Southeast Missouri (1-4, 1-1 OVC) at Austin Peay (2-3, 0-0 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Saturday, October 9, 2021
Kickoff: 3 p.m., CT
Location: Clarksville, Tenn.
Facility: Fortera Stadium (8,000)
Surface: FieldTurf XT
Series: SEMO leads, 16-9
Last Meeting: APSU 49, SEMO 42 ^OT (Mar. 14, 2021 | Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (39-46 overall; 38-46 at SEMO; 30-26 OVC). Scotty Walden (6-8 overall; 6-8 at APSU).

Follow the Redhawks
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
Video: ESPN3
Live Stats: LetsGoPeay.com
Twitter: @SEMOfootball
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)

Redhawks Travel to Austin Peay
Southeast Missouri (1-4, 1-1) hits the road for the fourth time this season when it heads to Austin Peay (2-3, 0-0) Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m., CT at Fortera Stadium.

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

Road Contests
The Redhawks are on the road for the fourth time in five games. Southeast Missouri concluded non-conference action with trips to #1 Sam Houston (Sept. 11) and Missouri (Sept. 18). After hosting Tennessee State (Sept. 25), SEMO then traveled to Tennessee Tech (Oct. 2) before facing Austin Peay this weekend. The Redhawks are 0-3 outside of Cape Girardeau this season.

Series History
Southeast Missouri holds a 16-9 lead in its all-time series against Austin Peay. APSU won three of the last four meetings between the teams. Each of the last four matchups have been decided by no more than seven points. The Governors edged the Redhawks, 49-42, in overtime last season. SEMO is looking to snap a two-game losing streak in Clarksville after dropping close 28-24 (Oct. 12, 2019) and 38-31 (Oct. 21, 2017) losses during their last two trips. Head Coach Tom Matukewicz is 4-3 all-time against the Governors.

Redhawks in October
The Redhawks are 13-12 in October games under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz. Over the last four years, Southeast Missouri has won seven of their 10 games in October. 

Lead Disappears in Loss to Tennessee Tech
Southeast Missouri led, 10-0, at halftime before Tennessee Tech (Oct. 2) scored 28 second-half points to pull off a 28-17 come-from-behind win in Cookeville. TTU scored 14 points in each of the final two quarters to get their first win of the season. All seven teams in the Ohio Valley Conference now have at least one win this year.

On the Road Again
The Redhawks will travel day of into Clarksville, Tennessee for their fourth road game of the season this weekend. Southeast Missouri is currently on a three-game road losing streak after falling to #1 Sam Houston (Sept. 11), Missouri (Sept. 18) and Tennessee Tech (Oct. 2). SEMO is one of three Ohio Valley Conference teams without a road win in 2021. Tennessee Tech (0-2) and Murray State (0-2) are the others.

OVC Update
Early in the Ohio Valley Conference season, UT Martin presently stands as the only league team with an overall winning record at 3-1. Three schools, including Eastern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and Tennessee Tech each have one conference win. 

Stormin' Norman
In his first career start at inside linebacker, true freshman Bryce Norman led Southeast Missouri with seven tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and one forced fumble. Norman added six solo tackles and forced a fumble on his first career sack. He now leads the Redhawks in total tackles (25), solo tackles (15), tackles for loss (5.5) and forced fumbles (2). Additionally, Norman finished as SEMO's top tackler in three games this year. He leads the Ohio Valley Conference in forced fumbles, ranks third in tackles for loss and is tied for 21st in tackles.

Multiple Quarterbacks 
Starting quarterback CJ Ogbonna and backup Jalyn Williams split time under center at Tennessee Tech (Oct. 2). Williams was in for eight of Southeast Missouri's 14 drives and led the Redhawks with 119 yards and a touchdown on 12-of-26 passes. He ran for 37 yards on 14 carries, as well. Williams threw his first career touchdown pass, a 7-yard completion to Johnny King, with 47 seconds remaining in the game. SEMO has used multiple quarterbacks in four of five games this season.

Red Zone Perfection
Southeast Missouri's offense is perfect inside the red zone through four games this season. SEMO scored on all 15 of its chances inside the 20-yard line. The Redhawks have scored 93 of their 127 points in the red zone for 73.2 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.

More Red Zone Success
The Redhawks have gone 15-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.

Takeaway Time
Southeast Missouri recorded two more takeaways in its recent loss to Tennessee Tech (Oct. 2). Omardrick Douglas and Bryce Norman each forced a fumble on a sack against the Golden Eagles. Izeal Terrell and Brandon Mincey recovered the ball on those plays. SEMO leads the Ohio Valley Conference with eight takeaways and boasts a league best +2 turnover margin through five games. The Redhawks have also gone 19-consecutive games with a takeaway dating back to the 2019 campaign.

Impressive Effort
Southeast Missouri's rushing defense has not allowed a single yard in the first half of its last two games. The Redhawks held Tennessee State (Sept. 25) to only five yards and Tennessee Tech (Oct. 2) to -5 yards in the opening two quarters of play. SEMO held a 80 to -5 advantage against the Golden Eagles and 122-5 advantage against the Tigers in rushing yards those halves. In addition, the Redhawk defense gave up a combined 124 total yards in the first half during its last two contests.

