Tennessee Tech (1-3, 0-1 OVC) vs. #21 Southeast Missouri (4-1, 1-0 OVC)

Game Information
Date: October 8, 2022
Kickoff: 2 p.m., CT 
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Houck Field
Surface: FieldTurf
Series: TTU leads, 16-14
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (46-50 overall; 45-50 at SEMO; 34-27 OVC). Dewayne Alexander (54-65 overall; 13-32 at TTU; 7-23 OVC)..

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

Redhawks Return Home
#21 Southeast Missouri (4-1, 1-0) returns home to host Tennessee Tech (1-3, 0-1) Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2 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 ESPN+. Live stats are available at SEMORedhawks.com and Twitter updates will be provided @SEMOFootball.

Series History
Southeast Missouri and Tennessee Tech hook up for the 31st time Saturday. TTU holds a slight 16-14 edge in the overall series. SEMO won five of its previous seven matchups with the Golden Eagles.

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

Break Time
After this weekend's game against Tennessee Tech, Southeast Missouri will be idle next week. SEMO is back in action when it visits Southland Conference member Northwestern State on Oct. 22.

IMPACT Game
Saturday is Southeast Missouri's IMPACT Game. Join the Redhawks in celebrating nominated individuals making a difference in their community and the lives of others.

Series History
Southeast Missouri and Tennessee Tech hook up for the 31st time in 2022. TTU holds a slight 16-14 edge in the overall series. SEMO won five of its previous seven matchups with the Golden Eagles.

Redhawks Nationally Ranked
For the first time this season, Southeast Missouri is ranked in both the Stats Perform and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coaches Top-25 Polls. The Redhawks are #21 in the Stats Perform and #25 in the Coaches Poll, respectively. It is the first time SEMO is ranked in both Top-25 polls since 2019.

Four-Game Winning Streak
The Redhawks carry a four-game winning streak into Saturday's matchup with Tennessee Tech. Southeast Missouri is on a four-game winning streak for the first time since the 2019 season. SEMO's 4-1 start is also its best since the 2010 campaign. The current winning streak is the Redhawks longest since they won each of the last six games of the 2019 season.

Redhawks Win Game Ball Brawl
In its first-ever meeting with in-state foe Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri never trailed en route to a 49-28 win in St. Charles on Oct. 1. The rivalry is known as the Game Ball Brawl with the official game ball serving as a trophy that will go to the winner each year moving forward.

Ohio Valley Conference Openers
Southeast Missouri improved to 13-19 all-time in Ohio Valley Conference openers with its 49-28 win over Lindenwood (Oct. 1). SEMO is now 7-2 in such games under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz. The Redhawks started league play with a win in four-straight seasons. SEMO also began OVC play with a road win for the first time since 2016 (17-16, at Murray State, Sept. 24).

Record-Setter
Geno Hess ran for a career-high 276 yards and four touchdowns, and broke two of his program's career records in Southeast Missouri's win over Lindenwood (Oct. 1). Hess broke SEMO's all-time career records in total touchdowns and rushing touchdowns surpassing Walter Smallwood in each of those categories. Smallwood was at the game and presented Hess with the game ball following the victory. He now has 39 total touchdowns and 37 rushing touchdowns. Both of Smallwood's previous records stood for 54 years.

Hess Secures OVC Offensive Player of the Week 
For his massive effort against Lindenwood (Oct. 1), Geno Hess was a unanimous pick for Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 2. Hess ran for 276 yards and four touchdowns scoring on runs of 15, 14, 84 and one yards. He carried the ball 24 times and averaged 11.5 yards per rush. Along the way, Hess broke his program's career records in total touchdowns and rushing touchdowns. Hess' 276 yards are the most in a game by an OVC player and third-most in the Football Championship Subdivision this season. Additionally, it is the highest single-game rushing total in league history over the last 12 years.

