#25 Southeast Missouri at #24 Southern Illinois

Game Information
Date: Friday, October 30, 2020
Kickoff: 6 p.m., CT
Location: Carbondale, Ill.
Stadium: Saluki Stadium (15,000)
Surface: FieldTurf Duraspine PRO
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 55 F
Series: SEMO leads, 42-37-8
Last Meeting: SEMO 44, SIU 26 / Aug. 29, 2019 (Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (34-38 overall; 33-38 at SEMO; 25-22 OVC). Nick Hill (17-28 overall; 17-28 at SIU).

Gameday Coverage
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean, Clint Allen)
TV: KFVS 12 (Conner Onion, Conner James, Adam King)
Viideo: ESPN3
Live Stats: SIUSalukis.com
Twitter: @SEMOfootball
SEMO Game Notes | SIU Game Notes

Redhawks Open Season Friday
Longtime rivals #25 Southeast Missouri and #24 Southern Illinois meet in the annual "War for the Wheel" matchup Friday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., CT at Saluki Stadium.

Radio Show
Southeast Missouri's first football radio show will be from 12-1 p.m., CT at Wings Etc. in Jackson on Thursday, Oct. 29. The radio show will air live on SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM and 1220 AM.

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can watch the season-opener between Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois on KFVS 12. Conner Onion, Conner James and Adam King will call the action. The game will also air live on ESPN+. You can listen live on the radio at Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Sean and Clint Allen will be on the call. Live stats are available at SIUSalukis.com and Twitter updates will be provided @SEMOfootball.

Watch Party at Houck
There will be a watch party free and open to the public at Houck Field Friday. The Southeast Missouri/Southern Illinois game will be shown on the Redhawks videoboard as part of the Department of Athletics' NESTFLIX series. 

Attendance Reduced to Team Families Only
Due to a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in the region, Saluki Athletics reduced attendance for Friday's football game to team families only. Previously, the department planned to seat up to 20 percent of the capacity of Saluki Stadium. However, in light of a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the region, the program is further limiting attendance in order to protect the safety of the community and support regional mitigation efforts announced by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Only Fall Contest
Friday's game marks the only fall contest for both Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. In the middle of a COVID-19 pandemic, The Redhawks and Salukis join a growing list of college football programs that are playing football this fall.

It Counts for Sure
The Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois game will count toward the 2020-21 season record and be used by the selection committee when determining the proposed 16-team playoff field. The Ohio Valley Conference expects to play a seven-game spring season, followed by the FCS Playoffs.

A Long Time Ago
Friday's matchup will be the first football game Southeast Missouri plays in 334 days. The Redhawks last faced #13 Illinois State in the first round of the FCS Playoffs on Nov. 30, 2019. ISU beat SEMO, 24-6, in Cape Girardeau.

OVC Teams Playing This Fall
Southeast Missouri becomes the fourth team out of the Ohio Valley Conference to play football this fall. Eastern Kentucky (2-4), Austin Peay (0-3) and Jacksonville State (3-1) are the others. EKU is playing an eight-game schedule and is the only school not participating in the league's spring conference season.

Season 116
The 2020-21 campaign is Southeast Missouri's 116th season of college football. The Redhawks begin their 30th season at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. SEMO joined the FCS in 1991 and is 122-208 with two Ohio Valley Conference titles (2010, 2019) and three NCAA Playoff appearances (2010, 2018, 2019) as a Division I program. 

Preseason Ranked
Both Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois are ranked in the STATS FCS Preseason Top-25. The Redhawks are #25 and the Salukis are #24. This year marks the second-straight and only the third time in program history where SEMO is a Preseason Top 25 team.

The Rivalry
This year is the 88th meeting between Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois in a series that dates back to 1909 when the teams crossed the Mississippi River by boat to play. The game is now known as the "War for the Wheel" in reference to the ship's wheel trophy which goes to the winner. The wheel currently resides in Cape Girardeau after the Redhawks beat the Salukis each of the last two seasons. SEMO leads the all-time series by a count of 42-37-8.

Redhawks in Carbondale
The Redhawks are 23-18-4 all-time against the Salukis in Carbondale. Southeast Missouri is looking for its second-straight win on Southern Illinois' home field. SEMO has not beaten SIU in two consecutive trips to Carbondale since 2000 (34-33) and 2002 (21-14).

