Southeast Missouri (0-1) at Southern Illinois (0-1)

Date: Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016
Kickoff: 6 p.m., CT
Location: Carbondale, Ill.
Stadium: Saluki Stadium (15,000)
Surface: FieldTurf
Weather Forecast: Clear, 80 degrees
Series History: SEMO leads, 40-35-8
Last Meeting: SEMO 27, SIU 24 (Sept. 12, 2015 / Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (10-15 overall; 9-15 at SEMO; 6-9 OVC). Nick Hill (0-1 overall; 0-1 at SIU)

Media Coverage
Radio: SEMO ESPN 92.9 FM (Erik Sean (play-by-play) / Real Rock 99.3 FM
Live Stats: SIUSalukis.com
Twitter Updates: @SEMOFootball
Southeast Missouri Notes

Redhawks Face Southern Illinois
Southeast Missouri (0-1) hits the road for its second-straight away contest when it visits Southern Illinois (0-1) Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., CT, at Saluki Stadium.

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen to Saturday's game on the radio at ESPN 92.9 FM and Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Sean will handle the play-by-play. Live stats can be accessed online at SIUSalukis.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOFootball.

Season 112
The 2016 campaign is Southeast's 112th season of football. The Redhawks are in their 26th season at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level. Southeast joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1991 and has compiled an overall record of 98-185 with one Ohio Valley Conference title (2010) and one NCAA Playoff appearance as a D-I program.

Road Tripping
Southeast plays five of its first seven games outside of Cape Girardeau this year. The Redhawks are on the road for back-to-back games to start a season for the first time since 2013. That year, Southeast travelled to Southeastern Louisiana and Ole Miss the first two weeks.

Receiving Votes
The Redhawks received votes in both the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll this week. Southeast tallied four votes. Five-time defending national champion North Dakota State was picked first in both FCS polls. Jacksonville State (No. 5), which was the FCS national runner-up last season, is the only Ohio Valley Conference school ranked in the Top-25.

Third Year
Southeast is in its third season under head coach Tom Matukewicz. The Redhawks have 17 returning starters, including eight on offense, seven on defense and two on special teams. Southeast finished 5-7 in 2014 and 4-7 in 2015 during Matukewicz's first two seasons at the helm.

Two To Go
The Redhawks are two wins away from reaching 100 victories at the NCAA Division I level. Southeast is 98-185 all-time since joining the FCS in 1991.

Series History
Regional-rivals Southeast and Southern Illinois meet for the 84th time in 2016. The Redhawks, who played SIU more than any opponent in their football history, hold a 40-35-8 advantage in the all-time series which began in 1909. Southeast ended a four-game losing streak in its series against the Salukis with a 27-24 victory at Houck Stadium last season. The Redhawks go after their second-straight win against SIU in the series. Southeast has not beat the Salukis in back-to-back years since 2001 and 2002.

In Carbondale
Southeast is 22-17-4 all-time against Southern Illinois in Carbondale. The Redhawks have played at SIU a total of 10 times since they joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1991 and are 4-6 in those contests. Southeast fell to the Salukis each of the last two games it played in Carbondale during the 2012 (35-14) and 2014 (50-23) campaigns. The Redhawks surrendered 37 points per contest in their last four games on the Salukis home field. Southeast last upended SIU in Carbondale on Sept. 18, 2010 (24-21), the year the Redhawks won their only Ohio Valley Conference title.

Last Meeting
After missing three-straight field goals, Ryan McCrum kicked a game-winning 42-yarder with five seconds left to send Southeast to a 27-24 win over Southern Illinois at Houck Stadium on Sept. 12, 2015. The Redhawks trailed by a touchdown with 12:45 left to play in the third quarter before scoring 10 unanswered points to pull off the come-from-behind win. Southeast's defense scored two touchdowns in that game with Mike Ford hitting paydirt on a 21-yard interception return and Eriq Moore returning a fumble 42 yards to the end zone. McCrum, Moore and Ford are back with the Redhawks this season.