Mr. Newcomer 
Quarterback Paxton DeLaurent won his fourth-consecutive Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week Award on Oct. 2. DeLaurent threw for over 300 yards for the third time in four starts. He completed 19-of-33 passes for 312 yards and one touchdown and ran for 22 yards on four carries against Lindenwood (Oct. 1). DeLaurent threw his team-high 11th touchdown pass to Johnny King giving SEMO a 21-0 lead in the second quarter. DeLaurent is the first SEMO player in program history to win the league's Newcomer of the Week honor four weeks in a row.

Closing in on 3,000 
Geno Hess is just 37 yards away from reaching 3,000 rushing yards in his career. Hess is currently third all-time at Southeast Missouri with 2,963 rushing yards. When he accomplishes the feat, Hess will become only the third running back in program history to gain 3,000 or more career yards. Kelvin "Earthquake" Anderson (3,392, 1992-94) and Walter Smallwood (3,066, 1965-68) are ahead of Hess. He needs 430 yards to become SEMO's all-time leading rusher.

Nice Turnaround
Five games into the 2022 season, Southeast Missouri ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference with 34 points per game. SEMO has scored 34 or more points in each of its last four games en route to a 4-1 start. A year ago, the Redhawks averaged 25.4 points per game and went 1-4 during their first five contests.

Season-Highs
The Redhawks established season-highs in points (49), total yards (684) and rushing yards (372) in their win at Lindenwood (Oct. 1). There was a combined 1,218 yards between the teams in that game. SEMO's 684 total yards are the second-most in a game during the program's Division I era. The 372 rushing yards were the Redhawks most since they gained 380 yards in their Ohio Valley Conference opener vs. Tennessee State in 2021.

Triple Threat
For the first time in four years, Southeast Missouri had a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver in a game at Lindenwood on Oct. 1. Paxton DeLaurent threw for 312 yards, Geno Hess ran for 276 yards and Johnny King had 126 receiving yards against the Lions. That last happened vs. Tennessee State on Nov. 3, 2018. Daniel Santacaterina (306 passing yards), Kristian Wilkerson (129 receiving yards) and Marquis Terry (107 rushing yards) accomplished the feat in that contest.

Weeks in Top-25
Southeast Missouri has been ranked in either the Stats Perform or AFCA Coaches Top-25 Polls a total of 20 weeks during Tom Matukewicz's tenure as the Redhawks head coach. SEMO's highest ranking with Matukewicz at the helm was 12th (2019) in the Stats Perform Media Poll and 13th (2019) in the AFCA Coaches Poll.

King Hits 100 Again
Johnny King had over 100 receiving yards for the second time this season when he finished with eight catches for 126 yards and a touchdown against Lindenwood (Oct. 1). King also had 125 receiving yards at Southern Illinois (Sept. 10). He leads Southeast Missouri with 38 receptions for 447 yards and four touchdowns through five games. 

Norman Surpasses 100 Tackles
Sophomore linebacker Bryce Norman surpassed 100 career tackles when he registered eight against Lindenwood (Oct. 1). Norman, who has 106 career stops, also had a sack and posted his first career interception. He leads the Redhawks with 40 tackles and ranks fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference with eight per game.

Dangerous Duo
Southeast Missouri's receiving duo of Johnny King and Ryan Flournoy have been tough for opponents to handle this season. Johnny King leads SEMO with 38 catches for 447 yards and four touchdowns, while Flournoy follows with 19 receptions for 321 yards and three TDs. King leads the Ohio Valley Conference in receptions per game (7.6) and is second in receiving yards per contest (89.4). Flournoy ranks seventh in the league in receptions per game (3.8) and fifth in receiving yards (64.2).

23 in a Row
Kicker DC Pippin has not missed an extra point in his Southeast Missouri career. Pippin is a perfect 23-of-23 in PATs dating back to last season. He made 21-of-21 through five games in 2022 and is tied for first in the Ohio Valley Conference in PAT kicking percentage. 

