#6 Southeast Missouri (8-1, 5-0 Big South-OVC) vs. Lindenwood (4-6, 3-3 Big South-OVC)
Game Information
Date: Saturday, November 9, 2024
Kickoff: 1 p.m., CT
Location: St. Charles, Mo.
Facility: Hunter Stadium (6,000)
Surface: Field Turf
Series: SEMO leads, 2-0
Last Meeting in St. Charles: SEMO 49, LIN 28 | Oct. 1, 2022
Head Coaches
Southeast Missouri: Tom Matukewicz (63-60 overall; 62-60 at SEMO; 46-30 Big South-OVC)
Lindenwood: Jed Stugart (131-61 overall; 40-37 at LIN; 5-11 Big South-OVC)
Follow the Redhawks
Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: LindenwoodLions.com
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean, Rick Wieser)
Twitter: @SEMOfootball
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)
Game Ball Brawl
• In-state schools #6 Southeast Missouri and Lindenwood meet in the Game Ball Brawl Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., CT at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Mo.
• The rivalry, deemed "Game Ball Brawl," is sponsored by MRV Banks.
• SEMO won the rivalry trophy the first two years the teams faced each other.
• SEMO and Lindenwood are the only Division I schools in Missouri that are conference rivals.
Series Notes
• This year marks the third meeting between Southeast Missouri and Lindenwood, schools located just 174 miles apart.
• SEMO is 2-0 against LU with a 49-28 victory over the Lions in St. Charles (Oct. 1, 2022) and 45-7 win in Cape Girardeau (Sept. 9, 2023).
• The Redhawks averaged 47 points per game in their first two contests of their series against LU.
Eight Wins
• The Redhawks picked up their eighth win of the season when they defeated Gardner-Webb, 30-24, on Oct. 26.
• Southeast Missouri won eight or more games in a season for the fourth time under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz.
• SEMO is one of seven teams in all of NCAA Division I football with eight wins.
• FCS schools North Dakota State (8-1) and Montana State (8-0), and FBS schools Oregon (8-0), Miami (Fla.) (8-0), Indiana (8-0) and BYU (8-0) are the others.
Closing in on 100 Tackles
• Bryce Norman leads Southeast Missouri with 88 tackles through nine starts this season.
• Norman is 12 tackles away from getting 100 in a season for the second time in his career.
• He recorded a career-best 119 tackles in 2022.
• Norman led SEMO in tackles every year he has been in a Redhawk uniform.
• He is tied for first in the Big South-OVC and ranks 10th in the FCS in total tackles. Norman is averaging 9.8 tackles per game and has recorded double-digit stops four times this year.
What a Turnaround
• After finishing the 2023 season last in the Big South-OVC Association in sacks, Southeast Missouri is third in the conference in that category this year.
• SEMO has 21 sacks and is averaging 2.3 per contest.
• The Redhawks are +7 from their 14 sacks in 11 games during the 2023 campaign.
• Nationally, the Redhawks are 34th in the FCS in sacks.
• Nine different SEMO players have recorded a sack this season. Nasim Cairo, Bryce Norman and Jeremy Walton pave the way with four, 3.5 and 3.5, respectively.
Offensive Line Getting it Done
• Southeast Missouri's offensive line has had to battle through an abundance of injuries this season.
• Currently, SEMO is without three starters and has had seven offensive linemen affected by injury through nine games.
• The Redhawks have powered through the adversity ranking second in the Big South-OVC in sacks allowed. SEMO's offensive line allowed just 13 sacks for an average of 1.4 per game.
• This is a big improvement for SEMO's O-line which gave up 34 sacks in 2023.
Redhawks Among Top-10 in National Polls
• Southeast Missouri reached its highest ranking in program history at #6 in the American Football Coaches Association Coaches and Stats Perform Media polls on Oct. 21.
• SEMO stayed at #6 in the polls for the third week in a row.
