Eastern Kentucky (5-4, 3-2 OVC) vs. #17 Southeast Missouri (6-3, 4-1 OVC)

Date: Saturday, November 9, 2019
Kickoff: 1 p.m., CT                                                                                                 
Stadium: Houck Field (10,000)
Surface: Field Turf
Weather Forecast: Partly Cloudy, 46 degrees
Series History: EKU leads, 24-4
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (31-37 overall; 30-37 at SEMO; 22-22 OVC). Mark Elder (19-23 overall; 19-23 at EKU; 13-15 OVC).

Media Coverage
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM & ESPN 1220 AM (Erik Sean, Rick Wieser, Rusty Hendricks)
Video: ESPN3 (Bob Belvin, Kevin Ingram)
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
Twitter: @SEMOFootball
Southeast Missouri Notes

Redhawks Return Home
#17 Southeast Missouri (6-3, 4-1) hosts Eastern Kentucky (5-4, 3-2) in a key Ohio Valley Conference matchup 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. Erik Sean, Rick Wieser and Rusty Hendricks will call the action. The Redhawks and Colonels are the featured Ohio Valley Conference Game of the Week on ESPN3. Bob Belvin and Kevin Ingram are the commentators. SEMO will be on the OVC Game of the Week for the third time in four weeks. Live stats can be accessed online at GoSoutheast.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOFootball.

Series History
Eastern Kentucky leads the all-time series against Southeast Missouri by a count of 25-4. The Colonels, who lost at Houck Field the last time they played there on Sept. 30, 2017 (29-10), are 12-2 all-time in Cape Girardeau. SEMO went 2-8 in its last 10 meetings with the Colonels.

Redhawks in First Place
Southeast Missouri (4-1), UT Martin (5-1) and Austin Peay (4-1) all sit atop the Ohio Valley Conference standings with only one league loss. All three also have identical 6-3 overall records in 2019. The Redhawks handed UTM its lone conference loss, APSU gave SEMO its only loss in league play and Tennessee State beat the Governors. UTM and APSU square off against each other in Clarksville, Tennessee this week. 

Matukewicz vs. Eastern Kentucky
Tom Matukewicz is 1-4 against Eastern Kentucky. Southeast Missouri defeated EKU, 29-10, on Sept. 30, 2017 for Matukewicz's one victory. That win was at Houck Field.

Home Winning Streak
The Redhawks are on an 11-game winning streak at Houck Field. Southeast Missouri went undefeated at 6-0 in Cape Girardeau a year ago and won its season-finale at home in 2017 before going 4-0 at home this year. It is currently the longest home winning streak in the Ohio Valley Conference and longest in the Redhawks NCAA Divsion I era.  

Impact Game
Emotions will be running high when Southeast Missouri takes the field against Eastern Kentucky Saturday. SEMO's coaches and players will be playing and coaching for individuals who have made a difference in their lives as part of the team's inaugural Impact Game.

Packed Weekend in Cape Girardeau
The Southeast Missouri and Eastern Kentucky football matchup will be one of eight events on campus over a four-day span from Nov. 7-10. SEMO's volleyball team, which is currently tied for first in the Ohio Valley Conference, hosts Austin Peay (Nov. 7) and Murray State (Nov. 8) in its final two home matches of the season. The Redhawk women's soccer team, this year's OVC regular-season champion and top seed, plays host to the OVC Tournament Semifinals and Final. SEMO faces #4 SIU Edwardsville (Nov. 8). The SEMO and EKU football game is on Nov. 9, while the OVC Soccer Championship and a basketball doubleheader are scheduled for Nov. 10. Here's the complete schedule:

Thursday, November 7
Volleyball vs. Austin Peay    6 p.m.

Friday, November 8
OVC Soccer Semifinals
#2 Murray State vs. #6 Belmont    3 p.m.
#1 SEMO vs. #4 SIU Edwardsville    6:30 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Murray State    6 p.m.

Saturday, November 9
Football vs. Eastern Kentucky    1 p.m.

