Southeast Missouri (0-2) at Missouri (1-1)

Game Information
Date: Saturday, September 18, 2021
Kickoff: 11 a.m., CT
Location: Columbia, Mo. 
Facility: Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium (62,621)
Surface: FieldTurf
Series: Missouri leads, 4-0
Last Meeting: Missouri 50, SEMO 0 (Sept. 14, 2019 | Columbia, Mo.)
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (38-44 overall; 37-43 at SEMO; 29-25 OVC). Eliah Drinkwitz (17-7 overall; 6-6 at Mizzou).

Follow the Redhawks
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
Video: SEC Network+ (Roy Philpott, Dave Steckel)
Live Stats: MUTigers.com
Twitter: @SEMOfootball
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)

Redhawks Remain on the Road to Face Missouri Saturday
Southeast Missouri (0-2) plays its second-straight road game when it visits Football Bowl Subdivision and Southeastern Conference member Missouri (1-1) Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m., CT at Faurot Field/Memorial 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 SEC Network+ (Roy Philpott, Dave Steckel, Smacker Miles). Live stats are available at MUTigers.com and Twitter updates will be provided @SEMOfootball.

Non-Conference Finale
Southeast Missouri's rugged non-conference schedule ends with a date at in-state foe Missouri this weekend. This year's non-league slate included games with two Top-10 Football Championship Subdivision opponents (then-#7 Southern Illinois, Sept. 2; defending FCS National Champion and #1 Sam Houston, Sept. 11) and one Football Bowl Subdivision Power 5 school (Missouri, Sept. 18). 

Against FBS Opponents
The Redhawks are 1-24 all-time against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents since they joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1991. Southeast Missouri has lost 19-straight games against FBS teams. The Redhawks lone  FBS win came at Middle Tennessee State (24-14) on Sept. 28, 2002. SEMO was initially scheduled to play at Ole Miss last season, but that game was canceled due to COVID-19. Here is SEMO's history against FBS schools:
10/19/96     at Arkansas State     L, 9-38
8/31/00     at Marshall     L, 7-63
9/1/01     at Eastern Michigan     L, 2-16
9/14/02    at Eastern Michigan     L, 32-35
9/28/02     at Middle Tennessee     W, 24-14
8/30/03     at Ohio     L, 3-17
9/13/03     at Arkansas State     L, 3-21
9/11/04     at Bowling Green     L, 10-49
9/18/04     at Central Michigan     L, 27-44
9/10/05     at Kent State     L, 12-33
10/14/06     at Arkansas     L, 7-63
8/30/07     at Cincinnati     L, 3-59
9/6/08     at #6 Missouri     L, 3-52
9/12/09     at #23 Cincinnati     L, 3-70
9/2/10     at Ball State     L, 10-27
9/17/11     at Purdue     L, 0-59
8/30/12     at Central Michigan     L, 27-38
9/7/13     at Ole Miss     L, 13-31
9/6/14     at Kansas     L, 28-34
9/5/15     at Missouri     L, 3-34
9/3/16     at Memphis     L, 17-35
9/2/17     at Kansas     L, 16-38
9/1/18     at Arkansas State     L, 21 48
9/14/19     at Missouri     L 0-50

SEMO vs. the SEC
Southeast Missouri has faced three teams out of the mighty Southeastern Conference (SEC) in its football history. SEMO is a combined 0-7 in those matchups with a 0-4 record against Missouri, 0-2 mark against Arkansas and 0-1 record against Ole Miss. The most points the Redhawks scored in a game against a SEC foe was 13 in a 31-13 road loss to Ole Miss on Sept. 7, 2013.

Matukewicz vs. FBS Foes
Tom Matukewicz is 1-6 all-time against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents as a head coach. Matukewicz's lone win came in the Humanitarian Bowl when he was interim head coach for one game at Northern Illinois in 2010. NIU beat Fresno State, 40-17, on Dec. 18. Matukewicz coached the Huskies in the Humanitarian Bowl after Jerry Kill accepted the Minnesota head coaching job at the end of that season.
12/18/10    vs. Fresno State (NIU)    W, 40-17
9/6/14    at Kansas (SEMO)    L, 28-34
9/5/15    at Missouri (SEMO)    L, 3-34
9/3/16    at Memphis (SEMO)    L, 17-35
9/2/17    at Kansas (SEMO)    L, 16-38
9/1/18    at Arkansas State (SEMO)    L, 21-48
9/14/19    at Missouri (SEMO)    L, 0-50

Series History
In-state schools Southeast Missouri and Missouri hook up for the fifth time in 2021. SEMO is 0-4 against the Tigers. Every game of the series has been played in Columbia. The Redhawks and Tigers last met on Sept. 14, 2019. SEMO dropped that contest by a score of 50-0. Missouri outscored the Redhawks by a combined 156-6 in the four meetings between these teams. The Redhawks went 90-consecutive games without being shutout before their 50-0 loss to the Tigers in 2019. 

