Eco-consumers are increasing the demand for sustainability in the commercial sector. Companies are responding to the market’s alterations by increasing the eco-friendliness of their practices. Employers are improving ecological conditions by developing sustainable communal spaces.

The areas can cater to employees, employers and visitors, supporting the community and environment. Before evaluating the ways companies can develop eco-friendly spaces, we must assess their benefits.

The Need for Sustainability and Community

Employers can show their employees they value their health and wellbeing by improving the air quality in community spaces. Lowering greenhouse gas emissions in and around the office can protect the environment and workers’ health. When emissions invade the environment, they alter the atmosphere’s natural composition.

Organically, the planet absorbs solar radiation, creates heat, warms the surface, recollects excess energy and emits it to space. Greenhouse gases overproduce heat and trap additional energy in the environment. Over time, emissions effects increase the global temperature, degrading the ecosystem.

When workers inhale emissions, toxins can cross the blood-brain barrier and affect neurological stability. Long-term exposure drives neuroinflammation, creating mental health challenges. Air pollutants can cause permanent damage to the neurological system, reducing general wellbeing and efficient immune responses.

Emissions also increase the risk of asthma in many individuals, reducing respiratory health and safety. The nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides and other atmospheric elements in polluted air increase an employee’s risk of lung cancer. When employers develop eco-conscious community workspaces, they improve workers’ health and enhance productivity in the office.

Communal spaces also boost creativity, create flexibility, enhance networking opportunities and improve morale. Employers may develop eco-friendly community areas in the office using these four tips.

1. Ditch the Single-Use Plastic

A 500-milliliter plastic water bottle releases 82.8 grams of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. When companies place the bottles in vending machines and the refrigerator of their community spaces, they acquire a portion of their carbon footprints. Plastic products also create post-consumer waste through poor waste management practices.

After an individual uses a plastic container, they either throw it away or recycle it. When it reaches a landfill, it creates surface pollution or reaches the ocean and degrades into microplastics. Marine species misidentify microplastics as food, ingesting them and developing fatal health complications.

During the recycling process, professionals meltdown and reshape bottles and other containers. The practice also generates emissions, further degrading the atmosphere. Companies can increase the sustainability of communal spaces by removing all single-use plastics.

Employers can promote reusable water bottle uses, installing a purified dispenser. Many reusable water bottle companies insulate their products, helping employees access ice-cold water for hours at their desks. Plastic-free workspaces also promote eco-conscious choices outside of the office.

2. Install Energy Efficient Appliances

Companies can also replace outdated appliances, like refrigerators and stoves, with energy-efficient versions. Over time, the efficiency of devices degrades, creating higher emissions and utility costs. The energy use of refrigerators dropped by nearly 1500 kilowatt-hours per year from 1974 to 2008.

Energy conservation continues improving, enhancing the sustainability of communal spaces. Adding Energy Star-rated appliances in your workplace could significantly shrink your company’s carbon footprint. They also require little to no maintenance, helping employees access eco-friendly benefits without changing their routine.

3. Use Smart Devices

Businesses can also install smart devices, increasing the energy efficiency of a building. Smart thermostats significantly decrease the emissions related to a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. They access real-time weather reports through a Wi-Fi connection, adjusting indoor temperatures for energy reduction.

The devices also use motion detection sensors, turning a system off in a vacant building. When companies place smart thermostats in communal spaces, they can increase their employees’ comfort and decrease environmental degradation.

4. Add Plants

Employers can improve employees’ moods and decrease air pollution by adding plants to their communal spaces. As vegetation grows, it feeds on carbon dioxide and other air pollutants. Plants naturally absorb emissions and convert them into pure oxygen.

Adding greenery to a workspace can reduce the adverse health effects associated with air pollution. They also bring an aspect of nature inside, invoking calmness and joy.

Where to Start? 

When you begin developing an eco-friendly communal space in the office, it is essential to involve all employees. You must acknowledge all workers’ needs and address their concerns before creating the space. A community area brings people together, and you can ensure its welcoming aesthetic by allowing each staff member to design a portion. 