• On Oct. 30, the Division I Football Championship Committee revealed its in-season top 10 rankings of FCS teams. The Committee ranked SEMO #6 behind #1 North Dakota State, #2 Montana State, #3 South Dakota State, #4 South Dakota and #5 UC Davis.
• The Redhawks are a Top-10 team for the first time in 14 years.
• The #6 ranking surpassed the Redhawks previous #7 ranking in the Stats Perform Media Poll on Nov. 8, 2010.
• It is the eighth-straight week where the Redhawks are ranked in both Top-25 polls.
• The Redhawks initially landed in the Top-25 in both polls on Sept. 16.
• The Redhawks have been ranked a total of 40 weeks in either the AFCA or Stats Perform Top-25 polls under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz.
AFCA Coaches Stats Perform
Sept. 16 #21 Sept. 16 #21
Sept. 23 #14 Sept. 23 #13
Sept. 30 #13 Sept. 30 #13
Oct. 7 #9 Oct. 7 #11
Oct. 14 #8 Oct, 14 #8
Oct. 21 #6 Oct. 21 #6
Oct. 28 #6 Oct. 28 #6
Nov. 4 #6 Nov. 4 #6
DeLaurent One of 13 Finalists for FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award
• Quarterback Paxton DeLaurent is Southeast Missouri's first finalist for the FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.
• DeLaurent is one of 13 finalists up for the award which is celebrating its 10th anniversary season and honors an FCS student-athlete who exemplifies excellence on the field, in the classroom and across the community.
• The values embody the leadership and integrity championed by Doris Robinson, a former schoolteacher and the wife of legendary Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson.
• Each finalist will be profiled on TheAnalyst.com in November before the recipient will be announced on Dec. 10, then honored at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
2024 FedEx Doris Robinson Award Finalists
Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington, WR
James Conway, Fordham, LB
Caleb Curtain, Elon, DB
Paxton DeLaurent, Southeast Missouri, QB
Jewelz-Unique Demps, Texas A&M-Commerce, DB
Mark Gronowski, South Dakota State, QB
Chandler Kirton, Austin Peay, OL
Reuben Lowery III, Chattanooga, DB
Matt Noll, Jackson State, P
Julian Rawlins, Davidson, DL
Ben Sahakian, Cornell, LB
Dan Toatley, Central Connecticut, DL
Juan Velarde, North Carolina Central, P
DeLaurent Moves into Top 10 on OVC Lists
• Paxton DeLaurent moved into the Top-10 on several careerOhio Valley Conference lists following his performance against Gardner-Webb (Oct. 26).
• DeLaurent (7,587) is tied for 10th with Zerrick Cooper (JSU, 2018-20, 8,260) in total offense; 10th in passing yards (7,587), tied for 10th in passing touchdowns (53) with Jarod Neal (UTM, 2012-15); ninth in completions (621); and sixth in passing attempts (1,001).
• With his 2,738 passing yards and 23 passing touchdowns, DeLaurent is close to cracking the OVC's Top-10 single-season lists in those categories.
• Five players are tied for eighth with 28 passing touchdowns, most recently by Bryant's Zevi Eckhaus (2023).
• Two players in Murray State's Casey Brockman and UT Martin's Derek Carr are tied for ninth in single-season passing yards with 3,276.
Seven-Game Winning Streak
• The Redhawks carry a seven-game winning streak into this weekend's matchup at Lindenwood.
• That stretch started with a 45-42 double overtime victory over Big South-OVC preseason favorite UT Martin on Sept. 7.
• SEMO followed that up with a 38-21 road win at #7 Southern Illinois (Sept. 21), 19-0 home victory over Northwestern State (Sept. 28), 38-27 road win at Eastern Illinois (Oct. 5), 34-3 home win over Tennessee Tech (Oct. 12), 26-13 road victory at Charleston Southern (Oct. 19) and 30-24 home win over Gardner-Webb (Oct. 26).
• The seven-game winning streak is the longest under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz.
• It is also SEMO's longest winning streak since it nine in a row in 2010.