Non-Conference Action
Tom Matukewicz is 8-19 in non-conference games as Southeast Missouri's head coach. The Redhawks are looking to snap a five-game losing skid in such contests. SEMO's last non-league win was a 44-26 victory over Southern Illinois on Aug. 29, 2019.

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.

Never Forget
Southeast Missouri and #1 Sam Houston played on Sept. 11, 2021, the 20-year Anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. SEMO was one of only three NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams that played on Sept. 15, 2001, four days following the tragedy which killed almost 3,000 people. The Redhawks lost, 31-28, to Missouri State in Cape Girardeau. After its loss to Sam Houston, SEMO is now 2-5-1 all-time in games played on Sept. 11.

Morrissey Reaches Career-High
In his first start of the season at inside linebacker, Jacob Morrissey finished with six tackles and a career-high two sacks against #1 Sam Houston (Sept. 11). Morrissey's sacks were the first of his career. Southeast Missouri is tied for second in the Ohio Valley Conference with three sacks through two games this young season. 

Alston Finds the End Zone
Aaron Alston made a bobbling catch on the near sideline and scored his first touchdown of the season on a 43-yard pass from CJ Ogbonna at #1 Sam Houston (Sept. 11). Alston's touchdown tied the game at 7-7 with 6:33 to play in the first quarter. It marked Alston's fifth receiving touchdown of his career and first since Oct. 19, 2019.

Booker Gets First Career Interception
Outside linebacker Keandre Booker recorded the first interception of his career when he picked off Eric Schmid and ran 31 yards in the second quarter at #1 Sam Houston (Sept. 11). Booker's interception set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Geno Hess that tied the game at 14-14 with 11:01 on the clock. The interception marked Southeast Missouri's third in two games this season. SEMO is tied for first in the Ohio Valley Conference in that category.

Redhawk Rewind
Southeast Missouri hung tough with reigning Football Championship Subdivision National Champion and #1 Sam Houston early. SEMO twice tied the Bearkats in the first half. After that, SHSU used a 24-point second quarter and scored the final 38 points of the game en route to its 52-14 win.

Special Teams Execute
The Redhawks opened up the second half of their game against #1 Sam Houston by recovering an onside kick. Adam Krause kicked and recovered the ball on that play. Later in the game, Southeast Missouri faked a punt and and punter Zach Haynes completed a 35-yard pass to Will Weidemann. SEMO, howerver, came up with no points on either of its drives following those plays.

Top Kick Returner
Zion Custis enters this week as the top kick returner in the Ohio Valley Conference. Custis is averaging 26.3 yards on six kickoff returns this season. He also ranks seventh in the Football Championship Subdivision. As a team, Southeast Missouri leads the OVC with 24.2 yards per kick return.

First NCAA Division I Action
Eleven players played in their first NCAA Division I football game vs. Southern Illinois (Sept. 2). CJ Ogbonna made his first career start at quarterback, while Pervis Frazier, Austin Harpenau, Michael Harris, Bryce Norman, DC Pippin, Wesley Roberts, Antonio Taylor, Dony'e Taylor, Louis Taylor and Jenson Walker made their Southeast Missouri debuts.

Smith Scores First Touchdown of 2021
Zack Smith caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from CJ Ogbonna for Southeast Missouri's first touchdown of the 2021 season. It was the longest pass on the Redhawks first scoring play of a season since SEMO joined the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision ranks in 1991.

Ogbonna Makes First Start as Redhawks Quarterback
CJ Ogbonna completed 9-of-19 passes for 47 yards and a touchdown in his first career start as Southeast Missouri's quarterback vs. Southern Illinois (Sept. 2). Ogbonna also ran for 10 yards and eight carries. His 15-yard touchdown pass to Zack Smith tied the game at 7-7 with 5:17 remaining in the first quarter.

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.

Hess Springs for 100 
Geno Hess ran for over 100 yards in a season-opener for the second-straight year when he gained 104 on 18 carries vs. Southern Illinois (Sept. 2). Hess averaged 5.8 yards per carry en route to the fourth 100-yard rushing game of his career. He was one of three running backs in the Ohio Valley Conference to run for over 100 yards that weekend. Murray State's Cortez Jones (107, vs. Mississippi Valley State) and Austin Peay's Ahmaad Tanner (103, at Chattanooga) were the others. 