The most memorable hour I spent in my psychology class at Valparaiso University was all about forgetting.

We were told that were were going to study forgetting, and to do that, we could think about anything — as long as it wasn’t polar bears.

So that was fun, letting my mind go off and play for a while. But eventually, the professor said “Have you forgotten about polar bears?”

If you’re the least bit like everybody in that class, dear reader, you just groaned. The words “polar bears” brought the animals immediately to mind, didn’t they?

The professor didn’t let it end there. He said that he didn’t know when we’d all last thought about polar bears before class, but now this would be a better measure — from that first question in class to the next time we got checked on.

So off we went, thinking about anything except you-know-whats. It all went fine, but then a certain time went by and we all heard another question: “Have you forgotten about polar bears?”

That was when we knew it: Forgetting can’t be forced. I’ve had to turn off the radio already this morning, Sept. 10, because of all the almost-20-year-old stories being talked about. I will keep busy today to ward them off a little longer.

So I will keep busy as much as I can today and Saturday, the 10th and 11th.

For one thing, my curio cabinet needs cleaning up.

I want my polar bear figurines to be front and center.

Ravenswood ArtWalk is back. this weekend, September 11 and 12.

For 20 years, the Ravenswood ArtWalk has been a highly anticipated event for families, friends, art lovers, beer lovers, foodies and more.

The annual festival highlighted the vibrant and unique arts community in Ravenswood that has transformed former manufacturing buildings to homes for artists and creators.

The century old district has become a hub of innovation, providing vital workspaces for local artists, artisans, manufacturers, and brewers.

This event is the perfect opportunity to explore this one of a kind historic neighborhood and all it offers.

When: Saturday & Sunday (9/11-9/12) from 11am – 6pm (plus after dark events)

Where: Located along Ravenswood Avenue from Lawrence to Waveland

What: A weekend-long family-friendly celebration of the local creative community featuring an Outdoor Arts Market with over 60 local artists, food from 5411 Empanadas and Hilary’s Cookies, beer from Urban Brew Labs & Empirical Brewery, and more. Plus live performances and interactive activities.

For a map of the festival and more details, visit https://ravenswoodchicago.org/signature-events/ravenswood-artwalk/. 

RAVENSWOOD AFTER DARK SCHEDULE 
Saturday, September 11th, starts 6PM

Altered Festival, A Mixed Reality Adventure at Redline VRAltered Festival is aimed at all those who are approaching VR/AR/XR for innovative, multi-sensory experiences – exploring our senses with new forms of narration in the virtual world. The way we see, hear, taste, touch, and smell may never be the same again. This year, Altered Festival continues its mission of bringing multi-sensory VR/AR experiences from artists all over the world to the Ravenswood community and Chicago. For more information, visit https://www.alteredfestival.com/. 

Gallery + Tattoo Art Show and Fundraiser for Afghan Refugees. Wayward Arts Gallery + Tattoo will host a fundraiser for Refugee One, the Muslim Women’s Support Network, and World Relief Chicago, who are all working hard to support new families that will be resettling in Chicago throughout the year. In addition to some amazing art work by both established, emerging, and student artists, there will be authentic, home-cooked Afghan foods and tea for guests to enjoy.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1993453514148187/?ref=newsfeed

KOVAL Outdoor Movie Night + Big Teeth’s Small Shorts Film Festival. Join Big Teeth at KOVAL (4241 N. Ravenswood) for an exclusive, outdoor screening of more than 40 short films (each under 5 minutes), ranging in genre and medium, all while enjoying spirits under the stars. The one-night-only “Best of Big Teeth” show will be comprised of favorite shorts from past 60-Second Film Festivals as well as favorites from the Big Teeth Small Shorts Film Fest.  Purchase tickets here, $30.

Show Me Chicago. Your place to discover all Chicago has to offer

On September 11, 2001 Todd Beamer died saving the Capitol. On January 6, 2021 Donnie Trump called for its destruction.