Matukewicz Momentum
Southeast Missouri is in its seventh year under the direction of Head Coach Tom Matukewicz. Matukewicz led the Redhawks to back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in program history (9-4 in 2018; 9-4 in 2019). The defending Ohio Valley Conference Champions, SEMO is also coming off back-to-back FCS Playoff appearances. Matukewicz is 33-38 overall and 25-22 in the OVC as the Redhawks head coach.

One More Will Do It
With one more victory, Tom Matukewicz will break Southeast Missouri's record for most wins of any head coach during its NCAA Division I era. Matukewicz and John Mumford (1990-99) are currently tied with 33 victories. Matukewicz also needs one more Ohio Valley Conference win to get the most conference victories of any SEMO head coach since the Redhawks moved to Division I. Matukewicz and Mumford each have 25 OVC wins. 

Matukewicz vs. Southern Illinois
Tom Matukewicz is 3-3 against Southern Illinois, the school where he worked as an assistant coach from 2001-07. Two of Matukewicz's three wins over the Salukis came in the final 25 seconds of the game. SEMO's 18-point win over SIU (44-26) last season was the Redhawks largest margin of victory (+18) against the Salukis in 18 years.

Going for Three
Southeast Missouri holds a two-game winning streak in its series against Southern Illinois. The Redhawks beat the Salukis, 44-26, on Aug. 29, 2019 (Cape Girardeau) and, 48-44, on Sept. 15, 2018 (Carbondale). A win Friday will give SEMO its first three-game winning streak in the all-time series since 2000-02.

Season-Openers
The Redhawks are 10-19 all-time in season-openers during their NCAA Division I era (since 1991). Southeast Missouri is looking to snap an eight-game losing streak in road season-openers. The last time SEMO opened a season with a win on the road was at Austin Peay (38-13) on Sept. 2, 2006.

Kicking Off
Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois meet for the 14th time in a season-opening game. SEMO is 5-8 in such contests and last started a season against SIU in Carbondale on Sept. 2, 2004. The Salukis won that game by a score of 42-3. 

Bunch Gets the Nod
Nebraska transfer Andrew Bunch will start at quarterback for Southeast Missouri's season-opener at Southern Illinois. A native of Thompson's Station, Tennessee, Bunch spent the last three seasons with the Cornhuskers. He saw action in two games in 2019 and participated in five contests during the 2018 campaign. Bunch was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and three-time Nebraska Scholar Athlete Honor Roll honoree.

FBS Transfer Quarterbacks
Andrew Bunch is the fourth quarterback to transfer to Southeast Missouri from a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) school in seven years with Tom Matukewicz at the helm. Bunch moves under center after Daniel Santacaterina (Northern Illinois) started at quarterback the last two seasons. Kyle Snyder (Ohio) and Alex Niznak (Central Michigan) are the other FBS transfer quarterbacks that played at SEMO since 2014. 

2020 Roster
Southeast Missouri's 95-man roster includes 20 seniors, 21 juniors, 12 sophomores and 42 freshmen. SEMO returns 14 starters with eight on offense and six on defense. 

Veteran Redhawks
Nine of Southeast Missouri's 14 returning starters are seniors. Dane Nelson (C), Jaden Rosenthall (RG), Ja'Chai Baker (LT), Austin Crump (TE), Zack Smith (WR), Daterraion Richardson (NT), Omardrick Douglas (OLB), Al Young (CB) and Bydarrius Knighten (FS) form the experienced group.

Quite a Turnaround
Prior to the 2018 season, Southeast Missouri had a combined 18 wins over a five-year period (2013-17). The Redhawks matched that win total in the last two seasons alone. SEMO went 18-8 with one Ohio Valley Conference title, one postseason win and two FCS Playoff berths during the 2018 and 2019 campaigns. The 18 victories are the most in a two-year span in program history. SEMO's highest two-year win total during the Redhawks NCAA Division I era was 13 (8 in 2002; 5 in 2003) before SEMO topped that mark last season.