Pick Six
Inside linebacker Mike Matthews returned his first interception of the season 10 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter vs. Southern Illinois (Sept. 2). It was Matthews' first pick six and the second interception of his career. 

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 126-215 with two Ohio Valley Conference titles (2010, 2019) and three NCAA Playoff appearances (2010, 2018, 2019) as a Division I program.

Redhawks Second in OVC Preseason Poll
The Redhawks were picked second in the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll announced July 19. Southeast Missouri received 60 points and three first-place votes in the poll selected by OVC Head Coaches and Communication Directors. Murray State is this year's preseason favorite. Austin Peay shared the second-place spot with SEMO. Here is the complete 2021 OVC Preseason Poll:
Team (First-Place Votes)    Pts.
1.    Murray State (14)     64 
2.    Austin Peay (4)    60
Southeast Missouri (3)    60
4.    UT Martin    38
5.    Tennessee State    32
6.    Tennessee Tech    28
7.    Eastern Illinois    12

Brickyard Game
Saturday's matchup with Missouri is a Brickyard Game for the Redhawks. Each time Southeast Missouri upends a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) or ranked Football Championship (FCS) opponent, those victories are laid to rest in the Brickyard, which resides in the Redhawks locker room. SEMO currently has a total of 10 Brickyard wins, six of which have come under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz. 

SEMO vs. Ranked FCS Opponents
Southeast Missouri is 8-30 against ranked Football Championship Subdivision opponents since 2004. The Redhawks are looking to end a four-game losing streak in such contests. SEMO last beat a ranked FCS team in 2019 when they toppled then-#14 Jacksonville State, 24-21, on Oct. 19, 2019 in Jacksonville, Alabama. The last time SEMO beat a ranked non-conference FCS opponent was in the first round of the 2018 FCS Playoffs (28-14, vs. #15 Stony Brook, Nov. 24 in Cape Girardeau).

Short Turnaround
The Redhawks completed an abbreviated eight-game 2020-21 season on Apr. 11, 2021. Southeast Missouri played a seven-game Ohio Valley Conference schedule last spring due to a global COVID-19 pandemic. Thursday's matchup against #7 Southern Illinois is exactly 144 days from when SEMO ended its 2020-21 campaign with a 46-23 road win at Tennessee State.

22 Wins
Southeast Missouri has won a combined 22 games over its last three seasons, most in the Ohio Valley Conference during that stretch. The Redhawks put together a 22-12 record after going 9-4 in both 2018 and 2019, and 4-4 a year ago. SEMO also won the OVC title in 2019 and made the Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs twice (2018, 2019) since the 2018 campaign. 

Roster Talk
The Redhawks' 96-man roster which consists of 30 seniors, six graduate students, 22 juniors, 23 sophomores and 21 freshmen. Southeast Missouri also returns 15 starters, including eight on offense and seven on defense. 

Matukewicz Momentum
Tom Matukewicz is in his eighth year as Southeast Missouri's head coach in 2021. With a total of 37 wins and 29 in Ohio Valley Conference play, Matukewicz has the most victories of any head coach in SEMO's NCAA Division I era. He has also guided the Redhawks to one OVC title (2019) and two Football Championship Subdivision Playoff appearances (2018, 2019). Matukewicz is 37-44 and 29-25 as SEMO's head coach. He is SEMO's defensive coordinator in addition to his head coaching position this season.

Daunting Non-Conference Slate
The Redhawks have one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation. Southeast Missouri will face #7 Southern Illinois (Sept. 2) at home and both reigning FCS National Champion and #1 Sam Houston State (Sept 11), and Football Bowl Subdivision and Southeastern Conference member Missouri (Sept. 18) on the road. SEMO and Sam Houston State will play a home-and-home series with the Bearkats scheduled to return the trip to Cape Girardeau on Sept. 13, 2025. This year marks the first time in program history where the Redhawks played the reigning FCS National Champion in a season.

Ogbonna Earns Starting Quarterback Job
Hutchinson Community College transfer CJ Ogbonna was named Southeast Missouri's starting quarterback on Aug. 22, a day after the Redhawks ended their preseason camp.A native of Marietta, Georgia, Ogbonna will make his first career NCAA Division I start under center when SEMO hosts longtime rival and #7 Southern Illinois Thursday. He spent the last two seasons at Hutchinson CC in Kansas. Ogbonna helped guide the Blue Dragons to the NJCAA National Championship. He completed 80 percent of his passes in five games. Ogbonna threw for 736 yards and eight touchdowns on 57-of-92 attempts his final junior college campaign. He edged Louisville transfer Christian Perez in a tight quarterback race during the preseason.