Did Donnie complete the mission of the 9/11 hijackers? You be the judge.

On September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer of Cranbury, New Jersey boarded United Airlines Flight 93 in Newark for a one day trip to San Francisco.

Beamer died a hero that day, as Flight 93 terminated in a fireball in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing 32 other passengers, seven crew members and four al Qaeda hijackers. Beamer was just two months short of his 33rd birthday.

Beamer, an account manager at New Jersey software company Oracle, led a counter-attack against the hijackers that day preventing them from reaching their intended target, the Capitol. By that time, passengers aboard Flight 93 were already aware that two planes hit the World Trade Center and a third hit the Pentagon.

The general consensus is that Flight 93 was heading for the Capitol or the White House, the former being the more logical and vulnerable of the two with a higher probability of significant casualties.

Lisa Jefferson, a customer service supervisor for Verizon Airfone heard Todd Beamer’s final words. Addressing fellow passengers that included Jeffery Glick, 31, Thomas Burnett Jr., 38 and Mark Bingham, 31, he said, Are you guys ready? Okay. Let’s roll.

And so began the assault that forced the hijackers into a fatal nose dive at almost 600 miles per hour.

Let’s roll. Two words that will be remembered.

Bravery and sacrifice. Two words that describe the heroes of Flight 93 on that fateful day.

Two words that can never be used to describe one single member of the Trump family. Not now, not ever.

In 2016 Donnie said that the only way he could lose is if the election was stolen from him, planting the seeds of doubt in the fertile ground of anger, resentment and isolation.

Four years later, Donnie was back at it, only this time he did lose and he need a Big Lie to perpetuate the idea that someone was stealing something from him.

Even worse, they were stealing it from a group whose only information came from the man peddling the lie and his Right wing propaganda machine.

Yes, TucKKKer, I’m calling you a liar. Sue me.

Donnie’s drum beat crescendoed on January 6, 2021 where he told his amped up minions that he would lead them down to the Capitol and they needed to fight like Hell.

His exact words were, …if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.

There’s about 195 countries in the world. The fortunes of many of those countries have risen and fallen over time, but the people still had their countries.

What Donnie and the lying liars of Fox mean when they repeatedly tell us that we’re not going to have a country anymore has yet to be fully explained.

Not surprisingly, Donnie lied. He did not lead anyone anywhere, except back to his media room where he could watch and laugh as the match that he struck ignited a raging wildfire.

Much damage was done to the Capitol, although it was all repairable. 140 law enforcement officers defending the Capitol were injured, some seriously, some permanently. One died.

Severely traumatized, at least four officers committed suicide in the weeks and months that followed.

Members of the press were attacked and equipment destroyed. This MUST be recognized as a foreseeable consequence of Trump’s incessant attacks on the media and a harbinger of autocracy.

Somehow, only one (White) member of the violent mob attacking police officers was killed by law enforcement.

Make no mistake, though. Had members of Congress been killed, as was planned by the mob, or hundreds of the insurrectionists killed and the building completely destroyed, Donnie would have been a happy man.

His deliberate, criminal negligence at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and his war against science prove that he has no regard for American lives, especially when it conflicts with his own personal interests.

A few hundred more deaths would just be part of the body count.

So, twenty years after al-Qaeda failed to rain terror on the Capitol, Donnie succeeded. Not only did he succeed, but his campaign is organizing and funding a rally to show support for the terrorists next week.

Somehow, we went from loving and supporting our first responders to loving and supporting our home grown terrorists who beat our first responders with flag poles.

Did Donnie complete the mission of the 9/11 hijackers? Maybe we should ask Kevin McCarthy.

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EIU wide receiver Matt Judd (top row at right) and his Raiders team celebrated the Senior championship this summer in the Tuscola Flag Football League. (Photo by TFFL)

Throughout his career, Eastern Illinois wide receiver Matt Judd can recall numerous coaches who shaped his development both on and off the football field.

