Thomas More

CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — DJ Williams threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns and Southern Illinois trounced Division II Thomas More 49-3 on Saturday to open the season.

Williams returned to action completing 17-for-23 passes. He threw touchdowns of 18, 17 and 17 yards to Jay Jones, Jackson Parker and Fabian McCray, respectively. Before that, Williams ran it in from the 10 on the game's opening drive which covered 69 yards in eight plays.

Now a senior, his junior campaign came to an abrupt end last year due to a hand injury. Before the injury, Williams had thrown for 571 yards, four touchdowns and a pair of interceptions while carrying the ball 39 times for 242 (6.2-yards per carry) and four touchdowns.

Defensively, David Obadein came up with a 5-yard pick-6, intercepting Thomas More quarterback Griffin Scalf who was intending to find Demetrick Welch Jr. to his left. Obadein's scored made it 42-3 with 10:40 remaining.

Quade Chatmon ran it in from the 3 to make it 49-3.

Thomas More placekicker Luke Iden prevented the shutout by connecting from 29 yards with 2:15 to left before halftime.

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