100-Yard Games
Geno Hess ran for over 100 yards twice in five starts this season. Hess gained 123 yards on 20 carries against Central Arkansas (Sept. 24) and ran for 276 yards on 24 attempts at Lindenwood (Oct. 1). He ranks second all-time among Southeast Missouri's career leaders with twelve 100-yard games. Kelvin Anderson holds the record with 14 from 1992-94.

Award-Winners
The Redhawks claimed multiple Ohio Valley Conference weekly honors in four-straight weeks. Paxton DeLaurent won Offensive Player and Newcomer accolades, and DC Pippin was Specialist on Sept. 11, while DeLaurent was tabbed Newcomer and Bryce Norman earned Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18. Dalyn McDonald (Specialist) and DeLaurent (Newcomer) were honored on Sept. 25. And, Geno Hess (Offensive) and DeLaurent (Newcomer) were recognized on Oct. 2. Southeast Missouri won nine of the league's weekly awards this year.

This is Our House!
Southeast Missouri has won 18 of its last 23 games at Houck Field dating back to the start of the 2018 season. SEMO finished with a winning record on its home field four of the last five seasons. The Redhawks also had a 12-game home winning streak in that stretch which ended on Mar. 7, 2021.

Matukewicz Fourth All-Time in Wins
Southeast Missouri Head Coach Tom Matukewics ranks fourth all-time in program history with 45 wins. Matukewicz is the 13th head coach in SEMO's football tenure.
Kenneth Knox (1952-67)    88
Abe Stuber (1932-46)    72
Jim Lohr (1974-83)    52
Tom Matukewicz (2014-present)    45

Sack Count
The Redhawks collected 15 sacks in their last four games, including five during their recent win over Lindenwood (Oct. 1). Southeast Missouri ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference in sacks and is two away from surpassing its season total of 16 sacks in 2021.

Four Touchdown Game for Hess
Running back Geno Hess scored a career-high four touchdowns to key Southeast Missouri's win at Lindenwood (Oct. 1). It was the sixth time he scored at least three touchdowns in a game in his career and second this season.

Top-10 in the FCS
As a team, Southeast Missouri ranks among the top-10 in the Football Championship Subdivision in blocked kicks (9th, 2), blocked punts (9th, 1), blocked punts allowed (1st, 0), punt return defense (5th, -0.75), sacks allowed (4th, 0.60), total offense (9th, 463.8), turnovers lost (10th, 4) and winning percentage (10th, .800). Individually, Dalyn McDonald ranks among the top-10 in kick return yards (8th, 353), kick return TDs (2nd, 1) and kick return average (9th, 26.8); Paxton DeLaurent is sixth in passing yards (1,427), ninth in passing yards per game (285.4) and sixth in total offense (320.6 ypg); Johnny King is eighth in receptions per game (7.6); Geno Hess is sixth in rushing yards (542) and 10th in rushing yards per game (108.4); and Garrett Todd is first in punt return TDs (1).  

Atop the OVC
Southeast Missouri leads the Ohio Valley Conference in total offense (463.8 ypg) and first downs (116). Individually, Geno Hess is first in the OVC in rushing (108.4 ypg) and all-purpose yards (124.8 ypg), Johnny King tops the league in receptions per game (7.6), DC Pippin is first in scoring (36 points), field goal percentage (5-of-10, 50%) and PAT kicking percentage (21-of-21, 100%), and Dalyn McDonald is first in kick return average (26.8 ypr).

Season 118
The 2022 campaign is Southeast Missouri's 118th season of college football. SEMO is in its 32nd season at the NCAA Division Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The Redhawks joined the FCS in 1991 and are 134-220 with two Ohio Valley Conference titles (2010, 2019) and three NCAA Playoff appearances (2010, 2018, 2019) as a Division I program. 

