Tennessee State (3-3, 2-2 OVC) vs. #24 Southeast Missouri (6-2, 4-1 OVC)

Date: Saturday, November 3, 2018
Kickoff: 1 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Stadium: Houck Field (10,000)
Surface: Field Turf
Weather Forecast: Cloudy, 49 degrees
Series History: TSU leads, 14-11
Last Meeting: TSU 23, SEMO 20 (Nov. 11, 2017 / Nashville, Tenn.)
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (22-32 overall; 21-32 at SEMO; 16-20 OVC). Rod Reed (52-45 overall, 52-45 at TSU, 26-37 OVC).

Media Coverage
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM & ESPN 1220 AM (Erik Sean, Rick Wieser, Rusty Hendricks)
Video: ESPN+  
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
Twitter: @SEMOFootball
Southeast Missouri Notes

Redhawks Host Tennessee State
#24 Southeast Missouri (6-2, 4-1) plays host to Tennessee State (3-3, 2-2) on Military Appreciation Day Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., CT, at Houck Field.

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, Rick Wieser and Rusty Hendricks will call the action. Video can be accessed online at ESPN+. Live stats are available at GoSoutheast.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOFootball.

Series History
Tennessee State holds a slight 14-11 lead in its all-time series against Southeast Missouri. TSU has won five of the last six meetings between these teams. Each of the last three matchups have been decided by no more than seven points. SEMO is 9-5 all-time against the Tigers in Cape Girardeau and has won six of the last eight contests between these teams at Houck Field.

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).

Three-Way Tie
The Redhawks (4-1), Jacksonville State (5-1) and Murray State (4-1) are locked in a three-way tie for first in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. SEMO has the head-to-head advantage against JSU after handing the Gamecocks their only conference loss on Oct. 20. The Redhawks hit the road to face Murray State in a big OVC matchup on Nov. 10.

Redhawks Secure Winning Season
Southeast Missouri secured a winning season with its commanding 56-33 road win at UT Martin (Oct. 27). The Redhawks picked up their fourth winning season during their NCAA Division I era and first since 2010. All of SEMO's winning seasons during the Division I era have come eight years apart (1994, 2002, 2010, 2018). This year marks Tom Matukewicz's first winning season as a head coach.

Redhawks Crack Top-25
The Redhawks were ranked 24th in the American Football Coaches Association Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' Poll and 25th in the STATS FCS Media Poll on Oct. 29. SEMO, which is 6-2 overall and tied for first in the Ohio Valley Conference at 4-1, enters the week on a four-game winning streak. The Redhawks are 6-1 against FCS opponents this year. SEMO is ranked in the Top-25 for the second time under head coach Tom Matukewicz and first in both FCS Polls with Matukewicz at the helm. SEMO last ranked #23 in the then-Sports Network Poll on Oct. 6, 2014. The Redhawks last ranking in a FCS Coaches Poll was #13 in the final 2010 version. SEMO received votes in each of the two polls this season before cracking the Top-25 for the first time this year. The Redhawks and #10 Jacksonville State represent the Ohio Valley Conference in this week's polls.

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).

Four in a Row
Red-hot Southeast Missouri carries a four-game winning streak into Saturday's matchup with Tennessee State. The Redhawks have won six of their last seven contests with three of those victories coming on the road. The four-game winning streak is currently the longest in the Ohio Valley Conference. It is also SEMO's longest winning streak since the Redhawks won nine-straight in 2010.

Wilkerson Breaks Record 
Junior wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson broke Southeast Missouri's single game record in receiving yards when he had eight catches for 263 yards and three touchdowns at UT Martin (Oct. 27). Wilkerson averaged nearly 33 yards per catch (32.8) against the Skyhawks, becoming just the third SEMO receiver to get over 200 yards in a game. He surpassed the school's previous record of 211 yards by Art Miller at Evansville in 1969. Additionally, Wilkerson's 263 yards are an Ohio Valley Conference single game high and rank third-most in the Football Championship Subdivision this season.

