Southeast Missouri (5-2, 3-1 OVC) at UT Martin (1-6, 1-3 OVC)

Date: Saturday, October 27, 2018
Kickoff: 2 p.m., CT
Location: Martin, Tenn.
Stadium: Graham Stadium (7,500)
Surface: Field Turf
Weather Forecast: Partly Cloudy, 66 degrees
Series History: UTM leads, 18-15
Last Meeting: UTM 16, SEMO 14 (Nov. 4, 2017 / Cape Girardeau, Mo..
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (21-32 overall; 20-32 at SEMO; 15-20 OVC). Jason Simpson (78-60 at UTM, 78-60, 61-35 OVC).

Media Coverage
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
Video: ESPN+  
Live Stats: UTMSports.com
Twitter: @SEMOFootball
Southeast Missouri Notes

Redhawks Head to UT Martin
Southeast Missouri (5-2, 3-1) hits the road to face UT Martin (1-6, 1-3) Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m., CT, at Graham Stadium.

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen to Saturday's game live on the radio at Real Rock 99.3 FM and SEMO ESPN 1220 AM. Erik Sean will call the action. Video can be accessed online at ESPN+. Live stats are available at UTMSports.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOFootball.

Series History
UT Martin holds a 18-15 edge in the overall series against Southeast Missouri. The Skyhawks are 11-2 in the last 13 meetings between these teams. UTM won each of the last three games of the series. The only time the Redhawks beat the Skyhawks under head coach Tom Matukewicz was in 2014 (31-27, Sept. 27). SEMO is 7-10 all-time in Martin, Tennessee.

Win for the Ages
Southeast Missouri ripped apart Ohio Valley Conference leader and #4 Jacksonville State in a dominating 37-14 win on Oct. 20. The Redhawks ended JSU's 36-game winning streak in OVC games. That streak was the longest active conference winning streak in Division I. JSU started its winning streak with a 42-34 win over SEMO on Nov. 23, 2013 and last lost a conference game on Nov. 16 of that season (52-14 at Eastern Illinois).

Another One for the Brickyard
The Redhawks notched their seventh win over a ranked opponent when they manhandled #4 Jacksonville State (Oct. 20). For Tom Matukewicz, it was his fourth win over a ranked opponent in five years as Southeast Missouri's head coach. Matukewicz has the most wins over ranked foes of any head coach in SEMO football history. The Redhawks display all of their wins over ranked opponents in a special area of their locker room called the "Brickyard" as Matukewicz wants his players to always remember these accomplishments.

Three in a Row
Red-hot Southeast Missouri carries a three-game winning streak into Saturday's matchup with UT Martin. The Redhawks have won five of their last six contests with two of those victories coming on the road. Currently, SEMO is second in the Ohio Valley Conference standings behind Murray State (4-3, 4-0 OVC). The Redhawks face the Racers in Murray, Kentucky on Nov. 10. MSU presently has the longest winning streak at four games.

Looking to Build on the Momentum
A victory at UT Martin Saturday will secure a winning season for Southeast Missouri. The Redhawks currently have just three winning seasons in their NCAA Division I era (since 1991). SEMO's last winning campaign was eight years ago when the Redhawks finished 9-3, won a share of the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs in 2010. A win will also give SEMO its most road victories in a season under head coach Tom Matukewicz and give the Redhawks their longest winning streak with Matukewicz at the helm.

Hall Clears 200 Tackles
Inside linebacker Zach Hall registered a game-high 15 tackles in Southeast Missouri's upset over #4 Jacksonville State (Oct. 20). Hall tallied six solo stops, 2.5 tackles for loss and blocked a field goal that was returned 85 yards for a touchdown. That strong effort put him over 200 career tackles (207). Hall leads the Ohio Valley Conference and ranks second in the Football Championship Subdivision with 92 total tackles (13.1 per game). He became the first SEMO player to get 200 or more career tackles since Roper Garrett (359, 2012-16). Hall posted 10 or more stops in five of his seven starts this season.

Big Time Defense
Southeast Missouri put together its best defensive performance of the season to date when it limited the Ohio Valley Conference's top scoring offense in #4 Jacksonville State to a season-low 14 points on Oct. 20. SEMO forced a season-high five turnovers, had three interceptions, recovered two fumbles, scored a safety and returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown. The Redhawks also added three sacks and six tackles for loss. In addition, SEMO held JSU under 100 rushing yards (99), the second time the Gamecocks have been below that mark this year.

Opening Drive Scores
The Redhawks scored on their opening drive for the third time this season when they took an early lead against #4 Jacksonville State (Oct. 20). Zack Smith returned the opening kickoff 52 yards to the JSU 48-yard line before catching a 14-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Santacaterina to cap a quick 3-play, 48-yard drive in just 1:19. SEMO is 3-0 in the games it has scored on its opening drive this season.