“I’ve had so many coaches that have shown me the way about life,” he said. “I’ve had coaches who I’ve seen be a good father, be a good teacher. X’s and O’s are all important, but it’s really about how you build a kid into an adult.”

The examples his coaches provided have strengthened Judd’s post-football plans. The redshirt freshman – whose Panthers (0-2) travel to Dayton Saturday for a noon kickoff in a non-conference game – has a goal to become a teacher and coach.

“That shows how much of an impact they had on my life that I want to do the same thing,” he said. “They took a young kid who really didn’t know what was going on and turned him into a mature guy now who hopes to do the same (for other kids).”

Judd got his first taste of his future profession over the summer when he served as a coach in the Tuscola Flag Football League north of Charleston.

As a coach for the Raiders in the Senior Division, Judd guided the team of 9- to 14-year-olds to the league championship in late July.

“The most exciting thing is seeing the kids have fun and seeing the kids take your coaching and actually put it to work,” Judd said. “I’ve always heard coaches say, ‘It’s nice seeing your kids succeed.’ I didn’t really understand what it meant until it happened. They were succeeding while having fun, and that was the most important part.

“My enjoyment is just seeing them have fun and getting a win,” he said.

How it all started

Judd’s playing career began at the University of Illinois, where he noticed former teammates Reggie Corbin and Justice Williams were serving as Tuscola coaches.

“I thought it would be fun,” Judd said. “It really sparked an interest in my head my freshman year.”

After transferring to Eastern, Judd’s interest continued, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed his participation until over the summer.

“It was a natural fit,” said Jason Rahn, the founder and president of the Tuscola league, which is part of NFL Flag. “Matt is very laid back. He lets the kids have fun, but he keeps them focused, which is hard to do with 9- to 14-year-olds. He was able to connect with them.”

Judd said he has maintained connections with several of his players and their parents throughout the fall to check in on how their youth tackle football season is going.

“The kids all had a blast with Matt,” Rahn said. “The parents all appreciated everything he did. I know things can change, but Matt made the comment that he’s coming back next year.

“The parents are pretty excited about that,” he said. “It’s nice when you have some consistency with your coaches. They give up a lot to come and help us.”

Colton Courage

The Tuscola league began in the summer of 2017 because Rahn’s son, Colton, is a huge football fan and a Fighting Illini fanatic.

However, Colton has cerebral palsy and “tackle football isn’t in the cards,” Jason Rahn said.

The first year featured 62 young athletes in the league. This summer, Rahn said 115 kids from a 30-mile radius around Tuscola – including from Charleston and Mattoon – joined the league.

When Colton needed eye surgery in 2017, his father tweeted out a message asking for well wishes for his son that he could read to him before and after surgery.

“I woke up the next morning with well over 700 messages, including from (former Illini coach) Lovie Smith and almost the entire football team,” he said. “They kind of adopted him.”

More than a dozen Illini players showed up at Colton’s youth basketball game only weeks after the surgery and celebrated when he hit the game-winning shot.

The social media trend #ColtonCourage – along with the league – took off, featuring numerous Illini players as coaches.

“The kids have had next-level type coaches,” Rahn said.

EIU’s connection

With Judd at EIU, the Panthers program now has a connection to the league.

When Rahn sought ideas for this summer’s championship games, Judd immediately thought about using EIU’s O’Brien Field – where Tony Romo and Jimmy Garoppolo began their careers – and got Panthers head coach Adam Cushing involved.

“I thought it would be a cool idea if we had it at O’Brien,” Judd said. “I texted Coach Cushing and said, ‘Coach, what do you think about this? I think would be a cool experience for the kids. It would be an opportunity to get our name out there as well.’

“Coach said he loved the idea, so we got it worked out with the compliance office, and the rest is history,” Judd said.

On gameday, Cushing also took part in the event.

“He let me come out and be the honorary coin flipper,” Cushing said. “It was a really cool experience. They had great fan support. It’s a little bit like I started my career. I coached Little League baseball when I was 16 years old.”