Sunday, November 10
OVC Soccer Championship    2 p.m.

Basketball Doubleheader
Women vs. Evansville    2 p.m.
Men vs. Purdue Fort Wayne    4 p.m.

Let's Get Seven
A win against Eastern Kentucky Saturday will give Southeast Missouri its seventh victory and secure a winning season for the second-straight year. No SEMO football team has ever posted back-to-back winning seasons during the school's NCAA Division I history (since 1991). In fact, the Redhawks have just four winning seasons since moving to the Division I ranks and each came eight years apart. (1994, 2002, 2010, 2018). The last time SEMO completed back-to-back winning seasons was in 1989 (7-4) and 1990 (7-3).

Closing in
Daniel Santacaterina is 134 yards away from getting 5,000 total yards in his Southeast Missouri career. Santacaterina presently has 4,866 total yards (4,561 passing, 305 rushing) as SEMO's quarterback. He ranks fourth all-time among the school's career leaders in that category. If Santacaterina hits that mark, he will become the fourth quarterback to accumulate 5,000 or more career total yards in program history.

Wilkerson Breaks Records in Receiving Touchdowns and Receptions
Kristian Wilkerson broke two more career records this season against Tennessee State (Nov. 2). Wilkerson caught his 30th touchdown pass to break the school's all-time career record in touchdown receptions and set a new record with 189 career pass receptions. Wilkerson surpassed Paul McRoberts (29, 2012-15) for the record in touchdown receptions and Darrell Philon (181, 1988-91) for the record in pass receptions. Wilkerson has broken a total of three career receiving records in 2019. The other was receiving yardage (3,021).

Making History
Kristian Wilkerson caught nine passes for 111 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee State (Nov. 2). As a result, Wilkerson became the first Southeast Missouri player to get 3,000 career receiving yards. He enters the week with a total of 3,021 yards and 30 touchdowns on 189 receptions in his career.

Three in a Row
The Redhawks are on a three-game winning streak, presently the longest in the Ohio Valley Conference. Southeast Missouri won five of its last six games. The winning streak is SEMO's longest of the season.

Winningest Senior Class
Southeast Missouri's 24-21 victory over #14 Jacksonville State (Oct. 19) made the Redhawk seniors the winningest senior class in the program's NCAA Division I history. SEMO's senior class, which consists of 20 players, has won a total of 21 games since 2016. The current senior class surpassed the 2010 class (18 wins from 2007-2010) for the new record.

Nice Road Win
Southeast Missouri beat Tennessee State, 32-13, in a big road win on Nov. 2. The +19 margin of victory was SEMO's largest in a conference game this season. The Redhawks beat TSU in Nashville for the first time since 1996 ending a stretch of eight losses on the Tigers home field. Prior to that contest, SEMO's first four Ohio Valley Conference games were decided by a combined 20 points.

Season-High for Santacaterina
Daniel Santacaterina threw for a season-high 291 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 40 yards against Tennessee State (Nov. 2). Santacaterina completed 25-of-37 passes for a 67.6 percent clip. He threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Kristian Wilkerson with 11:49 remaining in the first quarter for his 12th of the year. Santacaterina, who finished with 331 yards of total offense, came out strong after missing the second half the previous week against UT Martin (Oct. 26). 

Hess Earns OVC Newcomer of the Week
Southeast Missouri redshirt-freshman running back Geno Hess was named Ohio Valley Conference Co-Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 3. A native of Peoria, Illinois, Hess ran for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee State (Nov. 2). Hess carried the ball 14 times and averaged over 11 yards (11.1) per touch. He scored both of his touchdowns in the second half with an 18-yard run in the third quarter and a 73-yard rush early in the fourth. 

OVC Honors are Flowing
The Redhawks won at least one Ohio Valley Conference weekly honor for three weeks in a row. Running back Geno Hess was recently named OVC Co-Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 3. Prior to that, outside linebacker Omardrick Douglas (Defensive Player of the Week) and backup quarterback Joe Pyle (Newcomer of the Week) were honored on Oct. 27, and wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson (Offensive Player of the Week) and outside linebacker Justin Swift (Defensive Player of the Week) were honored on Oct. 20.