Great Performance
Daniel Santacaterina threw for 386 yards and three touchdowns, Kristian Wilkerson caught eight passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns and Marquis Terry ran for 123 yards and two scores. It marked the first time Southeast Missouri had a 300-yard passer, 100-yard receiver and 100-yard rusher in a game since 2014. That year, Kyle Snyder threw for 334 yards, Paul McRoberts had 117 receiving yards and Spencer Davis ran for 102 yards vs. Austin Peay.

Scoring Machine
Southeast Missouri is second in the Ohio Valley Conference and 10th in the nation in scoring offense with 39.6 points per game. SEMO has won three of its last four games by more than 20 points. The Redhawks also scored 40 or more points on four occasions this year. The Redhawks 317 points are presently fourth-most in a season in school history. SEMO's 39.6 points are on pace to break the school's current record of 34.7 set in 2002. Fourteen different Redhawks have scored a touchdown through eight games this season.

2,000 & 1,000 is Ahead
Marquis Terry needs only 10 more rushing yards to hit 2,000 in his two-year Southeast Missouri career. Terry has gained 1,990 yards on 378 attempts, averaging 5.3 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. Terry (914) is in position to get 1,000 yards this season on the same day when the Redhawks take on Tennessee State as he stands 86 yards away from that mark. He leads the Ohio Valley Conference in rushing touchdowns (10), rushing yards (914) and rushing yards per game (114.3) through eight starts. Terry is also 10th nationally in rushing yards, 11th in rushting TDs and 12th in rushing yards per game.

Worth Noting
If Marquis Terry goes over 1,000 yards this season, he will become the first Southeast Missouri running back to run for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons since 1993 and 1994. Kelvin Anderson finished with 1,016 rushing yards in 1993 and 1,005 in 1994. Terry was SEMO's top rusher with 1,076 yards in 2017.

Tiller Steps Up
In his first appearance as Southeast Missouri's starting place kicker, sophomore Kendrick Tiller went 3-for-3 in field goals and 5-for-7 in extra points, scoring 14 points against UT  Martin (Oct. 27). He claimed his first Ohio Valley Conference Specialist of the Week award for his performance. Prior to the UT Martin game, Tiller had not kicked a field goal in his college career.

Big Numbers
Quarterback Daniel Santacaterina has thrown for 344 or more yards in three of his last four starts. Santacaterina has completed 73-of-119 passes for 1,229 yards and 12 touchdowns over that span alone. He recently threw for 386 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions at UT Martin (Oct. 27). Santacaterina has thrown a touchdown pass in all eight games this season and leads the Ohio Valley Conference and ranks seventh in the Football Championship Subdivision with 19 passing touchdowns. He is also second in the league in passing yards (1,925), passing yards per game (240.6), passing yards per completion (14.05) and points responsible for (120).

Near Sweep
Southeast Missouri nearly swept the Ohio Valley Conference football weekly honors on Oct. 28. Kristian Wilkerson was named Offensive Player of the Week, Zach Hall was selected Defensive Player of the Week and Kendrick Tiller was voted Specialist of the Week. A native Memphis, Tennessee, Wilkerson caught eight passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns as SEMO improved to 6-2 on the season and remained in first place in the OVC with a 56-33 win at UT Martin. The 263 receiving yards established a new SEMO single-game record, is the most by an OVC player this season and ranks third among all Football Championship Subdivision players in 2018. Wilkerson averaged 32.9 yards per catch including a 58-yard touchdown on the Redhawks opening drive, a 15-yard touchdown at the end of the second quarter and a 34-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Wilkerson broke the previous SEMO record for receiving yards of 211 set by Art Miller in 1969; the junior is one of just three Redhawks to reach the 200-yard receiving plateau in a game. Wilkerson currently ranks 11th nationally in receiving touchdowns (8) and 39th in receiving yards (608). Hall, who hails from Louisville, Kentucky, had 15 tackles, an interception and forced a fumble against the Skyhawks. Six of Hall's 15 tackles were solo stops and he combined for half a tackle for loss. In the process Hall, who ranks second nationally in tackles (13.4/game), went over 100 tackles for the season and has posted double-digit tackles in six of eight starts this season (including three games of 15 or more tackles). His interception came in the fourth quarter and led to a SEMO touchdown three plays later. Hall helped key a SEMO defense that forced four total turnovers which led to 16 points. For the season, the Redhawks rank second nationally in turnovers gained (22) and turnover margin (+1.88/game). A native of Wildwood, Missouri, Tiller connected on 3-of-3 field goals and added five extra points to total 14 points at UT Martin. The sophomore connected on field goals of 36, 41 and 38 yards in the win.