For Judd, playing the flag title game at EIU provided a highlight for his team that he won’t soon forget.

“I’m getting chills just talking about it,” Judd said. “It was one of the coolest things, and knowing I had a part in it was so cool.”

Coaching’s impact

As much as Judd helped his players this summer, coaching had an impact on him.

“This has taught me so much,” he said. “I saw them three times a week, and just seeing the smiles on their faces took me back to playing youth football. This is fun.”

Rahn said the benefit of having college athletes as coaches is the young athletes can relate to someone closer to their age.

“Some of these kids will talk to somebody like Matt before they talk to their parents or someone else if they have an issue,” Rahn said.

Being a mentor and a good listener for his athletes was something Judd relished.

“You could tell they were looking at me more as a coach, yes,” he said. “But there were times we’d just sit around and talk.

“I think I’ll be more of a coach that not just a football player, but any kid in the school can come talk to me about anything they have to talk about,” he said. “I hope to be that guy as a teacher and a football coach.”

Where to find the game

Eastern’s noon kickoff at Dayton will be broadcast online on Facebook Live. The radio broadcast is offered on Charleston-based Hit Mix 88.9 FM.

Eastern Illinois kicker Stone Galloway’s 36-yard field goal was the Panthers’ lone score until a late touchdown in EIU’s 17-10 loss at Dayton. (photo courtesy eiupanthers.com)

Playing in the city in which the Wright Brothers designed and built their famous airplane, the Eastern Illinois offense failed to take flight in a 17-10 non-conference loss to Dayton.

“It’s the same story over and over again,” third-year EIU head coach Adam Cushing said in the postgame Zoom.

Costly penalties and turnovers again bit the Panthers.

For the fourth straight season, EIU is off to an 0-3 start. Meanwhile, Dayton (1-0), a member of the non-scholarship FCS Pioneer League, posted its third win in the last four games over a scholarship conference team.

Dayton is 9-2 against Ohio Valley Conference members, the league in which EIU plays.

Here are three things that Prairie State Pigskin learned from Saturday’s game:

Eastern’s offense remains stagnant.

Over the past nine quarters, the Panthers have produced just 17 points — including the last seven that came with only 19 seconds left in Saturday’s loss.

“We’ve not doing what we need to do, and that starts with me, ” Cushing said. “It’s not all on one person. Offensive football requires all 11 guys and the coaches. It’s disappointing to say the least.”

For the second straight game, former Algonquin resident and Jacobs High School star Chris Katrenick started at quarterback for the Panthers. The redshirt sophomore and Duke transfer struggled completing 12-of-27 throws for 129 yards and an interception.

“It’s not all his fault,” Cushing said of the offensive woes.

Freshman Otto Kuhns, who started the season opener at Indiana State before being sidelined with an injury, replaced Katrenick late in the third quarter.

“We felt he might give us a spark,” Cushing said.

Kuhns twice drove the Panthers deep into Dayton territory. EIU came up short on a fourth-and-goal play when Tyler Hamilton dropped a pass in the end zone with just under five minutes remaining.

“When the ball gets put in there, it has to be caught,” Cushing said of several Panther miscues in the passing game.

2. The third quarter proved to be the turning point.

EIU held a 3-0 lead at halftime, courtesy of a 36-yard field goal by Stone Galloway and a 40-yard miss by Dayton kicker Sam Webster.

Dayton drove 72 yards in 14 plays to open the second half and stake itself to a lead the Flyers would never relinquish. Quarterback Jack Cook capped the drive a 10-yard touchdown pass to running back Jake Chisholm.

The TD came after Cook faked to the right and the EIU defense bit, leaving Chisholm wide open in the end zone.

Chisolm, a preseason third team All-American, accounted for 36 yards on the Dayton scoring drive.

Eastern then committed a costly turnover when Hamilton fumbled after a 12-yard catch.