Reynolds Delivers 
Southeast Missouri punter Jake Reynolds had an outstanding game on special teams against #4 Jacksonville State (Oct. 20). Reynolds punted seven times for 317 yards, averaging 45.3 yards per punt. He twice pinned the Gamecocks inside their own 3-yard line. One of his punts, which was downed at the 1-yard line, resulted in a safety that put SEMO ahead, 16-7, in the second quarter. Reynolds then had a 71-yard punt downed at JSU's 2-yard line. The 71-yard punt is the longest in the Ohio Valley Conference this season and is tied for ninth-longest in school history. Reynolds was named OVC Specialist of the Week on Oct. 21.

Mayday, Mayday, Here Comes B-Day 
Strong safety Bydarrius Knighten, also known as "B-Day," returned a blocked field goal 85 yards for a touchdown to swing the momentum in Southeast Missouri's favor against #4 Jacksonville State (Oct. 20). Zach Hall blocked Cade Stinnett's 25-yard field goal attempt. Knighten then scooped up the ball and raced 85 yards to the end zone for his first career touchdown. It was the second special teams touchdown SEMO scored this season. Knighten also had five tackles and a pass breakup. 

Give it to Z 
Wide receiver and return man Zack Smith has been a dangerous weapon for Southeast Missouri this season. Smith is the Redhawks second-leading receiver with 27 catches for 301 yards and four touchdowns. He has caught a pass in seven-straight games and recently scored a touchdown in back-to-back games for the second time in his career. Return wise, Smith leads SEMO with eight punt returns for 96 yards and 13 kick returns for 324 yards. He ranks fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference with 107.4 all-purpose yards per game.

Collector Item
Southeast Missouri celebrated its Pink Up game with a monumental 37-23 win over #4 Jacksonville State (Oct. 20). The Redhawks wore special pink jerseys that were auctioned off to raise breast cancer awareness. The jerseys donned names of individuals affected by cancer. Winning bidders received their game-worn jerseys following the contest.

Undefeated at Home
Southeast Missouri is a perfect 3-0 at Houck Field this season. SEMO is one of four teams in the Ohio Valley Conference undefeated at home in 2018. The others are Jacksonville State (4-0), Tennessee State (2-0) and Austin Peay (2-0). The Redhawks have two more home games against Tennessee State (Nov. 3) and Eastern Illinois (Nov. 17). SEMO last finished a season undefeated at home in 2010 (5-0).

Block Party
Southeast Missouri blocked its Ohio Valley Conference high fourth kick of the season against #4 Jacksonville State (Oct. 20). Zach Hall deflected a 25-yard field goal attempt by Cade Stinnett that SEMO returned 85 yards for a touchdown. So far, the Redhawks have blocked two punts, a PAT and a field goal this year. SEMO's four blocked kicks rank 11th in the nation and are the most in a season since the Redhawks had four in 2014.

Five Wins and Counting
The Redhawks recorded their fifth win of the season with a 37-23 victory over #4 Jacksonville State (Oct. 20). Southeast Missouri, now 5-2 this year, matched its most wins in a season with Tom Matukewicz as its head coach. One more win will give the Redhawks their most wins in a season since 2010 (9-3).

Late Game Heroics
Southeast Missouri won for the second time in the final minute of play when it rallied for 21 fourth-quarter points to beat Austin Peay, 31-27, on Oct. 13. Daniel Santacaterina completed a 37-yard pass to Jerrick Orr on a fourth-and-14 to get SEMO to the APSU 3-yard line. Two plays later, Marquis Terry scored his team-high seventh rushing touchdown on a 2-yard run with 15 seconds left. SEMO's other win in that fashion came on the road at Southern Illinois (Sept. 15) when Santacaterina threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Austin Crump with 25 seconds on the clock.

Fourth Quarter Flurry
Trailing, 13-10, against Austin Peay (Oct. 13) after three quarters, the Redhawks scored 21 points in the final 15 minutes to pull off a 31-27 come-from-behind win. Daniel Santacaterina threw a pair of touchdown passes and Marquis Terry scored the game-winning touchdown on a 2-yard run. The 21 points tied for the fourth-most in the fourth quarter in Southeast Missouri's NCAA Division I era. It was the second time SEMO put up 20 or more points in the fourth quarter this season. The Redhawks have scored their most points (83) in the fourth quarter through seven games. SEMO's 83 fourth-quarter points rank second behind Jacksonville State's 93.

Starting Streak
Senior Drew Forbes enters Saturday's game with a streak of 29 consecutive starts at left tackle. Forbes anchors an offensive line that features three returning starters.

Swift Tabbed OVC Defensive Player of the Week
Outside linebacker Justin Swift was tabbed Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 21. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Swift recorded 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception in the Redhawks mammoth 37-14 win over the Gamecocks. He tallied seven solo stops and forced a big turnover when he sacked Zerrick Cooper on the first play from scrimmage in the second half. Swift keyed a SEMO defense which forced a season-high five turnovers and limited JSU to under 100 rushing yards (99). For Swift, it was his fourth double-digit tackle game this year. He was also named both the College Sports Madness OVC and National FCS Defensive Player of the Week.

