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#13 Redhawks Host #15 Southern Illinois in War for the Wheel Saturday

#15 Southern Illinois (2-0) at #13 Southeast Missouri (1-1)

Game Information

Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023
Kickoff: 6 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Houck Field (8,000)
Surface: Field Turf
Series: SEMO leads, 43-39-8
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (52-53 Overall; 51-53 at SEMO; 39-27 Big South-OVC). Nick Hill (38-43 Overall; 38-43 at SIU; 22-32 MVFC).

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) 

War for the Wheel
Longtime rivals #13 Southeast Missouri (1-1) and #15 Southern Illinois (2-0) hook up for their annual "War for the Wheel" matchup during Family Weekend Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6 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. Video can be accessed online at ESPN+. Live stats are available at SEMORedhawks.com and Twitter updates will be provided @SEMOFootball.

Series History
This year marks the 91st meeting between Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, schools separated 48 miles apart. SEMO holds a 43-39-8 lead in the all-time series which dates all the way back to 1909. It is the longest series for both schools.

More on the Rivalry
In 2018, the football rivalry between the Redhawks and Salukis was officially deemed "War for the Wheel." It was named this in reference to the ship's wheel trophy which goes to the winner. During the early years of the series, Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois used to cross the Mississippi River by boat to play. The wheel currently resides in Cape Girardeau after SEMO took down the Salukis, 34-31, in Carbondale a year ago.

Top-20 Teams Go Head-to-Head
#13 Southeast Missouri and #15 Southern Illinois square off in a battle of Top-15 teams. SEMO and SIU have their highest rankings entering Saturday's matchup in the 90-game history between the schools. The Redhawks and Salukis met only one other time as ranked teams and that was on Oct. 30, 2020. SEMO was #25 and SIU was #24 that season.

Matukewicz vs. Southern Illinois
Tom Matukewicz is 4-5 all-time against Southern Illinois, the school he worked as an assistant coach from 2001-07. Three of Matukewicz's four wins over SIU came in the final 25 seconds of the game. Damoriea Vick caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Paxton DeLaurent with 11 seconds remaining to give the Redhawks a 34-31 win on Sept. 10, 2022.

Tuke vs. Hill
Eighth-year Southern Illinois Head Coach Nick Hill was the starting quarterback when Tom Matukewicz was an assistant coach on Jerry Kill's staff at SIU. Hill played for the Salukis from 2005-07. All three teams Hill was a part of made the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. Matukewicz's Redhawks and Hill's Salukis have met on seven occasions. Hill holds a slight 4-3 advantage in those matchups.

Another Brickyard Game
Southeast Missouri faces a ranked opponent for the second time in three games this season when #24 Southern Illinois cames to Cape Girardeau this weekend. SEMO opened its 2023 campaign with a 45-0 loss at #16 Kansas State (Sept. 2). Each time SEMO upends a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) or ranked Football Championship Subdivision opponent, those victories are laid to rest in the Brickyard. The Brickyard resides in SEMO's locker room. The Redhawks have a total of 12 Brickyard wins, eight of which have come under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz.

Vs. Ranked FCS Opponents
The Redhawks are 10-31 against ranked Football Championship Subdivision opponents since 2004. The Redhawks last beat a ranked FCS team with a 34-31 victory at #17 Southern Illinois on Sept. 10, 2022.

Against the Missouri Valley
Southern Illinois is one of two Missouri Valley Football Conference schools Southeast Missouri has a winning record against. SEMO is 43-39-8 against the Salukis and 1-0 vs. Western Illinois (now in the Ohio Valley Conference). The Redhawks have faced six MVFC teams in their football history and are a combined 80-99-8 in those 187 matchups. vs. Illinois State 3-8
vs. Indiana State 4-5
vs. Missouri State 28-46
vs. Northern Iowa 1-1
vs. Southern Illinois 43-39-8
vs. Western Illinois 1-0

Redhawks Get First Win
The Redhawks picked up their first win of the season in dominating fashion with a 45-7 victory over Lindenwood (Sept. 9). Southeast Missouri led, 38-0, at halftime in the blowout home-opening win. SEMO is now 2-0 against the Lions.

Hess Goes Over 100 Yards
Geno Hess surpassed 100 rushing yards for the first time this season when he gained 115 and scored two touchdowns on 20 carries against Lindenwood (Sept. 9). It was the 18th 100-yard game of Hess' career.

DeLaurent Starts Strong
Paxton DeLaurent threw his first 71 passes without an interception this season. Most recently, DeLaurent completed 27-of-35 passes for 267 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in Southeast Missouri's win over Lindenwood (Sept. 9). He also ran for 44 yards on six carries. DeLaurent threw touchdown passes of two, 28 and seven yards, respectively, and completed passes to eight different receivers.

Pickens III Scores First Defensive Touchdown
Henry Pickens III returned his first career interception 72 yards for a touchdown late in the first half against Lindenwood (Sept. 9). Pickens III scored Southeast Missouri's first defensive touchdown of the season on his return which ranks as the fourth-longest interception return for a touchdown in program history.