• SEMO, UC Davis (7 games), North Dakota State (8 games) and Montana State (8 games) are the only FCS schools on seven or more game winning streaks this season.
Big South-OVC Play
• The Redhawks are in Big South-OVC play for the rest of the season.
• Southeast Missouri is in sole possession of first place in the standings with a 5-0 mark.
• SEMO beat both teams (UT Martin, Eastern Illinois) ahead of the Redhawks in this year's Big South-OVC Preseason Poll.
• The Redhawks took down Big South-OVC preseason favorite UT Martin, 45-42, in double overtime on Sept. 7, defeated Eastern Illinois (Oct. 5), 38-27, on the road, beat Tennessee Tech (Oct. 12), 34-3, took down Charleston Southern (Oct. 19), 26-13, and beat Gardner-Webb (Oct. 26), 30-24, for their conference wins.
• SEMO (5-0) and UT Martin (4-1) occupy the top two spots in the standings.
• The Redhawks are trying to go undefeated in Big South-OVC playe for the second time in program history.
Record Smasher
• Paxton DeLaurent broke his fifth Southeast Missouri career record this season.
• DeLaurent had 313 total yards against Gardner-Webb (Oct. 26) to break his program's career record in total offense. His 7,583 yards surpassed Matt Scheible's previous mark of 7,436 from 2008-11.
• DeLaurent also became the school's all-time career leader in passing yardage, passing touchdowns, pass attempts and completions this year.
• He has thrown for 7,210 yards and 53 touchdowns, and completed 621 passes in his career.
• DeLaurent moved by Jason Liley (6,179, 1989-92) for the passing yardage record, Daniel Santacaterina (46, 2018-19) for the passing touchdowns mark and Liley (530) for the pass completions record.
• He is only the second quarterback in program history to throw for over 6,000 yards.
• DeLaurent has thrown a touchdown pass in all nine of his starts this season.
• He threw multiple touchdown passes in five games.
DeLaurent Clears 2,000 Passing Yards
• Paxton DeLaurent went over 2,000 passing yards this season when he threw for a career-high 418 against Tennessee Tech (Oct. 12).
• He leads the Big South-OVC and FCS with 2,738 passing yards.
• DeLaurent is one of six FCS quarterbacks with over 2,500 passing yards.
• Monmouth's Derek Robinson (2,579), Abilene Christian's Maverick McIvor (2,552), Western Carolina's Cole Gonzales (2,543), Missouri State's Jacob Clark (2,527) and UC Davis' Miles Hastings (2,515) are the others.
• DeLaurent surpassed 2,000 passing yards in a season for the second time in his career.
• He has thrown for over 300 yards in four-straight starts.
Let's Get Nine
• With a win over Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri will tie its program record of nine victories in a season.
• SEMO posted nine wins in a season six times going 9-0 in 1937, 9-0 in 1955, 9-3 in 2022, 9-3 in 2010, 9-4 in 2018 and 9-4 in 2019.
ª The Redhawks are in position to give Tom Matukewicz his third nine-win season as a head coach.
Ruble Rumbles
• Fourth string running back Cole Ruble ran for a career-high 122 yards and a touchdown, and caught two passes for 66 yards out of the backfield against Gardner-Webb (Oct. 26).
• Ruble carried the ball 16 times and averaged 7.6 yards per rush.
• He ripped off a 65-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14-14 with 12:31 remaining in the second quarter.
• Ruble's 65-yard run is the longest by any Redhawk this season.
• He became the second player on the team to rush for over 100 yards.
• Ruble is SEMO's second-leading rusher with 217 yards and two touchdowns on 45 attempts.
• As a team, SEMO hadn't rushed for more than 80 yards in three-straight games before Ruble's burst.
Riddick Leads Big South-OVC in Punt Returns
• Khalani Riddick leads the Big South-OVC and ranks 17th in the FCS in punt returns.
• Riddick returned 19 punts for 204 yards averaging 10.7 yards per return through nine games.