Preseason Honors 
Honors poured in for the Redhawks prior to the 2021 campaign. Bryson Donnell (DT), Omardrick Douglas (OLB), Zach Haynes (P), Geno Hess (RB), Shron Rodgers (OL), Jaden Rosenthall (OL) and Zack Smith (WR) each garnered Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference accolades. Hess was named to the STATS Perform Preseason All-America Team and both the Walter Payton Award and College Football Performance Awards FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy Preseason Watch Lists. Meanwhile, Haynes was recently named to the FCS Punter of the Year Preseason Watch List.

Another Program First
With its 4-3 mark in 2020-21, Southeast Missouri posted a winning record in Ohio Valley Conference play for the third-straight season. It marked the first time in program history where SEMO put together a winning conference season in three consecutive years. The Redhawks also finished with 6-2 and 7-1 league records in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Dynamic Duo
Southeast Missouri poses one of the top one-two punches in the Ohio Valley Conference with running backs Geno Hess and Zion Custis. Hess gained 1,451 yards and scored 19 touchdowns on 283 carries, and Custis ran for 1,257 yards and 13 touchdowns on 270 attempts to date.

All Aboard the Hess Express!
Geno Hess is back as Southeast Missouri's tailback this season. Hess, a First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection in 2020, led the Football Championship Subdivision with 12 rushing touchdowns. He ran for 666 yards on 137 carries in eight games and four starts. Hess averaged just under five yards per rush (4.9) and added two receptions out of the backfield. He ranked fourth among conference leaders and 15th in the FCS in rushing yards (82.1 ypg). Hess garnered Third-Team STATS Perform All-America honors and was named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List this preseason.

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. 

Talented Wide Receivers
Southeast Missouri's wide receivers are as deep and talented as any team in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Redhawks bring back their top three pass catchers from last season in Zack Smith, Johnny King and Aaron Alston. Smith earned First-Team All-OVC accolades and was named his team's Most Valuable Player during a breakout 2020 campaign. He led the Redhawks with 38 catches for 403 yards and four touchdowns, while averaging 50.4 yards per game and 10.6 yards per reception a year ago. King and Alston are expected to complement Smith in SEMO's three-receiver sets. King rated second on the team with 31 receptions for 392 yards and two touchdowns. Despite missing the final two weeks of the spring with an ankle injury, Alston managed to finish third on the team in receptions (18), receiving yards (256) and receiving yards per game (42.7).

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. 

Solid Special Teams
The Redhawks return everyone on special team with the exception of their long snapper. Zach Haynes, named to the FCS Punter of the Year Preseason Watch list, had a brilliant debut  last season. He earned First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors after topping the league and rating 15th in the FCS with 42.2 yards per punt. Haynes punted 36 times for 1,521 yards and dropped 15 of his punts inside the 20-yard line. Adam Krause is back at holder and SEMO brings back both Shabari Davis and Zack Smith, its top two return men. Davis was a Second-Team All-OVC pick as a punt returner in 2020. Place kicker Kenny Doak also returns after finishing second on the team in scoring with 40 points on 5-of-9 field goals and 25-of-27 PATs.

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.

Personnel File
Three new coaches joined Southeast Missouri's football staff ahead of the 2021 season. Cooper Bassett (offensive line), Nate Dreiling (defensive run game coordinator/inside linebackers) and Issac Reed (running backs) begin their first Football Championship Subdivision coaching jobs this year. Bassett worked the last four years as offensive line coach at NCAA Division II West Texas A&M. Dreiling joins the Redhawks after spending the 2020 campaign as defensive analyst at the University of Oregon. And, Reed previously worked the last season as running backs coach at the University of Buffalo.

2021 OVC Schedule
Ohio Valley Conference football playing members will play six conference games in a round-robin format as part of this year's official OVC schedule. OVC Directors of Athletics agreed to schedule additional games against OVC opponents outside the structure of the conference schedule as a way to play competitive games within the region. These designated matchups against OVC opponents will not count in the conference standings. Southeast Missouri will begin its OVC season at home against Tennessee State (Sept. 25). Murray State (Oct. 16), Eastern Illinois (Oct. 30) and UT Martin (Nov. 20) also come to Cape Girardeau although the home game with Murray State will not count in the conference standings. The away portion of the Redhawks schedule includes trips to Tennessee Tech (Oct. 2), Austin Peay (Oct. 9), UT Martin (Oct. 23) and Murray State (Nov. 13). The road game at UT Martin is designated as SEMO's other matchup that will not count in the OVC standings.

Redhawks in the NFL
Four 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 (DL) is with the New York Jets. Forbes, a sixth-round selection and the 189th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft was SEMO's second-highest draft pick in program history.