Southeast Missouri at Kansas

Date: Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017
Kickoff: 6 p.m., CT
Location: Lawrence, Kan.
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (52,530)
Surface: FieldTurf
Weather Forecast: Mostly Sunny, 86 degrees
Series History: Kansas leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Kansas 34, SEMO 28 (Sept. 6, 2014 / Lawrence, Kan.)
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (12-22, 9-14 OVC at SEMO). David Beaty (2-22 at KU).

Media Coverage
Radio: SEMO ESPN 92.9 FM, Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
Video: ESPN3, WatchESPN (Dave Stewart, Danan Hughes, Rachel Kilmer)
Live Stats: KUAthletics.com
Twitter: @SEMOFootball
Coach Matukewicz OVC Teleconference Audio
Southeast Missouri Notes

Redhawks Open Season Saturday
Southeast Missouri opens its 2017 season at Football Bowl Subdivision and Big 12 Conference member Kansas Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., CT, at Memorial Stadium.

Fan Information for Kansas Game
Southeast Missouri is encouraging its fans and alumni to observe this important information regarding next week's season-opener at Kansas.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 -- "Southeast Night in Kansas City"
The SEMO Alumni Association will host a special "Southeast Night in Kansas City" alumni event from 6-8 p.m. at The Granfalloon Restaurant & Bar on the Plaza in Kansas City (608 Ward Pkwy, Kansas City, MO 64112). SEMO football parents and fans are also welcome to attend. Cost is $10 per person with appetizers provided and a cash bar available. RSVP is required and you can do so by clicking Here.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
• Kickoff: Southeast Missouri vs. Kansas, 6 p.m., CT
• Parking/Tailgate Information: SEMO fans and football parents will gather before the game for tailgating in Lot 90 (See Parking Map). Parking in this lot is FREE. RVs are permitted to park in this lot with a shuttle to and from Memorial Stadium available at this location. Lots open five hours before kickoff (1 p.m.)
• Alcohol Policy: Per KU's website, "Alcohol may be consumed only during a three-hour period before kickoff and during halftime in the designated tailgating area.  Consumption of alcoholic beverages must end 30 minutes following the opening kickoff and 15 minutes following the second-half kickoff.  Alcoholic beverages must be transported off-campus following the end of the game. Consumption of alcoholic beverages is not permitted outside of the designated tailgating areas.  Underage drinking, disorderly conduct or other unlawful conduct will not be tolerated."
• KU Fan Guide with complete parking and tailgating information

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 call the action. Video can be accessed online at ESPN3 (Dave Stewart, Danan Hughes, Rachel Kilmer). Live stats are available at KUAthletics.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOFootball.

Series History
Kansas owns a slight 1-0 advantage in the overall series between these teams. The Redhawks and Jayhawks first met three years ago in Lawrence, Kansas. Southeast nearly pulled off a huge comeback when it scored 28 second-half points, including 21 in the fourth quarter before falling, 34-28, on Sept. 6, 2014.

Against the Big 12
Kansas and Missouri are the only two opponents Southeast faced from the Big 12 Conference in its football history. The Redhawks are 0-2 in such games, losing to former Big 12 member Missouri, 52-3, in 2008 and Kansas, 34-28, in 2014. Both of those games were on the road.

Season 113
The 2017 campaign is Southeast's 113th season of football. The Redhawks enter their 27th season at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level. Southeast joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1991 and compiled an overall record of 101-192 with one Ohio Valley Conference title (2010) and one NCAA Playoff appearance (2010) as a D-I program.

Roster Breakdown
Southeast's 2017 roster consists of 98 players, including 14 seniors, 22 juniors, 22 sophomores and 40 freshmen. The Redhawks return eight starters with four on offense and four on defense. All four of Southeast's defensive starters (OLB Kendall Donnerson, OLB Chad Meredith, CB Mike Ford, DT Joshua Wilson) have drawn NFL interest.

Year Four
Tom Matukewicz begins his fourth season as head coach at Southeast. Matukewicz has three wins over ranked opponents, most in program history.

Season-Openers
Southeast is 9-17 all-time in season-openers since joining the Football Championship Subdivision in 1991. The Redhawks last win in a season-opener on the road came at Austin Peay (38-13) on Sept. 2, 2006. Southeast opens a season against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent for the 10th time in 2017. The Redhawks are 0-9 in season-openers against FBS teams.

