Southeast Missouri (1-3, 1-0 OVC) at Tennessee Tech (0-4, 0-1 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Saturday, October 2, 2021
Kickoff: 1:30 p.m., CT
Location: Cookeville, Tenn. 
Facility: Tucker Stadium (16,500)
Surface: 24/7 Turf
Series: TTU leads, 15-14
Last Meeting: SEMO 24, TTU 21 (Mar. 28, 2021 | Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (39-45 overall; 38-45 at SEMO; 30-25 OVC). Dewayne Alexander (9-25 overall; 9-25 at TTU).

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

Redhawks Head to Tennessee Tech
Southeast Missouri (1-3, 1-0) faces Tennessee Tech (0-4, 0-1) in its first Ohio Valley Conference road game of the season Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m., CT at Tucker 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 ESPN+. Live stats are available at TTUSports.com and Twitter updates will be provided @SEMOfootball.

Road Contests
The Redhawks are on the road for four of 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 travels to Tennessee Tech this week and Austin Peay on Oct. 9. The Redhawks are 0-2 outside of Cape Girardeau this season.

Series History
Southeast Missouri and Tennessee Tech tangle for the 30th time Saturday. TTU holds a slight 15-14 edge in the overall series. SEMO is 4-9 all-time in Cookeville and hung 70 points on the Golden Eagles the last time it played at Tucker Stadium. The Redhawks won that game, 70-38, on Oct. 6, 2018. SEMO won its last four meetings and five of its previous six matchups with TTU.

First OVC Road Game
The Redhawks are 3-4 in their first road game of the Ohio Vallley Conference season under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz. Southeast Missouri crushed Eastern Illinois, 47-7, in its first OVC road game of the 2020 campaign. Prior to that win, SEMO had not won its first road contest of a league season by more than four points with Matukewicz at the helm.

Redhawks Get First Win of the Season in OVC Opener
Southeast Missouri improve to 12-19 all-time in Ohio Valley Conference openers when it picked up its first win of the 2021 campaign with a 47-14 victory over Tennessee State (Sept. 25). SEMO is now 6-2 in OVC openers under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz. 

OVC Home-Openers
The Redhawks also moved to 16-15 in Ohio Valley Conference home-openers. Southeast Missouri extended its record to 7-1 in such games with Tom Matukewicz as head coach. 

Red Zone Perfection
Southeast Missouri's offense is perfect inside the red zone through four games this season. SEMO scored on all 12 of its chances inside the 20-yard line. The Redhawks have scored The Redhawks scored 76 of their 110 points in the red zone for just under 70 percent (69.0) of their total scoring output. SEMO leads the Ohio Valley Conference and the Football Championship Subdivision in red zone offense.

More Red Zone Success
The Redhawks have gone 14-straight games witout 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.

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 401 rushing yards. He is also fourth nationally and first in the league with five rushing touchdowns. Additionally, Hess ranks 12th in the FCS and first in the conference in rushing yards per game (100.2).

Moving On Up
With his three-touchdown effort vs. Tennessee State (Sept. 25), Geno Hess moved to sixth among Southeast Missouri's all-time career leaders in rushing touchdowns. Hess enters the week with 23 career rushing TDs, including five in 2021. Seventeen of those scores came since the start of the 2020 campaign alone.

Approaching 2,000 Rushing Yards
Geno Hess needs 294 more rushing yards to reach 2,000 in his career. Hess will crack Southeast Missouri's Top-10 all-time career leaders with 47 yards this weekend. He currently has 1,706 rushing yards as a Redhawk. Hess 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.

College Debut
Geno Hess made his Southeast Missouri debut at Tennessee Tech on Oct. 6, 2018. Hess ran for 64 yards on 11 carries and averaged 5.8 yards per rush in that game as SEMO blew out the Golden Eagles, 70-38.

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
For the second-straight week, Southeast Missouri won at least one of the Ohio Valley Conference honors. This time, 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.

Starters Mincey, Davis and Douglas Return
Starters Brandon Mincey (ILB, knee), Shabari Davis (CB, ankle) and Omardrick Douglas (OLB, tail bone) returned last week vs. Tennessee State (Sept. 25). Mincey and Davis each missed the previous two games at Sam Houston (Sept. 11) and Missouri (Sept. 18), while Douglas was out the Missouri contest.

Smith Expected to be Back Saturday
Wide receiver Zack Smith is expected to return from his foot injury at Tennessee Tech Saturday. Smith missed the last three weeks after sustaining his injury in Southeast Missouri's season-opening loss to #7 Southern Illinois (Sept. 2).

Over 600
Southeast Missouri racked up 607 yards of total offense in its beatdown of Tennessee State (Sept. 25). The Redhawks had 81 snaps and averaged 7.5 yards per play. SEMO ran 28 more plays than the Tigers and had a +14:48 margin in time of possession. It was the sixth time in the Redhawks NCAA Division I era where they accumulated over 600 yards of total offense.

Atop the OVC
The Redhawks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in rushing (229.8 ypg), kickoff returns (24.2 ypr), fourth-down conversions (3-of-3. 1.000), turnover margin (+1) and red zone offense (12-of-12, 1.000). Individually, Geno Hess tops the conference in rushing (100.2 ypg), Kenny Doak is first in scoring (kick) (7.7 ppg), field goals (4-of-6) and field goal percentage (66.7).

12 in a Row
Kenny Doak has made 12-consecutive PATs. Doak is off to a perfect 11-of-11 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.

First Pick for Leonard
Ty Leonard became the fourth different player to get an interception for Southeast Missouri this season. Leonard got his first career pick late in the fourth quarter vs. Tennessee State (Sept. 25). Mike Matthews, Keandre Booker and Trai Hodges also have an interception in 2021.

Give it up for the Locals
Nearby Jackson native Bryce Norman and Cape Girardeau native Dony'e Taylor each led Southeast Missouri with six tackles against Tennessee State (Sept. 25). Norman also had a team-high four solo tackles, one tackle for loss and forced a fumble. He led SEMO in tackle for the second time in four games this season.

Spreading it Around
Quarterback CJ Ogbonna completed passes to eight different receivers in Southeast Missouri's latest 47-14 win over Tennessee State (Sept. 25). Rashaan Palmer, Johnny King, Wesley Roberts IV, Will Weidemann, Jake Holten, Geno Hess, Caleb Strauss and Shamenski Rucker all caught passes against the Tigers. Weidemann scored the first touchdown of his career on a 6-yard pass with 6:54 remaining in the game.

Fourth Quarter Points
Southeast Missouri has scored 42 fourth-quarter points through four games, second-most in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Redhawks recently 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 45 fourth-quarter points. SEMO has been outscored in every quarter except the fourth (42-31) 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 127-216 with two Ohio Valley Conference titles (2010, 2019) and three NCAA Playoff appearances (2010, 2018, 2019) as a Division I program.

Matukewicz Momentum
Tom Matukewicz is in his eighth year as Southeast Missouri's head coach in 2021. With a total of 38 wins and 30 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 38-45 and 30-25 as SEMO's head coach. He will assume the role of defensive coordinator in addition to his head coaching position this season.

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.

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
Three 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 and Mike Ford (CB) is with the Denver Broncos. 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.