Eastern Illinois (1-7, 1-2 OVC) vs. Southeast Missouri (2-6, 2-1 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Saturday, October 30, 2021
Kickoff: 1 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Houck Field (10,000)
Surface: FieldTurf 
Series: EIU leads, 18-10
Last Meeting: SEMO 47, EIU 7 (Feb. 28, 2021 | Charleston, Ill.)
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (40-48 overall; 39-48 at SEMO; 31-26 OVC). Adam Cushing (3-23 overall; 3-23 at EIU).

Follow the Redhawks
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean, Rick Wieser)
Video: ESPN3/WatchESPN
Live Stats: SEMORedhawks.com
Twitter: @SEMOfootball
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)

Redhawks Welcome Eastern Illinois
Southeast Missouri (2-6, 2-1) welcomes Eastern Illinois (1-7, 1-2) on Homecoming weekend Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., CT at Houck Field.

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen live on the radio at Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Sean and Rick Wieser will be on the call. Watch on ESPN3/WatchESPN. Live stats are available at SEMORedhawks.com and Twitter updates will be provided @SEMOfootball.

SEMO on Homecoming
Southeast Missouri is 15-14 all-time in its Homecoming games since it joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1991. SEMO has won three-straight Homecoming games and averaged 26.3 points per game in those victories. This year marks only the third time the Redhawks play host to Eastern Illinois on their Homecoming. SEMO beat the Panthers, 30-17, the last time EIU was in town for Homecoming on Oct. 4, 2003.

Series History
Saturday marks the 29th matchup between Southeast Missouri and Eastern Illinois. EIU holds an 18-10 advantage in the all-time series. The Redhawks, however, won each of their last three games against the Panthers. SEMO beat EIU, 47-7, in Charleston a year ago. 

Three More to Go
All three of Southeast Missouri's remaining contests of the 2021 season will be Ohio Valley Conference games. SEMO's last two games against league foes did not count toward the OVC standings. After this weekend's game vs. Eastern Illinois, the Redhawks will have their bye week. Then, they head to Murray State (Nov. 13) and finish up their regular-season at home vs. UT Martin (Nov. 20). 

Redhawks in October
The Redhawks are 14-14 in October games under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz. Over the last four years, Southeast Missouri has won eight of their previous 13 games in October. 

Red Zone Perfection
Southeast Missouri's offense is perfect inside the red zone through eight games this season. SEMO scored on all 26 of its chances inside the 20-yard line. The Redhawks have scored 153 of their 218 points in the red zone for 70.1 percent of their total scoring output. SEMO leads the Ohio Valley Conference and is tied for first in  the Football Championship Subdivision in red zone offense. The Redhawks are one of only three FCS teams perfect in the red zone. Duquesne (26-of-26) and Youngstown State (16-of-16) are the others.

More Red Zone Success
The Redhawks have gone 18-straight games without turning the ball over inside the 20-yard line. In fact, Southeast Missouri's last turnover in the red zone came on an interception at Eastern Illinois on Nov. 16, 2019.

Climb to 1,000
Geno Hess enters the week with an Ohio Valley Conference best 899 yards and 12 touchdowns. Hess needs 101 yards to reach 1,000 this season. He has not run for 1,000 yards in a season in his Southeast Missouri career. In fact, the closest Hess came to that mark was when he had 666 yards in eight games a year ago. He presently holds a +2 advantage in rushing touchdowns over the next three players behind him in the OVC combined -- Peyton Logan (UT Martin, 2 TD), David Gist (Tennessee Tech, 6 TD), Devon Starling (Tennessee State, 2 TD).

Who Was the Last?
Marquis Terry was the last Southeast Missouri running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season when he finished with 1,229 in 2018. SEMO has had a 1,000-yard rusher in three of the last six years -- Marquis Terry (1,229 yards in 2018; 1,076 yards in 2017); Tremane McCullough (1,028 yards in 2015).