Against the FBS
Southeast is 1-21 all-time against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents. The Redhawks have dropped their last 16 matchups with FBS schools. Additionally, Southeast has never beaten a BCS team.
11-12-94     at Hawai'i     L, 0-34
10-19-96     at Arkansas State     L, 9-38
08-31-00     at Marshall     L, 7-63
09-01-01     at Eastern Michigan     L, 12-16
09-14-02     at Eastern Michigan     L, 32-35
09-28-02     at Middle Tennessee     W, 24-14
08-30-03     at Ohio     L, 3-17
09-13-03     at Arkansas State     L, 3-21
09-11-04     at Bowling Green     L, 10-49
09-18-04     at Central Michigan     L, 27-44
09-10-05     at Kent State     L, 12-33
10-14-06     at Arkansas     L, 7-63
08-30-07     at Cincinnati     L, 3-59
09-06-08     at #6 Missouri     L, 3-52
09-12-09     at #23 Cincinnati     L, 3-70
09-02-10     at Ball State     L, 10-27
09-17-11     at Purdue     L, 0-59
08-30-12     at Central Michigan     L, 27-38
09-07-13     at Ole Miss     L, 13-31
09-06-14     at Kansas     L, 28-34
09-05-15     at #24 Missouri     L, 3-34
09-03-16    at Memphis    L, 17-35

Approaching 200
Outside linebacker Chad Meredith is closing in on 200 career tackles. Meredith enters his final year with 176 total stops. He ranked second on the team in tackles (86) and tackles for loss (10.5), and tied for first in sacks (4) last season. Meredith has started 22-straight games and is eighth in career sacks (8.5) and tied for seventh in career tackles for loss (24) at Southeast.

Preseason All-OVC
Southeast outside linebacker Chad Meredith and return specialist Cameron Sanders earned Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference honors. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Meredith claimed First-Team All-OVC accolades after finishing the 2016 season with 86 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and five quarterback hurries. He enters the year having started 22 games in a row and ranks eighth among SEMO career leaders in sacks (8.5) and seventh in tackles for loss (24). Sanders, who hails from Memphis, Tennessee, returned a kickoff for a touchdown each of the last two seasons. He, too, was a First-Team All-OVC selection a year ago. Sanders presently ranks first among the Redhawks all-time career leaders in kick return average (28.3 ypr) and seventh in career kick return yards (1,132). He led the OVC and ranked ninth in the Football Championship Subdivision with 27 yards per return last season.

Redhawks Picked Seventh in OVC Preseason Poll
The Redhawks were picked seventh with 42 points in this year's Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll. For the fourth-straight year and sixth time in the past eight years, Jacksonville State has been picked the preseason favorite of the OVC. The Gamecocks, who have won three-straight OVC Championships and 24-consecutive Conference games, received 16 of the possible 18 first-place votes. UT Martin (107 pts.), Tennessee State (96 pts.), Eastern Illinois (81 pts.), Eastern Kentucky (68 pts.), Tennessee Tech (64 pts.), SEMO, Murray State (41 pts.) and Austin Peay (21 pts.) rounded out the poll.

The Specialist
Cameron Sanders is Southeast's top return specialist. Sanders, a First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection, is back after leading the conference and ranking 12th in the nation in kick return yards with 27 per return. As a team, the Redhawks were second in the OVC and 16th nationally with 23 yards per kick return. Sanders ran a kickoff back for a touchdown each season he has been at Southeast.

PAT Streak
The Redhawks carry a streak of 52-consecutive PATs made into the 2017 season. Ryan McCrum did not miss a PAT as Southeast's kicker the last two seasons. The last time the Redhawks missed a PAT was with 3:32 left in the fourth quarter vs. then-#3 Jacksonville State on Nov. 22, 2014.

Closing it Out
One of Southeast's biggest focuses this season is closing out games. The Redhawks are 6-20 in games they were within atouchdown in the fourth quarter under head coach Tom Matukewicz. Southeast was either up or down a score in the fourth quarter a total of 13 times over the last two years before coming up short in those instances.

Football is Here
Eight Ohio Valley Conference teams will kick off the 2017 season this week. UT Martin (vs. Clarion), Tennessee Tech (vs. Western Illinois), Murray State (vs. Kentucky Wesleyan), Eastern Illinois (at Indiana State), Austin Peay (at Cincinnati) and Tennessee State (at Georgia State) open Thursday. Eastern Kentucky (at Western Kentucky) and Southeast Missouri (at Kansas) close out the Labor Day weekend with Saturday matchups. Jacksonville State notched the league's first win of the season when it beat Chattanooga, 27-13, on Aug. 26.