Matukewicz vs. Southern Illinois
Tom Matukewicz is 1-1 against Southern Illinois as a head coach. Southeast fell to then-#14 SIU, 50-23, in Carbondale during the 2014 season and beat the Salukis, 27-24, in Cape Girardeau in 2015.

That's a Fact
The Redhawks have three winning seasons in their NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision era. Southeast beat Southern Illinois on the road during each of those campaigns. John Mumford guided the Redhawks to a 24-14 victory in the Redhawks first winning season as a Division I program in 1994. Tim Billings led Southeast to a 21-14 win at SIU in 2002. Tony Samuel's 2010 team rallied for 21 unanswered points to stun then-#5 SIU, 24-21, at Saluki Stadium. Southeast went 9-3, won a share of the Ohio Valley Conference title and fell to eventual national champion Eastern Washington in the FCS Playoffs in 2010.

Old Stomping Grounds
Southern Illinois was once home to Southeast head coach Tom Matukewicz and defensive coordinator Bryce Saia. Matukewicz spent seven seasons under head coach Jerry Kill at SIU. As linebackers coach and run-game coordinator, Matukewicz had a big hand in three Missouri Valley Football championships (2003, 2004, 2005) and five NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoff berths (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007). He was named the 2007 FCS Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association after helping turn the Salukis into one of the top rushing defenses in the nation. Saia coached the defensive line for four years (2004-07). The Salukis ranked either first or second in the MVFC during his tenure, and had the top-ranked scoring defense in the FCS in 2004. Saia was also with Matukewicz at Toledo for two seasons.

Former Player
First-year Southern Illinois head coach Nick Hill was a quarterback when Tom Matukewicz was part of Jerry Kill's staff at SIU. Hill played for the Salukis from 2005-07. All three of those teams Hill was on made the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. Hill, who ranks on several records lists at SIU, came one win away from leading the Salukis to the FCS National title game in 2007.

Against the MVFC
Two of Southeast's three non-league opponents this season are from the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Redhawks are 77-93-8 all-time against the MVFC, having faced Southern Illinois (40-35-8), Illinois State (3-7), Indiana State (4-4), Missouri State (28-46), Northern Iowa (1-1) and Western Illinois (1-0). A total of five MVFC schools are ranked in this week's Top-25 polls. Southeast returns to Cape Girardeau to host Indiana State in its home-opener next week.

Something in Common
Southeast and Southern Illinois each opened their respective 2016 seasons with road games at Football Bowl Subdivision opponents a week ago. The Redhawks fell to Memphis, 35-17, and the Salukis dropped a 38-30 decision at Conference USA foe Florida Atlantic.

Respectable Redhawks
A 22-point first quarter was the difference in Memphis' 35-17 win over Southeast on Sept. 3. The Redhawks then regrouped to outscore the Tigers, 17-13, the rest of the way. Southeast scored two second-half touchdowns when Will Young dashed 61 yards for his first career score with 10:13 left in the third quarter and Jesse Hosket threw his first career touchdown pass to Adrian Davis (8 yards) with 3:25 remaining in the fourth quarter. The loss put the Redhawks at 1-21 all-time vs. Football Bowl Subdivision opponents and 9-17 in season-openers since joining the FCS in 1991.

31 in a Row
Southeast kicker Ryan McCrum has made 31-consecutive extra points. McCrum did not miss a PAT all of last season going a perfect 29-of-29. He began this year with 2-of-2 PATs at Memphis (Sept. 3). McCrum last missed a PAT with 3:32 left in the fourth quarter vs. Jacksonville State on Nov. 22, 2014.