Doak Picks Up Second OVC Specialist of the Week Honor
Kicker Kenny Doak was named Ohio Valley Conference Specialist of the Week for the second time this season on Oct. 24. A native of Perkasie, Pennsylvania, Doak scored 12 points on three field goals and three extra points to account for 40 percent of SEMO's scoring in a 38-30 loss to #13 UT Martin. He was perfect in the game making all six of his kicks. Doak connected on field goals of 31, 37 and 38 yards, and made it a one-possession game (31-23) with his 38-yarder in the fourth quarter. He also kicked off six times for 280 yards and two touchbacks. Ahamaad Tanner (Austin Peay, Offensive), James Green (Tennessee State, Co-Defensive), Devin Squires (Tennessee Tech, Co-Defensive) and Keon Howard (UT Martin, Newcomer) completed the week's honorees. 

Single-Season Record in Sight
Geno Hess has 12 rushing touchdowns through eight starts this season and is seven away from Southeast Missouri's all-time single-season record with three games remaining. Henry Harris holds the record with 18 touchdowns in 2010. 

Mr. Touchdown
With his 66-yard touchdown run against UT Martin (Oct. 23), Geno Hess became only the fifth player in Southeast Missouri football history to score 30 or more career touchdowns. Hess presently stands second all-time in rushing touchdowns and  tied for third in total touchdowns. Walter Smallwood (36, 1965-68), Kristian Wilkerson (33, 2015-19), Paul McRoberts (30, 2012-15) and Henry Harris (30, 2008-10) are the others with 30 or more career touchdowns.

Interesting Note
Four Ohio Valley Conference players (Geno Hess, Ahmaad Tanner, Keon Howard, Zak Wallace) rank in the Top 12 nationally in rushing touchdowns. Hess is third with 12, Tanner is 10th with nine and Howard and Wallace are tied for 12th with eight. The OVC is the only conference with more than two players in the top 12 of those rankings (six other conferences have two players).

On a Roll
Geno Hess ran for 137 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries at UT Martin (Oct. 23), his third-straight 100-yard rushing game and fifth this season. He scored a rushing touchdown in seven-straight contests. Ten of Hess' 12 touchdowns have come in the last five games alone.

Comeback Falls Short at UT Martin
Southeast Missouri, which trailed 31-10 with 8:11 left in the third quarter at UT Martin (Oct. 23), rallied for 20 second-half points before coming up short in a 38-30 loss. The Redhawks twice made it a one-possession game in the final 15 minutes of the contest. It marked the fourth time in six games where SEMO scored 20 or more points in the second half.

Fit for a King
Wide receiver Johnny King caught three passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns against UT Martin (Oct. 23). King had two receiving touchdowns for the first time in his career. He scored on passes of 31 and 29 yards, respectively. King is Southeast Missouri's top receiver with 17 catches for 265 yards and four touchdowns this season. 

Halftime Leads
Southeast Missouri led at halftime in three of its last five games and went 2-3 in those contests. The Redhawks did not allow a point in the first half against both Tennessee State (Sept. 25) and Tennessee Tech (Oct. 2). 

OVC Update
UT Martin (6-1) and Tennessee State (4-3) are the only two Ohio Valley Conference teams with winning overall records this season. UTM tops the conference standings with a 2-0 mark in league play, while TSU (2-1) and Southeast Missouri (2-1) are tied for second.

Hess Clears 2,000 Rushing Yards
With his 176-yard effort against Murray State (Oct. 16), Geno Hess cleared 2,000 rushing yards in his career. Hess is ninth among Southeast Missouri's all-time career rushing leaders with 2,204 rushing yards. He became the ninth player in program history to get more than 2,000 career rushing yards.

Moving On Up
Geno Hess is second among Southeast Missouri's all-time career leaders in rushing touchdowns. Hess enters the week with 30 career rushing TDs, including 12 in 2021. Twenty-four of those scores came since the start of the 2020 campaign. He is seven rushing touchdowns away from breaking SEMO's all-time career record of 36 presently held by Walter Smallwood (1965-68). 

Stormin' Norman
Freshman Bryce Norman, who started the last four games at inside linebacker, is Southeast Missouri's leading tackler through eight contests. Norman leads the Redhawks in total tackles (55), solo tackles (27) and forced fumbles (3). He finished as SEMO's top tackler in five games this year. Most recently, Norman accumulated 14 tackles for his second-straight double-digit tackle game. He leads the Ohio Valley Conference in forced fumbles and is 12th in the nation in that category. Additionally, he is second among OVC freshmen in tackles behind Eastern Illinois' Colin Bohanek (62).