Four Nab Preseason All-OVC Honors
Southeast Missouri landed four players on the 2020 Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Team. Seniors Bydarrius Knighten (DB), Ja'Chai Baker (OL) and Kendrick Tiller (K), and junior Aaron Alston (WR) earned preseason all-conference honors for the Redhawks. A native of Tunica, Mississippi, Knighten is SEMO's top returning tackler. He ranked third on the team with 75 tackles en route to claiming Second-Team All-OVC accolades a year ago. Knighten posted 53 solo tackles and led the Redhawks with three interceptions. He was also a 2020 HERO Sports Preseason All-OVC selection. Baker, who hails from Council Bluffs, Iowa, started nine games at left tackle and appeared in 12 contests during his first year with the Redhawks in 2019. Tiller, who is from Lebanon, Missouri, started 12 games as SEMO's kicker last season. He was the Redhawks top scorer with 88 points on 16-of-22 field goals and 40-of-45 extra points. Tiller ranked 14th in the nation in field goals per game (1.3). He also rated among OVC leaders in scoring (3rd), field goals (3rd) and PAT kicking percentage (8th, .889). A native of Brighton, Tennessee, Alston was SEMO's second-leading receiver with 687 yards and four touchdowns on 51 catches a year ago. He averaged 13.5 yards per reception and 52.8 receiving yards per game. Alston caught a pass in 15-straight games dating back to 2018.

Offensive Line Report
In what was a big area of concern a year ago, Southeast MIssouri's offensive line is in excellent shape with the return of four starters. Ja'Chai Baker is back at left tackle, Dane Nelson returns at center, Jaden Rosenthall is back at right guard and Nate Korte returns at right tackle. Baker (9), Nelson (9), Rosenthall (12) and Korte (12) combined for 42 starts up front in 2019.

Returning All-OVC Performers
Free safety Bydarrius Knighten and running back Geno Hess are Southeast Missouri's returning All-Ohio Valley Conference selections. Knighten, a second-team pick, led the Redhawks with three interceptions and ranked third on the team with 75 tackles in 2019. Hess was named to the league's All-Newcomer Team after finishing as SEMO's second-leading rusher with 575 yards and six touchdowns on 202 carries.

Double Threat
Southeast Missouri returns its top two running backs in 2020. Zion Custis and Geno Hess accounted for over 50 percent of SEMO's carries last season. Both were equally productive with Custis leading the way with 684 yards and five touchdowns on 142 touches. Hess followed close behind with 575 yards and six touchdowns on 102 carries. Custis and Hess ranked sixth and seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference with 52.6 and 52.3 yards per game, respectively. 

Senior Driven
Southeast Missouri's current group of 20 seniors is just four victories away from becoming the all-time winningest senior class in program history. This senior class (2017-present) has 21 wins. The senior class from 2016-19 holds the record with 24 victories. 

Approaching 2,000
Zion Custis is approaching 2,000 all-purpose yards in his career. Custis (1,853) is 147 yards away from reaching that mark. He has 1,025 rushing yards, 57 receiving yards and 771 kick return yards.

Visiting the Past
Southern Illinois was once home to Southeast Missouri head coach Tom Matukewicz,  defensive coordinator Bryce Saia and tight ends coach Justin Kramer. Matukewicz (2001-07) and Saia (2004-07) were assistant coaches under Jerry Kill who is now the special assistant to the head coach at TCU. Matukewicz was on staff for SIU's 2003, 2004 and 2005 Missouri Valley Football Conference championship teams. Saia was with Matukewicz during the 2004 and 2005 MVFC title runs. In the stretch that Matukewicz or Saia coached at SIU, the Salukis made five- straight NCAA Playoff  appearances (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007). Kramer played on the offensive line at SIU from 2002-05.

Hill vs. Matukewicz
Fifth-year Southern Illinois head coach Nick Hill was the starting quarterback when Tom Matukewicz was an assistant coach on Jerry Kill's staff at Southern Illinois. 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 record lists at SIU, came one win away from leading the Salukis to the FCS National Championship game in 2007. Hill is 2-2 in four meetings with Matukewicz's Redhawks.

Loaded Special Teams
Southeast Missouri returns its place kicker (Kendrick Tiller), kicker/holder (Adam Krause), long snapper (Camden Boyle) and top return man (Zack Smith) on special teams. Tiller was the Redhawks leading scorer with 88 points on 16-of-22 field goals and 40-of-45 PATs, and Smith was second among league leaders in punt return average (10.1 ypr) a year ago. Krause also handled kickoff duties in addition to being SEMO's holder. Meanwhile, Boyle started as the Redhawks long snapper each of the last three seasons.