Scoring Jump
Southeast Missouri ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring with 37.3 points per game. SEMO hung a season-high 70 points on Tennessee Tech (Oct. 6). The Redhawks have scored 261 points through seven games. SEMO was sixth in the OVC in scoring with just over 20 points per game (20.5) a year ago. The 2018 Redhawks are 17 points away from cracking the program's top five teams in points scored in a season. SEMO enters the week ranked 13th in the Football Championship Subdivision in scoring offense.

Turnover Margin
The Redhawks lead the Ohio Valley Conference and rank third in the nation with a +11 turnover margin. Southeast Missouri's defense forced a turnover in 11-straight games dating back to last season. The Redhawks are also eighth nationally in turnovers gained (8).

Against the OVC
Fifth-year Southeast Missouri head coach Tom Matukewicz is 15-20 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Matukewicz has at least one win against all eight league schools. Here is a breakdown of Matukewicz'a records in the conference:
vs. Austin Peay    4-1
vs. Eastern Illinois    1-3
vs. Eastern Kentucky    1-4
vs. Jacksonville State    1-4
vs. Murray State    3-1
vs. Tennessee State    1-2
vs. Tennessee Tech    3-2
vs. UT Martin    1-3

Sack Tracker
The Redhawk defense has recorded a sack in 14 of its last 15 games dating back to last season. Justin Swift (4.5), Omardrick Douglas (2.0) and Ryan Ochoa (2.0) lead the team in that category. Southeast Missouri led the Ohio Valley Conference and ranked sixth in the Football Championship Subdivision with 37 sacks in 2017.

Special Times
The Redhawks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in both punt return average and PAT kicking through five games this season.  Southeast Missouri is averaging 14.5 yards per punt return and has not missed a PAT all year (34-of-34).

Litang Rolls
Southeast Missouri kicker Nicholas Litang has made 39-straight PATs dating back to last season. Litang is a perfect 34-of-34 in that category this year. He leads the Redhawks in scoring with 49 points and ranks eighth all-time in career PATs (60-of-62) at SEMO. 

Race to 1,000 Yards
In seven starts this season, tailback Marquis Terry is more than halfway to 1,000 rushing yards. Terry leads the Ohio Valley Conference and is ninth in the nation with 791 rushing yards. He leads the OVC and is 18th in the Football Championship Subdivision with eight rushing touchdowns and tops the league and rates 12th nationally with 113 rushing yards per game. Terry is 209 yards away from hitting the 1,000 mark for the second year in a row after rushing for a team-high 1,076 yards last season. 

Working With Purpose
In addition to his success running the football, Marquis Terry is gaining yards in other ways too. Terry broke the Southeast Missouri and Ohio Valley Conference record with 438 all-purpose yards at Southern Illinois (Sept. 15). He picked up 311 rushing yards, caught one pass for 13 yards and returned five kickoffs for 114 yards against the Salukis. He enters the week ranked ninth nationally with an average of 155.3 all-purpose yards per game. 

Points Leader 
Nicholas Litang, Southeast Missouri's top  scorer with 49 points this season, leads the Ohio Valley Conference in PAT kicking percentage (34-of-34). Litang is averaging seven points per game kicking the football and rates third in the league in scoring (kick). 

2,000 is Ahead
Marquis Terry needs 133 rushing yards to hit 2,000 in his two-year Southeast Missouri career. Terry has gained 1,867 yards on 348 attempts, averaging 5.4 yards per carry in his career. Henry Harris was the last SEMO running back to accumulate 2,000 career rushing yards when he had 2,773 from 2008-10.

Last Time it Happened
If Marquis Terry rushes for over 1,000 yards this season he will become only the second running back in Southeast Missouri history to run for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Kelvin Anderson, SEMO's all-time leading rusher, surpassed 1,000 yards in three-straight seasons (1,371 in 1992; 1,016 in 1993; 1,005 in 1994).

Now Trending
Southeast Missouri has three winning seasons in its NCAA Division I era (since 1991). All three of those winning seasons came at eight-year intervals (1994, 2002, 2010). The 2018 campaign marks eight years from SEMO's last winning record. The Redhawks went 9-3, won their only Ohio Valley Conference title and made the NCAA Playoffs that 2010 season. And, SEMO beat then-ranked #5 Southern Illinois, 24-21, in Carbondale during week three, like it did this year.

Scoring Streak
The Redhawks presently have the second-longest scoring streak in the Ohio Valley Conference. Southeast Missouri has scored in 84-consecutive games and ranks behind Murray State (148) in that category. The last time the Redhawks were shutout in a game was at Purdue (59-0) on Sept. 17, 2011.