Hosket Makes First Career Start
Jesse Hosket made his first career start as Southeast's quarterback at Memphis (Sept. 3). Hosket, a transfer from East Central Community College, completed 19-of-31 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. Hosket completed passes to six different receivers in his debut. He played all but one series in that game. Now Starting at Tailback Will Young, who saw action in five games last season, made his first career start as the Redhawks tailback at Memphis (Sept. 3). A native of Wichita, Kansas, Young rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He averaged 6.7 yards per rush and scored his first career touchdown on a 61-yard run in the third quarter. Young became the first Southeast player to rush for over 100 yards against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent since 2007 (Victor Anderson, 118 yards, at Cincinnati).

First-Timers
A total of seven players participated in their first game at Southeast last week. Quarterback Jesse Hosket, wide receivers C.J. Curry and Kristian Wilkerson, running back Chase Abbington, defensive end Fernando Whigham, linebacker Devin Alexander, cornerback Taj Jenkins and long snapper Zach Stagner completed that group. Curry (Oklahoma State), Abbington (Missouri) and Alexander (Toledo) are Football Bowl Subdivision transfers.

Turnover Time
Southeast's defense had two interceptions and recovered a fumble in its season-opener at Memphis (Sept. 3). Roper Garrett and Mike Ford each tallied a pick, while Fletcher Evans added his first career fumble recovery. The Redhawks forced a turnover in 10 of their last 12 games and recorded multiple takeaways in five straight contests dating back to last season.

Defensive Momentum
After ranking last in the Ohio Valley Conference with a -9 turnover margin in 2014, Southeast led the league in that category with a +10 mark last season. The Redhawks recovered 10 fumbles and had 11 interceptions en route to leading the OVC in turnover margin for the first time since 2010 (+13). Southeast picked up right where it left off, forcing three turnovers in its season-opener at Memphis (Sept. 3). As a result of that performance, Southeast remained atop the OVC in turnover margin just one week into this season.

Sack Attack
Southeast registered three sacks at Memphis (Sept. 3) with Chad Meredith, Joshua Wilson and Mike Ford contributing one apiece. The Redhawks are second in the Ohio Valley Conference in sacks just one week into the 2016 campaign. Southeast led the OVC and ranked 15th in the Football Championship Subdivision with 2.82 sacks per game in 2015. The Redhawks notched a total of 31 sacks in 11 games with 15 different players recording at least one. John Popovich paved the way with five sacks for a loss of 32 yards. The 31 sacks marked Southeast's third-most in a season behind the 1994 (38 sacks) and 1997 (33 sacks) campaigns. The Redhawks had a sack in 13 of their last 16 games dating back to 2014.

Knight Shines in Redhawks Opener
Preseason All-American punter Alex Knight averaged 51.4 yards per punt in his season debut at Memphis (Sept. 3). A native of Boca Raton, Florida, Knight punted eight times for 411 yards. He dropped one of his punts inside the 20-yard line and had a touchback. Four of his punts sailed 50 or more yards, including a long of 62. He moved to fourth all-time in career punting yards (6,706) and attempts (160) at Southeast. Knight was rewarded with Ohio Valley Conference Specialist of the Week honors and was named honorable mention for the STATS FCS National Specialist of the Week award this week.

Redhawks Visit St. Jude Children's Hospital
The Southeast Missouri football team visited St. Jude Children's Research Hospital on the way to its season-opener at Memphis. Players, coaches and support staff toured the amazing facility that leads the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Danny Thomas officially opened St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in 1962 and it has spent more than half a century finding cures and saving children. The Redhawks donated teddy bears and other items, along with a check for over $500 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which operates at a cost of $2.2 million daily.

Redhawks Don New Uniforms
Southeast took the field in new uniforms for its season-opener at Memphis (Sept. 3). The team's fresh Nike uniform sets consist of black jerseys and pants for home games and white jerseys and pants for away contests. The home jerseys include red numbers and trim around the shoulders, while the away jerseys feature black numbers trimmed in red, and black around the shoulders. On the front, all jerseys will continue to have Southeast embroidered above the number with the Redhawk logo at the V of the neck. The Redhawks wore red jerseys at home before switching to black this year. Southeast will keep its same helmets which are flat black with a red and white stripe down the center and Redhawk logos on the sides.