Redhawks Picked Second in OVC Preseason Poll
Southeast Missouri was picked second in the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll selected by the league's Head Coaches and Communication Directors. SEMO accumulated 59 points and three first-place votes behind UT Martin (70 pts., 10 first-place votes). Murray State (51 pts.), Tennessee State (46 pts., 1 first-place vote), Tennessee Tech (29 pts.), Eastern Illinois (20 pts.) and first-year OVC member Lindenwood (19 pts.) complete the seven-team predicted order of finish. This is the final year Murray State is a member of the OVC. The Racers will be in the Missouri Valley Football Conference starting in 2023. 

Please Read
Paxton DeLaurent's path to Southeast Missouri started with a hand-written letter from his mother, Heather. Heather's letter reached the Cape Girardeau home of Head Coach Tom Matukewicz. When Matukewicz received the letter in his mailbox, the Redhawks began recruiting DeLaurent and later signed him to a National Letter of Intent.

Six Redhawks Earn Preseason All-OVC Honors
Six Redhawks earned Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference honors ahead of the 2022 season. Running back Geno Hess, wide receiver Johnny King, offensive tackle Nate Korte, center Zack Gieg, inside linebacker Bryce Norman and punter Zach Haynes all landed a spot on this year's team.

Matukewicz Momentum
Tom Matukewicz is in his ninth year as Southeast Missouri's head coach in 2022. With a total of 45 wins and 34 in Ohio Valley Conference play, Matukewicz has more victories than any head head coach in SEMO's NCAA Division I era. He also guided the Redhawks to one OVC title (2019) and two FCS Playoff appearances (2018, 2019). Matukewicz is 45-50 and 34-27 in the OVC as SEMO's head coach.

30 Wins
Since the start of the 2018 season, Southeast Missouri accumulated 30 wins, most in the Ohio Valley Conference during that span. UT Martin is next with 24 victories. Murray State (20), Tennessee State (14), Tennessee Tech (12) and Eastern Illinois (7) round out the league.

NFL Watch
Several NFL teams have visited Cape Girardeau to check out the Redhawks. Twenty teams, including the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers have stopped by practices. Southeast Missouri's players getting looks are Geno Hess (RB), Johnny King (WR), Ryan Flournoy (WR), Shyron Rodgers (OL), Lawrence Johnson (DB), Trai Hodges (DB), LaWilliam Holmes (DL), Jordan Cole (OLB) and Damoriea Vick (WR).    

Redhawks Establish Partnership to Sack Hunger During 2022 Football Season
The Southeast Missouri Department of Athletics is teaming up with the Southeast Missouri Food Bank, Sikeston Jaycees, TAG Truck Center and Ford & Liley Countertops to Sack Hunger this upcoming 2022 football season. For every quarterback sack against opposing teams this year, Sikeston Jaycees, TAG Truck Center and Ford & Liley Countertops will each donate $100 to the Southeast Missouri Food Bank. Every $1 donated to the Southeast Missouri Food Bank provides four meals, which means each Redhawk sack will supply 1,200 meals to families facing hunger in the southeast Missouri region. River Radio, the official radio broadcast partner of SEMO Athletics, will also support the campaign by airing public service announcements during Redhawk football broadcasts throughout the 2022 campaign. Fans who wish to join the Redhawks in the fight against hunger can donate to the Southeast Missouri Food Bank at SEMOFoodBank.org.

Redhawks in Professional Football
Four former Southeast Missouri players are presently on active NFL rosters. Cornerback Mike Ford is with the Atlanta Falcons, wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson is with the New England Patriots, offensive lineman Drew Forbes is with the Detroit Lions and linebacker Mark Robinson is with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Two other former Redhawks are playing in the USFL. Defensive end Aaron Adeyoe is with wthe Birmingham Stallions and defensive tackle Josh Avery is with the Houston Gamblers.

Championship Culture
Southeast Missouri Athletics has reached unprecedented success. Since the start of the 2019 calendar year, Redhawk teams have won a combined 17 Ohio Valley Conference titles, most in the league in that stretch. Nine of SEMO's 10 head coaches have won OVC Coach of the Year honors along the way. In 2020-21, the Redhawks claimed the OVC Commissioner's Cup for the first time ever.