Hosket Eyes Big Senior Year
Jesse Hosket returns at quarterback after starting all 11 games during his first season with the Redhawks in 2016. Hosket threw for 2,332 yards and 11 touchdowns en route to landing a spot on the Ohio Valley Conference All-Newcomer Team. He threw for multiple touchdowns in three of his starts and finished with a season-high 257 passing yards at Murray State (Sept. 24). Hosket is one of three starting quarterbacks returning in the OVC this year. He is the first Southeast quarterback to start consecutive seasons in six years (Matt Scheible, 2008-11).

Scoring Output
Offensively, the Redhawks are looking to improve their scoring output this upcoming 2017 season. Southeast was ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring offense, averaging 20.8 points a game a year ago. The Redhawks highest scoring average in the last five seasons was 32 points per contest in 2014, Tom Matukewicz's first year as Southeast's head coach.

2017 Recruiting Class
Southeast signed 34 players for the 2017 season marking its largest recruiting classunder head coach Tom Matukewicz. This year's class includes players representing eight different states. Twelve mid-year transfers enrolled at Southeast in January and went through spring drills. In all, the Redhawks added 10 players from Missouri, eight from Mississippi, six from Florida, three from Kentucky, two from Georgia, Tennessee and Illinois, and one from Kansas.

Kansas Connection
Five members of Southeast's coaching staff have ties to Kansas. Head Coach Tom Matukewicz is from Silver Lake, Kansas and defensive line coach Ricky Coon is a native of Wichita, Kansas. Matukewicz and defensive coordinator Bryce Saia each graduated from Fort Hays State. Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Jon Wiemers and wide receivers coach Matt Martin were at Emporia State. Wiemers had his longest coaching tenure there, while Martin was a player and graduate assistant coach for the Hornets. Additionally, Redhawks Jerome Miller (Hutchinson, Kan./Highland CC), Marcus Goree (Fort Scott CC), Marquis Terry (Highland CC), Omar Pierre-Louis (Independence CC), Eddie Morris (Garden City CC), Nick Sprague (Garden City CC), Shabari Davis (Garden City CC), Jimmy Keutzer (Fort Scott CC) and Josh Avery (Independence CC) played junior college football in Kansas before coming to Southeast.

Time of Possession
Southeast was third in the Ohio Valley Conference and 28th in the Football Championship Subdivision in time of possession last season. The Redhawks averaged 31:31 per game in that category. Southeast held a +7:00 advantage in time of possession three times in 2016.

2017 Schedule
Southeast will play an 11-game schedule with five matchups at Houck Field in 2017. SEMO's non-conference slate includes Kansas, Dayton and regional-rival Southern Illinois.The Redhawks kick off their season at Football Bowl Subdivision Kansas on Sept. 2. Southeast meets the Jayhawks for the second time in four years. These teams last met in the second week of the 2014 season, Tom Matukewicz's first year as SEMO's head coach. SEMO hits the road to face Pioneer Football League member Dayton (Sept. 9). This year marks the first meeting between the two schools. Dayton returns the trip to Cape Girardeau next season.The Redhawks then host SIU in its home-opener on Sept. 16. SEMO is 40-36-8 all-time against the Salukis, as this year marks the 85th game in the series. SEMO opens Ohio Valley Conference play at Eastern Illinois (Sept. 23). Austin Peay (Oct. 21), Jacksonville State (Oct. 28) and Tennessee State (Nov. 11) are the Redhawks other road road foes. The home portion of the Redhawks conference schedule features games with Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 30, Family Weekend),Tennessee Tech (Oct. 14, Homecoming), UT Martin (Nov. 4) and Murray State (Nov. 18).

Three-Game Skid
The Redhawks are looking to end a three-game losing streak. Southeast ended its 2016 campaign with losses in each of its last three contests and five of its final six games.

On the Road
Southeast is 3-14 all-time on the road under head coach Tom Matukewicz. The Redhawks beat UT Martin (2014), Austin Peay (2015) and Murray State (2016) for those victories away from home. Southeast's last win on the road was at Murray State (17-16) on Sept. 24, 2016.

OVC vs. FBS
Ohio Valley Conference schools are a combined 34-216-1 against Football Bowl Subdivision schools. Eastern Kentucky (7) has the most wins against FBS foes. Eastern Illinois was the last to knock off a FBS opponent when it beat Miami (Ohio), 21-17, on Sept. 10, 2016.