• His 204 punt return yards rate 10th among Southeast Missouri's all-time single-season leaders in that category.
Big South-OVC Update
• At 8-1 overall, Big South-OVC leader Southeast Missouri has the best record of any team in the league this season.
• The Redhawks are the only undefeated team in Big South-OVC play with their 5-0 mark.
• UT Martin (4-1) is the only team behind SEMO with one conference loss.
• SEMO (7 games) and UTM (5 games) are on winning streaks of five or more games.
Defense Brings It
• Southeast Missouri leads the Big South-OVC in total defense (305.1 ypg allowed), scoring defense (18.7 ppg allowed), pass efficiency defense (115.5 rating), opponent fourth-down conversions (36 pct.), and red zone defense (67.8 pct.).
• SEMO forced six turnovers inside the red zone and stopped opponents on fourth down 14 times this year.
• The Redhawks have given up 21 touchdowns through nine games for an average of 2.3 per contest.
• SEMO also pitched a shutout and held opponents under 20 points four times in 2024.
• Nationally, the Redhawks rank 10th in the FCS red zone defense, 15th in total defense, 13th in scoring defense, 12th in rushing defense and 22nd in opponent fourth-down conversion percentage.
• The Redhawks did not allow a touchdown in two of their last three home games.
Anderson Excels
• Dorian Anderson went over 100 receiving four times this season.
• Anderson had 109 yards and a touchdown on seven catches at Eastern Illinois (Oct. 5).
• He also finished with 115 yards at New Mexico State (Aug. 31), a career-high 127 yards vs. UT Martin (Sept. 7) and 111 yards at Southern Illinois (Sept. 21).
• He is Southeast Missouri's top receiver with 51 receptions for 720 yards and eight touchdowns through nine starts.
• Anderson is second in the Big South-OVC in receiving yards (720) and receptions (51), and fourth in receiving yards per game (80 ypg).
• He is fourth in the FCS in receiving touchdowns, eighth in receiving yards, 14th in receiving yards per game and 16th in receptions per game.
• Anderson caught a touchdown pass in six of his last eight games.
Three-Headed Monster
• Southeast Missouri has the top three receivers in the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Association in receptions and receptions per game.
• Tristan Smith (6.5), Cam Pedro (6.4) and Dorian Anderson (5.6) lead the league in receptions per game and Pedro (58), Anderson (51) and Smith (46) are the top three in receptions.
• Pedro, Anderson and Smith have combined for 15 receiving touchdowns, 1,877 receiving yards and eight 100-yard receiving games this season.
Offense Produces
• Southeast Missouri leads the Big South-OVC in total offensive plays (675), touchdowns scored (32), total offense (409.8 ppg), points scored kicking (283), passing offense (315.3 ypg), pass attempts (426), pass completions (262) and passing touchdowns (23).
• Nationally, SEMO is sixth in the FCS in passing offense, 26th in scoring offense, 27th in total offense, 18th in red zone offense, 21st in third-down conversion percentage (56.4 pct.) and second in fourth-down conversion percentage (91 pct.).
• Nine different Redhawks have scored a touchdown through nine games this season, including Payton Brown (4), Carter Hensley (1), Dorian Anderson (8), Cam Pedro (3), Tristan Smith (5), Mitchell Sellers (6), Kyron Downing (2), Cole Ruble (2) and Paxton DeLaurent (1).
About Lindenwood
• Lindenwood, picked to finish eighth in the Big South-OVC this season, dropped to fifth in the standings following a 52-10 loss to Tennessee Tech.
• Lindenwood is 4-6 overall and 3-3 in Big South-OVC action.
• The recent 42-point loss to TTU was the is the Lions' largest this season.
• The Lions have the top rushing offense in the conference averaging 181.6 yards per game.
• Individually, Jeff Caldwell is the top receiver in the Big South-OVC with 83.4 yards per game and 21.4 yards per catch. He leads the conference with nine receiving touchdowns, as well.
• Defensively, Vincent King leads the Big South-OVC with 95 total tackles.