OVC Leader
Southeast Missouri leads the Ohio Valley Conference in kickoff returns (23.4 ypr), punting (38.5 ypp), fourth-down conversions (6-of-11, 54.5 pct.), turnover margin (+6), red zone offense (26-of-26, 1.000) and onside kicks (2-of-2).

Multiple Quarterbacks 
Starting quarterback CJ Ogbonna and Jalyn Williams have been splitting time at quarterback. Williams completed 2-of-4 passes and ran for eight yards, while Ogbonna completed 13-of-24 passes for 194 yards and two  touchdowns at UT Martin (Oct. 23). Southeast Missouri has used multiple quarterbacks in six of eight games this season.

Takeaway Time
Southeast Missouri recorded five more takeaways in its win at Austin Peay (Oct. 9). SEMO leads the Ohio Valley Conference with 16 takeaways and boasts a league best +6 turnover margin through eight games. The Redhawks have gone 21 of their last 22 games with a takeaway dating back to the 2019 campaign.

Don't Mess with Hess
Tailback Geno Hess ran for a career-high 205 yards and three touchdowns to lead Southeast Missouri to its first win of the season, a 47-14 victory over Tennessee State (Sept. 25). Hess averaged 8.2 yards per carry on 25 attempts. He scored touchdowns on runs of two, 63 and eight yards, respectively. Two of his touchdowns came in the third quarter. The 63-yard run was the third-longest of Hess' career. He became only the third Football Championship Subdivision player to rush for over 200 yards in a game this season joining Youngstown State's Jaleel McLaughlin (242 yards vs. Incarnate Word) and Montana State's Isaiah Ifanse (217 yards vs. Portland State). Hess leads the Ohio Valley Conference and ranks fourth in the nation with 899 rushing yards. He is also first in the conference and third in the nation with 12 rushing touchdowns. Additionally, Hess ranks seventh in the FCS and first in the conference in rushing yards per game (112.4).

Keep it Going
Geno Hess has scored a rushing touchdown in 10 of his last 11 games. Hess scored multiple touchdowns and ran for over 100 yards four times during that stretch. He had at least one rushing touchdown in his last seven starts.

Top Scoring Threat 
Geno Hess is first in the Ohio Valley Conference and 14th in the FCS in scoring with nine points per game. Hess scored 72 points on 12 rushing touchdowns. He matched his FCS leading 12 rushing touchdowns from a year ago.

Future FBS Games
Southeast Missouri's future Football Bowl Subdivision games include matchups with Iowa State (2022), Kansas State (2023), Arkansas State (2025) and Missouri (2028, 2030). SEMO's FBS opponent for the 2024 campaign is to be determined.

Transfer Quarterbacks
A transfer has started at quarterback in all seven of Southeast Missouri's season-opening games with Tom Matukewicz at the helm. Kyle Snyder (Ohio University, 2014), Tay Bender (Iowa Western, 2015), Jesse Hosket (East Central CC, 2016 & 2017), Daniel Santacaterina (Northern Illinois, 2018 & 2019) and Andrew Bunch (Nebraska, 2020-21) form that group. CJ Ogbonna is the third junior college transfer to start as SEMO's quarterback under Matukewicz.

100-Yard Games
Geno Hess ran for over 100 yards for the eighth time in his career when he gained 137 yards at UT Martin (Oct. 23). Hess also ran for 176 yards vs. Murray State (Oct. 16), 116 yards at Austin Peay (Oct. 9, 2021),  205 yards vs. Tennessee State (Sept. 25, 2021), 156 yards at Tennessee State (Nov. 2, 2019), 128 yards at Southern Illinois (Oct. 30, 2020), 124 yards vs. Austin Peay (Mar. 14, 2021) and 104 yards vs. Southern Illinois (Sept. 2, 2021).