Turnover Time
Southeast Missouri won the turnover battle in each of its first two games this season. SEMO has four interceptions for a +4 turnover margin thus far. The Redhawks lead the Big South-OVC Association and rank fifth in the Football Championship Subdivision in that category.

Family Weekend Games
Southern Illinois visits Southeast Missouri during its Family Weekend Saturday. SEMO is 7-1 on Family Weekend with Tom Matukewicz as its head coach. The Redhawks have won four-straight Family Weekend games.

DeLaurent Second in FCS in Completions Per Game
Paxton DeLaurent ranks second in the Football Championship Subdivision in completions per game. DeLaurent is completing 25.5 passes per contest through two starts this year. He is also 11th nationally in completion percentage (71.8 pct.).

First 100-Yard Game for Vick
Damoriea Vick went over 100 receiving yards for the first time as a Redhawk when he made 10 catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns vs. Lindenwood (Sept. 9). Vick scored on touchdown passes of 28 and seven yards, respectively. He now has six receiving touchdowns in his two-year tenure at Southeast Missouri.

Taylor Does it Again
Antonio Taylor recorded an interception for the second-straight game against Lindenwood (Sept. 9). Taylor leads the Redhawks with two picks so far. As a team, Southeast Missouri is tied for first in the Big South-OVC Association with four interceptions. SEMO also leads the Association with 114 interception return Missouri's first defensive touchdown of the season on his return which ranks as the fourth-longest interception return for a touchdown in program history.

Open for Business
Southeast Missouri celebrated the grand opening of the first phase of SEMO's new Houck Project vs. Lindenwood (Sept. 9). Phase One includes demolition of the original south grandstand structure and construction of a new south sideline, construction and replacement of the south sideline and grandstand of Houck Field as well as new seating, turf replacement, concession stands, restrooms, ADA access and associated HVAC, mechanical and other systems work. Houck Field has served as the home of Redhawk Football for 93 years. SEMO drew a crowd of 7,044 against Lindenwood.

Home Openers
With their 45-7 win over Lindenwood (Sept. 9), the Redhawks improved to 6-4 in home openers under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz. Southeast Missouri is now 20-13 all-time in home-openers during its NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision tenure.

Conference Openers
The Redhawks gave Head Coach Tom Matukewicz his eighth win in a conference opener when they smashed Lindenwood, 45-7, on Sept. 9. Southeast Missouri moved to 8-2 in conference openers under Matukewicz. SEMO is also 13-19 all-time in Big South-OVC Association openers.

38 and Counting
Tom Matukewicz is 39-27 in Ohio Valley Conference games during his career as the Redhawks head coach. Matukewicz's 39 conference wins are most of any head coach in program history.

Redhawks in the Top-25
Southeast Missouri has been ranked a total of 30 weeks in either the FCS Stats Perform Media or American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coaches Top-25 Polls under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz. SEMO began 2023 with a preseason ranking of #11 in the Coaches and #12 in the Media polls, respectively.

AFCA Coaches
8/14 #11
9/4 #16
9/11 #15

Stats Perform
8/7 #12
9/4 #14
9/11 #13

All Aboard the Hess Express
Geno Hess is 927 yards away from breaking the Ohio Valley Conference all-time career rushing record. Hess is Southeast Missouri's all-time leading rusher with 4,223 yards. Eastern Kentucky's Markus Thomas presently holds the record with 5,149 yards from 1989-92. Hess also owns SEMO career records in rushing attempts (719), rushing touchdowns (55), most 100-yard games (18), most 200-yard games (4), points scored (342) and total touchdowns (57). He is the OVC's all time leading scorer, as well.

Year 10 for Matukewicz
Tom Matukewicz, a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year, is in his 10th season as Southeast Missouri's head coach. Matukewicz has 51 total wins and 39 OVC victories, most of any head coach during the Redhawks NCAA Division I era. He also guided SEMO to a program record two OVC titles (2019, 2022), three NCAA FCS Playoff appearances (2018, 2019, 2022) and eight wins over ranked FCS opponents.

36 Wins
Since the start of the 2018 season, Southeast Missouri accumulated 36 wins, most in the Ohio Valley Conference during that span.



 

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Players Mentioned

Geno Hess

#6 Geno Hess

RB
5' 8"
Senior
Antonio Taylor

#29 Antonio Taylor

DB
5' 11"
Sophomore
Paxton DeLaurent

#10 Paxton DeLaurent

QB
6' 5"
Sophomore
Henry Pickens III

#23 Henry Pickens III

DB
6' 1"
Freshman
Damoriea Vick

#16 Damoriea Vick

WR
6' 3"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Geno Hess

#6 Geno Hess

5' 8"
Senior
RB
Antonio Taylor

#29 Antonio Taylor

5' 11"
Sophomore
DB
Paxton DeLaurent

#10 Paxton DeLaurent

6' 5"
Sophomore
QB
Henry Pickens III

#23 Henry Pickens III

6' 1"
Freshman
DB
Damoriea Vick

#16 Damoriea Vick

6' 3"
Junior
WR