Wilkerson in the OVC Records
Following his performance at Tennessee State, Kristian Wilkerson moved to sixth all-time among the Ohio Valley Conference's all-time career leaders in receiving yardage and sixth in career receiving touchdowns. 

Receiving Yards (Career)
2009-13    Erik Lora (EIU)    4,006
2000-03    C.J. Johnson (TSU)    3,903
2013-16    Josh Barge (JSU)    3,611
2008-11    Tim Benford (TTU)    3,104
2002-05    Andre Ralston (EKU)    3,095
2015-pr.    Kristian Wilkerson (SEMO)    3,021
1967-70    Harold Roberts (APSU)    3,005
2011-14    Adam Drake (EIU)    2,979
2004-07    Larry Shipp (TTU)    2,950
1995-98    Rondel Menendez (EKU)    2,902

Receiving Touchdowns (Career)
2009-13    Erik Lora (EIU)    35
2009-12    Chris Wright (EIU)    32
2000-03    C.J. Johnson (TSU)    32
1967-70    Harold Roberts (APSU)    31
2015-18    Patrick Smith (TSU)    31
2015-pr.    Kristian Wilkerson (SEMO)    30
2010-13    Walter Powell (MUR)    29
2012-15    Paul McRoberts (SEMO)    29

Turnover Margin
Southeast Missouri leads the Ohio Valley Conference in turnover margin for the second consecutive week. The Redhawks hold a +8 margin with a total of 18 takeaways (8 fumbles, 10 interceptions) through nine games. Twelve of those takeaways have come in the last three games alone. SEMO also ranks ninth in the nation in that category. The Redhawks led the FCS in turnover margin in 2018.

Starting Streaks
Inside linebacker Zach Hall and defensive back Bydarrius Knighten have each started 33-consecutive games. Wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson has logged 24-straight starts, while outside linebacker Justin Swift and quarterback Daniel Santacaterina follow with 23 and 22, respectively.

61 to Go
Zach Hall is on pace to break Southeast Missouri's all-time career tackles record. Hall, who broke the school's single-season record with 168 tackles last season, is 61 away. Robert Haggerty (1993-96) presently holds the all-time career record with 424 stops. Hall has 363 tackles.

Games With a Catch
Senior wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson has caught a pass in 24 consecutive games. Wilkerson recently had nine receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown at Tennessee State (Nov. 2). He finished with over 100 receiving yards in a game for the 11th time in his career. He leads the Redhawks with 831 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2019.

FCS Polls
Southeast Missouri is ranked 17th in the STATS Media and 18th in the AFCA FCS Coaches Polls this week. Here are the Redhawks rankings this season:
Preseason
Athlon Sports    #19 (June 4)
Street & Smith's    #22 (July 9)
STATS Media    #17 (Aug. 5)
AFCA FCS Coaches    #18 (Aug. 19)
        STATS Media    Coaches
8/26/19    #17    #18
9/2/19    #12    #13
9/9/19    #19    #20
9/16/19    #23    #25
9/23/19    #23    RV
9/30/19    #23    #t25
10/7/19    #20    #22
10/14/19    RV    RV
10/21/19    #24    RV
10/28/19    #18    #21
11/4/19    #17    #18

About Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky dropped a 28-21 overtime thriller to Austin Peay in Richmond last weekend. EKU enters Saturday's game boasting the top scoring defense (21.4 ppg allowed) and rushing offense (210.4 ypg) in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Colonels also lead the league in pass defense (191.1 ypg allowed) and kickoff returns (26.5 ypr). Daryl McCleskey is the top rusher in the OVC with 105.2 yards per game. Alonzo Booth tops the conference in scoring TDs with 11, while defensive lineman Aaron Patrick leads the OVC in sacks (6.0).