Southeast Missouri State University
Western Illinois
OVC Leaders Southeast Missouri and Western Illinois Meet on Homecoming Saturday
10/12/2026 9:30:00 AM | Football
Game Information
Date:Â Saturday, October 17, 2026
Kickoff:Â 2 p.m., CT
Site:Â Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility:Â Houck Field (8,000)
Surface:Â FieldTurf
Series Record:Â SEMO leads, 3-0
Last Meeting:Â SEMO 22, WIU 17 | 11/15/25 | Macomb, Ill.
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Homecoming at SEMO
•   Southeast Missouri (3-3, 1-0) hosts Western Illinois (3-3, 1-0) during its Homecoming weekend Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m., CT at Houck Field.
•   SEMO plays at home for the third time this season. The Redhawks are 1-1 at Houck Field.
•   Saturday marks the Redhawks first afternoon game in Cape Girardeau.Â
•   SEMO's final three home games will all be afternoon contests.Â
•   The Redhawks host Gardner-Webb (Oct. 31, 1 p.m.) and UT Martin (Nov. 21, 1 p.m.) in those other matchups.
Series Tidbits
•   The Redhawks are 3-0 all-time against Western Illinois.
•   WIU officially joined the Ohio Valley Conference on July 1, 2023.
•   SEMO is 2-0 vs. the Leathernecks at Houck Field and 1-0 in Macomb.
•   The Redhawks beat WIU, 22-17, in the last matchup between the teams on Nov. 15, 2025. That game was in Macomb, Illinois.
Homecoming Games
•   Southeast Missouri is 19-15 in Homecoming games since joining the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
•   SEMO holds an 8-3 record in such games under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz.
•   The Redhawks went 7-1 in their previous eight Homecoming contests.
•   This year marks the first time Western Illinois visits Cape Girardeau for SEMO's Homecoming.
Matukewicz Gets 70th Win
•   Tom Matukewicz, the third-longest tenured head coach in Southeast Missouri football history, picked up his 70th career win with a 38-27 victory at Lindenwood (Oct. 10).
•   Matukewicz, who is in his 13th year, has led SEMO to program records in Ohio Valley Conference championships (3), NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoff    appearances (4), nine-win seasons (4), victories over ranked FCS opponents (9) and OVC wins (51).
•   He is 70-74 overall and 51-37 in the OVC with the most overall and league victories of any head coach in the school's Division I era.
•   Matukewicz's 13-year tenure ranks behind Kenneth Knox (16 years, 1952-67), Abe Stuber (15 years, 1932-46) and J.F. Corleux (15 years, 1915-29).
•   His career record stands at 71-74 and includes one win while he was interim head coach at Northern Illinois in 2010.
Showdown in Cape
•   Southeast Missouri and Western Illinois are in a four-way tie for first in the Ohio Valley Conference with identical 3-3 overall records and 1-0 league marks.
•   SEMO, WIU, Eastern Illinois and UT Martin are 1-0 in conference action thus far.Â
•   WIU leads the OVC in rushing defense (102 ypg allowed), rushing offense (183.7 ypg), sacks allowed (1.3 spg), scoring offense (31.8 ppg), total defense (257.3 ypg allowed) and total offense (432.3 ypg).Â
OVC Opening Win
•   The Redhawks opened Ohio Valley Conference play with a 38-27 road victory over Lindenwood (Oct. 10) in the annual Game Ball Brawl rivalry game.
•   Southeast Missouri improved to 16-20 all-time in OVC openers.
•   SEMO is now 11-2 in such games with Tom Matukewicz as its head coach.
•   The Redhawks are in their 36th season as a member of the OVC.
•   SEMO beat Lindenwood a week after its bye and ran its record to 8-4 in games after its bye week under Matukewicz.
•   The Redhawks posted a victory following their bye week in three-straight seasons.
Anthony, Jr. Ties Single Game Record in Receiving Touchdowns
•   John Anthony, Jr. tied Southeast Missouri's single-game record with three receiving touchdowns at Lindenwood (Oct. 10).
•   Anthony, Jr. caught four passes for 82 yards and scored on receptions of 19, 29 and 23 yards, respectively.
•   Prior to joining the Redhawks in 2026, Anthony, Jr. spent four years at Lindenwood.
•   He became the fifth different SEMO receiver in program history with three receiving touchdowns in a game.
•   Mitchell Sellers was the last to accomplish the feat when he had three touchdown receptions vs. UT Martin on Sept. 7, 2024.
Ruble Returns in the Backfield
•   Cole Ruble was at running back for the second time this season at Lindenwood (Oct. 10).
•   Ruble ran for 48 yards on 15 carries, averaging 3.2 yards per rush.
•   He gained 15 yards on his first carry of the game in the second quarter.
Season-Highs
•   Southeast Missouri established new season-highs in points scored (38), first downs (32), rushing yards (215) and total yards (423) during its best offensive performance at Lindenwood (Oct. 10).
•   SEMO scored on six of its 10 possessions against the Lions.
•   Four of those scoring drives covered 75 or more yards.