Keeping Count
The Redhawks have won 19 weekly honors this 2018 season. Here is a breakdown of those awards:
OVC Offensive Player of the Week (3)
OVC Defensive Player of the Week (3)
OVC Specialist of the Week (3)
OVC Newcomer of the Week (2)
CSM OVC Defensive Player of the Week (2)
CSM OVC Offensive Player of the Week (2)
STATS Offensive Player of the Week (1)
STATS Defensive Player of the Week (1)
CSM National Offensive Player of the Week (1)
CSM National Defensive Player of the Week (1)

- CSM (College Sports Madness)

Hall Clears 200 Career Tackles and 100 in 2018
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. Hall leads the Ohio Valley Conference and ranks second in the Football Championship Subdivision with 107 total tackles (13.4 per game). He became the first SEMO player to get 200 or more career tackles since Roper Garrett (359, 2012-16). Hall, who now has 222 career stops, posted 10 or more tackles in six of his eight starts this season.

Opening Drive Scores
The Redhawks scored on their opening drive for the fourth time this season when they took an early lead against UT Martin (Oct. 27). Daniel Santacaterina threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Kristian Wilkerson on the third play of the game. Prior to that Zack Smith returned the opening kickoff 52 yards to the Jacksonville State 48-yard line before catching a 14-yard touchdown pass from Santacaterina to cap a quick 3-play, 48-yard drive in just 1:19 against the Gamecocks on Oct. 20. SEMO is 4-0 in the games it has scored on its opening drive.

Top Target 
Kristian Wilkerson is Southeast Missouri's top receiver this season with 38 catches for 608 yards and eight touchdowns through eight starts. Wilkerson has caught a touchdown pass in four-straight games and had a reception in 10-consecutive contests. He ranks fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference in receiving yards per game (76), seventh in receptions per game (4.8) and third in receiving touchdowns. His eight receiving TDs also rate 11th in the nation.

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 33 catches for 357 yards and four touchdowns. He has caught a pass in eight-straight games and scored a touchdown in two of his last three starts. Return wise, Smith leads SEMO with nine punt returns for 102 yards and 16 kick returns for 372 yards. He ranks seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference with 108.1 all-purpose yards per game. Smith has caught a pass in 12-straight games.

Block Party
Southeast Missouri blocked its Ohio Valley Conference high fifth kick of the season against UT Martin (Oct. 27). Taylen Waller got a hand on a punt and recorded his second blocked punt of the season. So far, the Redhawks have blocked three punts, a PAT and a field goal this year. SEMO's five blocked kicks rank sixth in the nation and are the most in a season since the Redhawks had four in 2014.

Six Wins and Counting
The Redhawks recorded their sixth win of the season with a 56-33 victory over UT Martin (Oct. 27). Southeast Missouri, now 6-2 this year, has the most wins in a season with Tom Matukewicz as its head coach. SEMO's six victories are also its most in a season since the Redhawks went 9-3 in 2010.

Starting Streak
Senior Drew Forbes enters Saturday's game with a streak of 30 consecutive starts at left tackle. Forbes anchors an offensive line that features three returning starters.

Against the OVC
Fifth-year Southeast Missouri head coach Tom Matukewicz is 16-20 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    2-3

Sack Tracker
The Redhawk defense has recorded a sack in 15 of its last 16 games dating back to last season. Justin Swift (4.5) and Demarcus Rogers (2.5) 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.

Atop the League
The Redhawks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in both punt return average, turnover margin (+15) and red zone defense through eight games this season. Southeast Missouri is averaging 14.2 yards per punt return and has turned teams over five times (three on downs) in the red zone this year.

Scoring Streak
The Redhawks presently have the second-longest scoring streak in the Ohio Valley Conference. Southeast Missouri has scored in 85-consecutive games and ranks behind Murray State (149) in that category. The last time the Redhawks were shutout in a game was at Purdue (59-0) on Sept. 17, 2011.