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.
[1] They set multiple school records, including most victories (13), most points (448), and most total offense (4,399 yards).
[3] 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.
[4] The defensive secondary set a school record with 41 interceptions (including eight against New Mexico State),[3] and was led by three veteran defensive backs: The team was inducted as a group into the SIU Salukis Hall of Fame in 2023.