Leading at the Half
•   The Redhawks led at halftime for the fourth time this season when Khyair Spain scored on a 4-yard run to with 27 seconds left in the second quarter at Lindenwood (Oct. 10).
•   Spain's touchdown gave Southeast Missouri a 21-14 advantage at halftime and the Redhawks never trailed again after that.
•   SEMO has led at the half each of its last three games and is 3-1 when it is ahead at halfime this year.
Ragland Strong in First Career OVC Start
•   In his first career Ohio Valley Conference start at Lindenwood (Oct. 10), quarterback Braylen Ragland threw for 208 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another.
•   Ragland completed 17-of-23 passes (73.9 pct.) and did not throw an interception.Â
•   He threw touchdown passes of 19, 29 and 23 yards and ran for a 1-yard TD. It was Ragland's first rushing touchdown of the season.
Nice Adjustment
•   Southeast Missouri's defense allowed 189 rushing yards in the first half at Lindenwood (Oct. 10).
•   The second half, however, was a different story with the Redhawks giving up only nine yards on the ground.
•   SEMO allowed just one yard per carry in the final two quarters of play.
Western Illinois Ties
•   Third-year Southeast Missouri defensive secondary/safeties coach Todd Drury was Western Illinois' defensive coordinator in 2023.
•   Drury was also head coach at Missouri S&T (2019-22) in his career.
•   He graduate from Evangel University, where he played collegiately and held various coaching roles.
Top-Two in the OVC
•   Southeast Missouri is ranked among the top two teams in the Ohio Valley Conference in several team and individual categories.
Team Categories
1st in net punting (42.2 ypp)
1st in rush attempts (241)
1st in field goals attempted (16)
1st in kickoff returns (28.8 ypr)
1st in kickoff coverage (41.7 net avg.)
1st in field goals made (10)
1st in 4th down conv. (75 pct.)
1st in opponent 4th down conv. (28.5 pct.)
2nd in kick return TDs (1)
2nd in interceptions (6)
2nd in rushing defense (124.2 ypg allowed)
2nd in interception return yards (110)
2nd in pass efficiency (124.9)
2nd in passing yards (212 ypg)
2nd in PAT kicking percentage (1.000)
2nd in punt return yards (162)
Individual Categories
Braylen Ragland (2nd in completions, 113; 2nd in pass efficiency, 124.9)
Justin Keller (2nd in scoring, 45 pts., 2nd in scoring kick, 7.5 ppg; 1st in field goals, 10; 1st in PAT kicking percentage, 1.000)
Teagan Cobb (2nd in punting, 44 ypp)
Khylen Harris-Norman (1st in kick return  average, 34.1 ypr)
Adrian Patterson (1st in passes defended, 9)
John Anthony, Jr. (1st in yards per catch, 18.9;Â 1st in total offense average per play, 19.3; t1st in receiving TDs, 5)
David Jones (t1st in fumbles forced, 2;Â t1st in interceptions, 3)
Top 10 in the FCS
•   Southeast Missouri is ranked among the top 10 teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in the following.
Team Categories
5th in net punting (42.2 ypp)
9th in kickoff returns (28.8 ypr)
9th in team tackles for loss (7.2 per game)
Individual Categories
Justin Keller (7th in field goals made per game, 1.6)
David Jones (9th in interceptions per game, .50)Â
Khylen Harris-Norman (3rd in kick return TDs, 1; 6th in kick returns, 33.9 ypr)
Adrian Patterson (7th in passes defended, 1.5 per game)
Jobe Bryant (9th in punt returns, 14.7 ypr)
Keller Among Top-10 in Field Goals
•   Justin Keller is 23-of-33 (69.6 pct.) in field goals during his career.
•   Keller is currently ninth among Southeast Missouri's all-time career field goal leaders.Â
•   So far this season, Keller made 10-of-16 field goals. He leads the Ohio Valley Conference and ranks seventh in the FCS with 1.6 field goals per game.
PAT Streak
•   Justin Keller has not missed an extra point in his career.
•   Keller has made 48-consecutive PATs in his 48 attempts.
•   He scored 117 points and leads the Redhawks with 45 this season.
About Western Illinois
•   Western Illinois returns to action after being idle on Oct. 10.
•   WIU won two of its last three games with home victories over Morehead State (59-2, Sept. 19) and Tennessee State (28-21, Oct. 3).
•   The Leathernecks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring offense (31.8 ppg), total defense (284.6 ypg allowed), touchdowns (23), total offense (432.3 ypg), points scored kicking (191), rushing offense (183.6 ypg), rushing defense (102.8 ypg allowed), pass efficiency (141.1 rating), punt returns (10.9 ypr), interceptions (7) and turnover margin (+6).
•   Kennedy McGill tops the OVC in rushing with 497 yards and five touchdowns on 103 carries. McGill is first in the league in total offense (287.3 ypg) and pass efficiency (143.4 rating), as well. He was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 5.
•   Defensively, Nick Reinicke is tied for second in the OVC with 45 tackles. Reinicke also has eight tackles for loss and two sacks this season.Â
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