Moving On Up
Geno Hess is tied for fifth among Southeast Missouri's all-time career leaders in rushing touchdowns. Hess enters the week with 24 career rushing TDs, including six in 2021. Eighteen of those scores came since the start of the 2020 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 sixth in the nation with 470 rushing yards. He is also fourth nationally and first in the league with six rushing touchdowns. Additionally, Hess ranks 15th in the FCS and first in the conference in rushing yards per game (94).

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

Approaching 2,000 Rushing Yards
Geno Hess needs 225 more rushing yards to reach 2,000 in his career. Hess is now 10th among Southeast Missouri's all-time career rushing leaders with 1,775 rushing yards. He is on pace to become the ninth player in SEMO football history to get more than 2,000 career rushing yards.

Running Game Erupts
Southeast Missouri exploded for a season-high 380 rushing yards in its Ohio Valley Conference opening win over Tennessee State (Sept. 25). SEMO outrushed TSU 380-14 in the game.  It was the first time the Redhawks ran for 380 or more yards in a game since they gained 385 yards vs. Eastern Illinois on Nov. 6, 1999. The 380 rushing yards are tied for fifth-most in a game by any FCS team this year. The Redhawks lead the Ohio Valley Conference and rank 15th in the nation with 229.8 rushing yards per contest.

Single-Game Rushing Marks
It's no secret that Tom Matukewicz's Southeast Missouri teams like to run the football. The Redhawks have established three of the program's top 11 single-game rushing marks in their NCAA Division I era during eight years with Matukewicz at the helm. Here is a look at those performances.
Rank    Game    Yards
    8.    Tennessee State, Sept. 25, 2021    380
    10.    at Southern Illinois, Sept. 15, 2018    352
    11.    at Tennessee Tech, Nov. 8, 2014    348

Doak Hits Career-Best
Kicker Kenny Doak scored a career-high 17 points against Tennessee State (Sept. 25). Doak didn't miss a kick making 4-of-4 field goals and 5-of-5 extra points. He connected on field goals of 33, 40, 39 and 45 yards. Doak also kicked off four times for 216 yards averaging 54 yards per kick. It was the second time in Doak's career where he finished with double-digit points in a game.

More OVC Honors
Southeast Missouri won at least one of the Ohio Valley Conference honors for the second week this season. Geno Hess claimed OVC Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Kenny Doak was named Co-Specialist of the Week. They joined UT Martin's Keon Howard (Co-Offensive), Tyler Larco (Co-Specialist) and Zoe Roberts (Newcomer), and Eastern Illinois' Jack McDonald (Defensive) as the Sept. 26 honorees.

Doak Named Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week
Graduate kicker Kenny Doak became Southeast Missouri's first specialist to win a Stats Perform Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) National Special Teams Player of the Week honor on Sept. 27. Doak, who hails from Perkasie, Pennsylvania single-handedly outscored Tennessee State when he scored a career-high 17 points in the Redhawks 47-14 victory on Sept. 18. He did not miss a kick going 4-of-4 on field goals and 5-of-5 on PATs. Doak connected on field goals from 33, 40, 39 and 45 yards. He also averaged 54 yards on four kickoffs with one touchback. Doak's 17 points are the most by any kicker in the FCS this year. Prior to 2021, the closest any SEMO specialist came to a National Special Teams Player of the Week honor was when punter Jake Reynolds was honorable mention for the then-STATS Freshman of the Week (Oct. 16, 2017) and punter Alex Knight was honorable mention for the then-STATS Player of the Week (Oct. 5, 2016) awards. Samford quarterback Liam Welch (Offensive), Western Illinois safety Darius Joiner (Defensive) and William & Mary quarterback Darius Wilson (Freshman) rounded out this week's Stats Perform FCS national honorees.

Atop the OVC
The Redhawks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in kickoff returns (23.9 ypr), fourth-down conversions (5-of-5. 1.000), turnover margin (+2), red zone offense (15-of-15, 1.000) and onside kicks (2-of-2). Individually, Geno Hess tops the conference in rushing (94.0 ypg) and Bryce Norman is first in forced fumbles (2).

14 in a Row
Kenny Doak has made 14-consecutive PATs. Doak is off to a perfect 13-of-13 start in that area this season. The last time he missed an extra point was late in the third quarter at Tennessee State on Apr. 11, 2021.

Fourth Quarter Points
Southeast Missouri has scored 49 fourth-quarter points through five games, second-most in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Redhawks put up 21 points in the final quarter at Football Bowl Subdivision member Missouri (Sept. 18). The 21 points tied for third-most in the fourth quarter during SEMO's NCAA Division I era. Austin Peay leads the league with 57 fourth-quarter points. SEMO has been outscored in every quarter except the fourth (49-45) so far this year.

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 fifth time in his career when he gained a career-best 205 vs. Tennessee State (Sept. 25). Hess also ran for 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 127-217 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. 

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.

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.