Tough Tandem
The strength of Southeast's defense is at linebacker where two NFL type players in Chad Meredith and Kendall Donnerson headline a deep and talented bunch. The Redhawks go 16-deep between inside and outside linebacker and this unit again shapes up to be the most dominant part of the Redhawks 3-4 scheme. Meredith and Donnerson pack one of the fiercest one-two punches in the Ohio Valley Conference at outside linebacker. A Preseason All-OVC and STATS FCS All-American, Meredith enters his final season. He is coming off a 2016 campaign which saw him get 86 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and five quarterback hurries en route to claiming First-Team All-OVC honors. Meredith has started 22-straight games and ranks eighth among Southeast's all-time career leaders in sacks (8.5) and seventh in tackles for loss (24). Meredith began his college career as a walk-on and now heads into the 2017 season as the leader of the Redhawks defense. Equally impressive is Donnerson, who recorded 50 tackles and led Southeast with 13 tackles for loss a year ago. He tied for first on the team with Meredith in sacks and, like Meredith, ranks among the school's career leaders in tackles for loss (t10th, 21) and sacks (t9th, 6).

Now Featuring
Southeast has had a different tailback every year with Tom Matukewicz as its head coach and that will hold true again in 2017. The one thing that separates this year's backfield is that it's the deepest it has been since Matukewicz took the job. Newcomer Marquis Terry is expected to be the Redhawks feature back this season. Terry participated in spring drills after transferring to Southeast from Highland Community College. He earned First-Team National Junior College Athletic Association All-America honors and was a First-Team All-Region selection. The 2016 Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Terry led the nation in rushing with 1,319 yards and found the end zone a total of 17 times. His 16 rushing TDs tied for second in the NJCAA. Terry averaged 119.9 yards per game and led the KJCCC in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Fellow junior Cameron Sanders is also battling for the starting role. A Preseason All-OVC pick, Sanders rushed for 172 yards and one touchdown on 47 carries in his first year at running back last season. He also caught one pass for a yard out of the backfield and garnered First-Team All-OVC honors as a return specialist.

New Look on Special Teams
The Redhawks will have new faces in the kicking game following the departure of punter Alex Knight and kicker Ryan McCrum. Knight started the last four years and was a First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference pick in 2016. He led the OVC and ranked sixth in the Football Championship Subdivision in punting with an average of 43.8 yards per punt. Knight punted 64 times for 2,805 yards and had 13 of his kicks travel 50 or more yards. He dropped 22 of his kicks inside the 20-yardline. Knight finished his college career ranked third among the school's career leaders in punting yards (9,100), punt attempts (216) and punting average (42.1). McCrum initially joined the team as a walk-on before serving as the Redhawks starting kicker over the last four seasons. He led Southeast and ranked fifth in the OVC in scoring with 77 points a year ago. McCrum  made 18-of-26 field goals and did not miss a PAT (23-of-23). He finished second in the league in field goals, third in field goal percentage and tied for first in PAT kicking percentage. New Mexico Military Institute transfer Nicholas Litang is expected to handle place kicking duties and redshirt-freshman Kendrick Tiller will handle kickoffs. Newcomer Evan Scales takes over as the Redhawks punter.

Strong Defense
Southeast among the top-five in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring defense (3rd, 24.4 ppg allowed), total defense (4th, 390.2 ypg allowed), rushing defense (3rd, 138.5 ypg allowed), opponent third downs converted (4th, 38.6 pct.), opponent fourth downs converted (3rd, 42.9 pct.) turnover margin (5th, -2) and red zone defense (2nd, 73 pct.). The Redhawks were also 15th in the Football Championship Subdivision in red zone defense. Roper Garrett (6th) and Chad Meredith (9th) each finished among the league's top-10 in tackles, while Kendall Donnerson was second in tackles for loss (13). Meredith and Donnerson are both back this year.

Scoring Streak
The Redhawks presently have the third-longest scoring streak in the Ohio Valley Conference. Southeast has scored in 66-consecutive games and ranks behind Murray State (132) and UT Martin (80) in that category. The last time the Redhawks were shutout in a game was at Purdue (59-0) on Sept. 17, 2011.

Turnover Time
Southeast's defense forced a turnover in seven of 11 games last season. The Redhawks forced a turnover in 16 of their last 22 games and recorded multiple takeaways in eight of their previous 15 contests.