Welcome to SEMO
Southeast Missouri hired four new coaches prior to the 2020 season. Jason Onyebuagu (Offensive Line), Andre Crenshaw (Running Backs), Justin Kramer (Tight Ends) and Mark Weisman (Strength & Conditioning) joined the Redhawks in March. Onyebuagu spent the 2019 season as offensive line coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Before that, he worked three years on coaching staffs at Syracuse University (2013) and the University of North Carolina (2011-12) as an assistant offensive line coach and graduate assistant. Crenshaw was the running backs coach and special teams coordinator at Missouri Western the last two years. Prior to Missouri Western, Crenshaw was at Ohio Valley Conference member Tennessee Tech for the 2017 season. Kramer returns to Cape Girardeau for his second coaching stint at SEMO. He was an assistant coach with the Redhawks from 2008-12 before moving on to coaching positions at Missouri and Missouri State. Most recently, Kramer was at Missouri State the last four years. He was the Bears offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, and worked with the tight ends and special teams. Weisman comes to Cape Girardeau after serving as assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Iowa for three years. An Iowa football letterman from 2012-14, Weisman held the position of Refueling, Nutrition and Analytics Specialist in 2017.

Against Ranked FCS Teams
Southeast Missouri is 8-27 in its last 35 meetings with ranked FCS programs. #24 Southern Illinois is the first of two preseason ranked opponents in the STATS Top 25 Poll that SEMO faces this year. Fellow Ohio Valley Conference member #13 Austin Peay is the other.

On the Road
The Redhawks dropped 14 of their last 16 games against ranked Football Championship Subdivision teams on the road. Southeast Missouri's only wins in that span were at then-#14 Jacksonville State (24-21) on Oct. 19, 2019 and at then-#5 Southern Illinois (24-21) on Sept. 18, 2010.  

Brickyard Game
Every time Southeast Missouri beats a ranked opponent, the score and date of those victories are laid to rest in the "Brickyard." The "Brickyard" is a wall that commemorates all wins against FBS and ranked FCS teams located in the Redhawks locker room. SEMO has a total of nine wins against ranked FCS teams in its program history. Six of those victories belong to Tom Matukewicz, the most of any SEMO head coach. Here are Matukewicz's "Brickyard" wins:
9/20/14    #3 Southeastern La.    W, 24-23
10/4/14    #20 Tennessee State    W, 28-21
10/1/16    #13 Eastern Illinois    W, 21-13
10/20/18    #4 Jacksonville State    W, 37-14
11/24/18    #15 Stony Brook    W, 28-14
10/19/19    at #14 Jacksonville State    W, 24-21

Happy Birthday Houck Field
On Oct. 3, 2020, Houck Field turned 90 years old. Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois played in the inaugural game at Houck Field on Oct. 3, 1930. SIU won by a score of 12-6. Houck Field is the home of the Redhawks football and  women's soccer teams.

Home Winning Streak
Southeast Missouri has won 12-consecutive regular season games at Houck Field. SEMO is 12-1 on its home field in the last two years with its only blemish coming against Illinois State in the first round of the FCS Playoffs in 2019. The Redhawks last regular-season home loss was to UT Martin (16-14) on Nov. 4, 2017.

2020-21 Schedule
Southeast Missouri is scheduled to play eight games, including one this fall. SEMO's football schedule, with the exception of the Southern Illinois game (Oct. 21), was postponed from the fall to the spring due to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The Redhawks spring schedule will feature a round-robin format that includes eight teams which elected to play a spring OVC schedule with seven conference games over an eight-week period. Games will be contested on Sundays (with the exception of Easter weekend when the games will be played on Saturday) and start during a 1-3 p.m. window local time. SEMO's conference schedule involves home matchups with Murray State (Feb. 21), Austin Peay (Mar. 14) and Tennessee Tech (Mar. 28), and away games at Eastern Illinois (Feb. 28), Jacksonville State (Mar. 21), UT Martin (Apr. 3) and Tennessee State (Apr. 11). Additionally, teams will have the opportunity to play one non-conference game in the spring. The NCAA will announce the selection for a revised 16-team playoff field on Sunday, April 18. This year's field will include 11 automatic qualifiers and five at-large bids. The first round is set for the weekend of April 24 with the FCS National Championship game to be played on either May 14, 15 or 16 in Frisco, Texas. Teams will play in accordance with local regulations, NCAA medical guidelines and supporting OVC standards.