CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois sophomore quarterback Nic Baker, making his first-career start on Saturday in the 38-14 win over No. 1 North Dakota State, is the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Sunday night.

The Rochester, Ill.-native completed 17-of-23 passes for 254 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Baker guided a Saluki offense that generated five touchdowns and 443 yards of total offense against the Bison. The Salukis were 11-of-16 in 3rd down conversions and had a 41:26 to 18:34 advantage in time of possession.  The SIU win ended NDSU’s 39-game winning streak, the longest in FCS history and third-longest in Division I history.

Baker is the first Saluki quarterback to win the award since Matt DeSomer won it in 2018.