Season 117
The 2021 campaign is Southeast Missouri's 117th season of college football. The Redhawks are in their 31st season at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. SEMO joined the FCS in 1991 and is 128-219 with two Ohio Valley Conference titles (2010, 2019) and three NCAA Playoff appearances (2010, 2018, 2019) as a Division I program.

Redhawk Graduates
A total of six Southeast Missouri players will be playing their 2021 season as graduates. Veterans Omardrick Douglas (OLB) and Zack Smith (WR) are both in their sixth year with the program. Shabari Davis (CB) returns for his fifth season and Terry Cook (OL) is back for his third year at SEMO. Maine transfer Kenny Doak (K) and Northern Illinois transfer Jordan Cole (OLB) are also in their final college football season with the Redhawks in 2021. 

From Walk-On to Scholarship
A trio of Southeast Missouri walk-ons were awarded scholarships prior to the 2021 season. Kicker/punter Adam Krause and running back Shamenski Rucker received their scholarships during the offseason, while quarterback Patrick Maddox was given his on the final day of the Redhawks preseason camp (Aug. 21). A total of 18 walk-ons have earned scholarships during Tom Matukewicz's eight years as SEMO's head coach. 

Know that I'm Wearing "O"
Starting outside linebacker Omardrick Douglas is the first player in Southeast Missouri football history to wear the number zero on his jersey. It is the third number Douglas will don in his career. He was also listed on the roster at numbers 52 and 4 previously in his career.

Unprecedented Success
In 2020-21, Southeast Missouri Athletics reached unprecedented success when it won its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner's Cup. The Commissioner's Cup is the league's ultimate symbol of overall athletic excellence in Conference-sponsored championships. SEMO accumulated 119 points and finished 7.5 points ahead of second-place Belmont (111.5) to win the coveted prize. Since the start of the 2019 calendar year, the Redhawks have won 11 conference championships, most in the OVC. Five of those titles came during a COVID-19 plagued spring in 2021. The Redhawks completed their remarkable 2020-21 campaign with a 93-42-1 (.688) record in conference regular-season play, their highest OVC regular-season conference winning percentage in school history. In addition, SEMO was the only OVC school that qualified for every conference championship last season.

Redhawks in the NFL
Five former Southeast Missouri players are presently with NFL teams. Drew Forbes (G) is with the Cleveland Browns, Kristian Wilkerson (WR) is with the New England Patriots, Mike Ford (CB) is with the Denver Broncos and Aaron Adeoye (LB) is with the Green Bay Packers. Forbes, a sixth-round selection and the 189th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft was SEMO's second-highest draft pick in program history.

South Side of Houck Field Closed for 2021 Season
A recent structural assessment revealed that Houck Field's south grandstand structure has surpassed its original useful life and the rate of deterioration of the concrete structure has accelerated. The safety of the fans is of utmost importance and, as a result, Southeast Missouri made the difficult decision to cease the use of the south grandstand and press box area of the stadium. The decision results in modified gameday operations and reduced spectator capacity for the fall 2021 season. Houck Field will turn 91 years old on Oct. 3.

Construction Approved for First Phase of a New Houck Field
On September 24, 2021, the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Governors approved action to begin the first phase of construction for a new Houck Field. The first phase of the project will include demolition of the existing south grandstand structure as well as construction of a new south seating bowl and concourse with new restrooms and concession areas. Current plans indicate this phase will be complete in time for the Fall 2022 season. Beyond the initial work to be completed, the remainder of the South Sideline project has two additional phases, which will be completed as funding is identified. Items to be incorporated in these phases include a locker room for the football and soccer teams, an athletic training space, centralized ticketing, and a two-level press box, equipped with operational areas and a new club level. Future plans for the Houck Field renovations will not be limited to the South Sideline rebuild. Additional phases will involve renovation of the North Sideline seating area and construction of a new field house. Southeast Missouri State University contracted with Hollis + Miller, an architecture and design firm based in Kansas City, Missouri. Hollis + Miller Architects were selected through a competitive Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to provide professional architectural, engineering, scheduling and planning services for stadium renovation and construction. Conceptual designs for a stadium renovation were completed in August 2019 and have served as the focal point of the Department of Athletics' plan to rebuild Houck Field.