Five plays later, Cook scored on a touchdown run and the Flyers upped their lead to 14-3.

Eastern ran just five offensive plays in a quarter dominated by Dayton.

3. Turnovers again tell much of the story.

Although EIU finished the game with more offensive yards than Dayton (301-266), the Flyers forced two turnovers while the Panthers garnered none.

“We’re doing the things that losing teams do,” Cushing said.

In three games this season, Eastern has committed seven turnovers and forced just one. The Panthers have yet to intercept an opposing quarterback. EIU has only one sack on the season.

News & notes

Dayton played its first game in 658 days — other than a spring scrimmage against Ashland — since it beat Butler 51-38 on Nov. 23, 2019 . . . Dayton has scored in 488 straight games, which stands as the all-time FCS record. The last team to shut out the Flyers was Marshall on Oct. 16, 1976 . . . EIU’s lone touchdown came when Kuhns found Robbie Lofton for a touchdown strike with 19 seconds left in the game . . . Kuhns — an Ohio native — passed for 60 yards and led the Panthers with 42 rushing yards, 39 coming on one play.  Lofton hauled in five passes for 56 yards.

What’s next

EIU hosts rival Illinois State in the annual Mid-America Classic Saturday, Sept. 18. Kickoff is 6 p.m.

Illinois State QB Bryce Jefferson was under pressure all day against Western Michigan in the Redbirds’ 28-0 loss to the FBS Broncos. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)

With 5 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in Saturday’s football game between Illinois State and Western Michigan, the lights at WMU’s Waldo Stadium went dark.

Over the previous 50-plus minutes of game time, WMU used a dominant defensive front and a powerful offensive line to power past the Redbirds, 28-0, in a non-conference game.

“It’s a line of scrimmage game,” Redbird head coach Brock Spack told WJBC radio. “They beat us up front, on both sides of the football. It came down to physicality up front.”

On offense, the Broncos, of the FBS Mid-American Conference, bulldozed their way to 233 yards on the ground, the most allowed by Illinois State in a game since 2019.

The WMU defense limited Illinois State to 57 total yards, including 1.1 yards per carry on the ground, and only four first downs in the game.

“We knew they were going to be good,” ISU offensive lineman Drew Bones said. “They were all around physical. They were fast. They did a lot of twists and movement.”

Here are three things Prairie State Pigskin learned about the Illinois State game:

Offense sputters

The Redbirds gained a mere 57 total yards and managed four first downs while being shut out for the first time since 2012. The leading rusher for ISU was wide receiver Jalen Carr, who gained 13 yards on only one carry.

Quarterback Bryce Jefferson, who was under consistent pressure all day, finished 8-for-19 passing for 29 yards and threw an interception. He was sacked four times.

“First down was really rough,” Spack said. “We didn’t give ourselves a chance.”

2. Run down feeling

Western Michigan (1-1) rushed the ball 51 times with six different players, led by La’Darius Jefferson, who rolled up 106 yards on 18 carries. He scored two of the Broncos’ touchdowns.

“There was a lot of leaky yardage, leaky tackling,” Spack said. “We couldn’t get off blocks.”

3. Big play limits

While WMU piled up more than 400 total yards, the Redbird defense did not allow a play of longer than 30 yards. The longest run allowed was 21 yards.

News and notes

ISU defensive linemen Josh Dinga and Michael Gomez both had fumble recoveries for the Redbirds, who won the turnover battle, 2-1. … Illinois State punter J.T. Bohlken had a strong day, averaging 49.8 yards per punt on nine kicks. His longest of the day was 64 yards, which was one of six kicks of 50 or more yards. … Linebackers Kenton Wilhoit (nine), Shanon Reid (eight) and Zeke Vandenburgh (seven) led the Redbirds in tackles. … WMU quarterback Kaleb Eleby was very efficient, completing 15 of 21 passes (71%) for 147 yards.

What’s next?

Illinois State travels to Charleston to face in-state rival Eastern Illinois (0-3) at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18.

Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn rushed for 120 yards and scored three touchdowns against Southern Illinois Saturday night. (photo courtesy @KStateFB)

Overcoming the loss of its starting quarterback and four first-half turnovers, Kansas State turned to its running game and outlasted upset-minded Southern Illinois 31-23 Saturday night in Manhattan, Kan.

Kansas State (2-0) ran 48 times for 208 yards and shut out the Salukis (1-1) in the second half.

“We came here to win and I felt like, honestly, we were the better team tonight,” SIU head coach Nick Hill said on the SIU radio postgame show. “I felt like our defense dominated the football game really and gave us opportunities to win this game.

“We couldn’t get into a rhythm offensively. That’s a good (Kansas State) defense, but we hold ourselves to a pretty high standard . . . There were a lot of things left on the play card that I wish we could have gotten to.”

Here are three things Prairie State Pigskin learned from Saturday’s loss:

Big plays dig early hole for Salukis

Playing its first game in front of a packed home stadium crowd, Kansas State used long gains on passes to built a 14-0 first quarter lead that later grew to 21-3.

Quarterback Skylar Thompson connected on a 43-yard completion and then a 50-yarder to set up the first two K-State touchdowns.

Thompson, who started the first three games of the 2020 season before being sidelined with an injury, later left the game with what was labeled “a lower-body injury” on a non-contact play.

Thompson left the game 3-of-4 passing for 96 yards and an interception. He was replaced by sophomore Will Howard.

2. Turnovers fuel SIU comeback

SIU — ranked No. 8 in the FCS poll — fought its way back into the game. The Salukis forced four first half K-State turnovers. Southern used consecutive turnovers to rally for a 23-21 halftime lead.

Defensive end Jordan Berner caused a fumble and tackle Gianini Belizaire picked it up inside the red zone.

Versatile Javon Williams Jr. scored on a one-yard run with 4:14 left in the half. It was the sophomore’s second touchdown of the game.

On the next K-State series, cornerback P.J. Jules intercepted Howard’s errant pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown.

SIU then thwarted a K-State drive when defensive tackle Kevin Glajchen sacked Howard and forced a fumble. Belizaire recovered it. However, the Salukis could not turn it into points.

3. K-State went primarily to run in the second half.

Kansas State, which received 13 votes in last week’s Associated Press poll, utilized a run-heavy set of play calls after halftime. The Wildcats took a 24-23 lead on a field goal early in the third quarter. The score came off a drive that featured all running plays with the exception of one pass.

SIU also gambled on a 4th-and-2 from its own 48. Baker’s incomplete pass turned the ball over on downs; there were also two SIU penalties on the play that K-State declined.

Deuce Vaughn, last season’s Big 12 Conference freshman of the year, took the bulk of the second half carries for K-State. Vaughn finished the night with 120 yards on 26 attempts. His third touchdown — which came with under two minutes left — provided the final margin.

“It was electric coming out in front of this full house,” Vaughn said on TV postgame.

“22 (Vaughn) is as good a back as there is,” Hill said.

SIU squandered a chance to retake the lead when a promising drive stalled and Nico Gualdoni’s 47-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left early in the fourth quarter.

Later, pressured in the pocket, Nic Baker fumbled and K-State recovered on the final Saluki drive with 19 seconds.

News and notes: SIU wore special red, white and blue helmet decals to honor the memory of those fallen in the attacks on America Sept. 11, 2001 . . . head coach Nick Hill’s shirt read: Always Remembered, Never Forgotten . . . SIU moved from FBS to FCS (I-A to I-AA) in 1982. The Salukis are 4-36 lifetime vs. FBS teams . . . The last SIU victory over an FBS team was Sept. 7, 2019, when the Salukis won at UMass 45-20 . . . Southern scored all 23 of its points in the second quarter.

What’s next

SIU hosts Dayton Saturday, Sept. 18. Dayton, a member of the non-scholarship Pioneer Conference, defeated Eastern Illinois 17-10 Saturday.