Southeast Football

For a few seconds, everyone at Houck Field watched with bated breath and the game hanging in the balance. Then the referees signaled touchdown, and the Southeast Missouri State football team, and the over 6,000 fans in attendance, exploded in celebration...

The Southeast Missouri State football team was sputtering on offense, but Jerrick Orr didn't panic. Yes, the junior wide receiver had just one catch at halftime and the Redhawks had yet to score a touchdown. But he was confident they would turn it around...

A lot can change in five weeks. When the Southeast Missouri State football team last played a home game, it was coming off an opening-game loss and there were questions surrounding quarterback Daniel Santacaterina's health. The junior signal-caller never missed a game, and now, over a month later the Redhawks return home with a winning record thanks to their first win at Tennessee Tech in 15 years...

When Tom Matukewicz took over the Southeast Missouri State football program following the 2013 season, he brought along several mantras. "Brick by brick" was perhaps the most famous one, but there were others, such as "Sign Off." It translates to giving your best effort each play...

Facing a winless team, the Southeast Missouri State football team wanted to get off to a fast start. The Redhawks did exactly that, scoring a touchdown on the opening possession and taking a 14-point lead within the first five minutes. SEMO didn't let up, either. With nearly nine minutes to go until halftime, SEMO had scored an offensive, defensive and special teams touchdown and led by 32 points...

Tennessee Tech football is winless five games into the season, but Southeast Missouri State coach Tom Matukewicz doesn't expect the Golden Eagles to roll over. TTU showed fight late last week, scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter of a 14-point defeat to Eastern Illinois. ...

Through three games, the Southeast Missouri State football team had excelled in the turnover department, with a plus-eight margin tied for first in the nation. That changed Saturday as five turnovers led to a 23-14 loss to Eastern Kentucky in Richmond, Kentucky, in the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both teams. Quarterback Daniel Santacaterina threw four interceptions, after tossing just one in the first three games, and a late muffed punt led to an EKU game-clinching field goal...

Coming off a historic win over a rival, Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz isn't ready to rest on laurels. After all, the real test is just beginning. Yes, the Redhawks sit at 2-1 thanks to a thrilling win over Southern Illinois, a victory that brought home a trophy in the form of a wheel. That was all a prelude to conference play, though...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Following a thrilling win over rival Southern Illinois on Saturday, Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz had a message for the Redhawk faithful. When asked about star running back Marquis Terry and his career night minutes after the 48-44 win, the fifth-year headman kept his answer short and sweet...

A day after being named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week, Southeast Missouri State running back Marquis Terry earned another accolade: STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Week. Terry broke SEMO and OVC single-game rushing records with 311 yards in SEMO's 48-44 win over Southern Illinois on Saturday. ...

CARBONDALE, Ill. — When the desperation heave hit the ground, the celebration began. The Southeast Missouri State football rushed the field, yelling and screaming. Cornerback Taj Jenkins discarded his helmet, raised his right index finger and sprinted from the end zone to Southern Illinois' 30-yard line with a smile plastered across his face...

The rivalry between Southeast Missouri State football and Southern Illinois dates back more than 100 years, but Saturday, something new will be at stake. It's the 86th meeting between the two programs separated by just 45 miles, and the first edition of the "War for the Wheel." Last month, the rivalry between the two teams was given that name. The winner each year will get a trophy of sorts -- an authentic ship's wheel -- that can be displayed around campus or even the town...

Marquis Terry struggled to keep his shoes on Saturday. That was about the only thing that could stop him. The Southeast Missouri State football senior had a cleat come off three times during a 40-21 win over Dayton, forcing him off the field. When he was wasn't on the sidelines, Terry was leading the Redhawks' rushing attack with 202 yards on 16 carries. That included a late 95-yard touchdown run that sealed the win in the home opener...

A day after the Southeast Missouri State football team earned its first win of the season, it received a bevy of weekly accolades from the Ohio Valley Conference. Quarterback Daniel Santacaterina was named OVC Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week, and kicker Nicholas Litang was tabbed OVC Co-Specialist Player of the Week, the league announced Sunday...

Throughout the offseason, Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz harped on the importance of finishing strong and winning close ball games after the Redhawks lost five games by a combined 17 points in 2017. That focus was evident in SEMO's home opener Saturday as the hosts out-scored Dayton by 13 points in the fourth quarter, pulling away for a 40-21 win over the Flyers at Houck Field...

After days of waiting and wondering, Southeast Missouri State football fans got the answer they wanted Friday morning: Daniel Santacaterina was cleared to play in the home opener. The SEMO starting quarterback was carted off the field after taking a hit to the head area late in the second quarter of the season opener last week, but returned to the sideline in the fourth quarter. Now, he will make his debut at Houck Field against Dayton at 1 p.m. Saturday...

First came the announcement Sunday that Zach Hall was the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the week. Then, on Monday, STATS honored the junior linebacker with the title of National Defensive Player of the week. Both honors come on the heels of a 22-tackle performance in SEMO's season-opening 48-21 road loss to Arkansas State...

JONESBORO, Ark. — Daniel Santacaterina saw open field ahead and took off. With about two minutes left in the first half, the Southeast Missouri State football team was down seven points and its starting quarterback saw a chance to get a first down with his legs...

JONESBORO, Ark. — For 30 minutes, Southeast Missouri State football had stood toe-to-toe with Arkansas State. The Redhawks entered halftime down by just seven points with the chance to pull off a major upset and secure their first-ever season-opening win over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent...

The Southeast Missouri State football team taking the field Saturday for its season opener will look markedly different from last year's squad. There are new faces scattered across the field, and a new offensive system in place under the watch of a first-year offensive coordinator. ...

After another solid season under defensive coordinator Bryce Saia, the Southeast Missouri State football team hopes a mix of returning starters and fresh faces will keep the defense among the best in the league despite the loss of several key players...

Every night, before he closes his eyes and lays down to sleep, Al Young has a discussion with God. There was a time when those conversations may have consisted mostly of questions. Nowadays, though, Young has a message. "I talk to him every night before I go to sleep, just to let him know this is going to be the year."...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team announced Wednesday its 31-game schedule for the upcoming season. SEMO's 2018-19 slate will include 14 home games and non-conference matchups against in-state foe Saint Louis and ACC member Florida State...

The Southeast Missouri State football team struggled, again, to score last season, finishing sixth in the nine-team Ohio Valley conference in points per game. It didn't fare much better in total offense, coming in fifth with just over 300 yards per game...

Marquis Terry isn't shy. He wants you to know that. But he doesn't dispute what his coaches and teammates say. It's true. If he doesn't know you, the Southeast Missouri State running back won't open up to you. The first time he spoke to assistant football coach Ghaali Muhammad-Lankford, Terry said about two or three words. ...

Southeast Missouri State athletics fans will soon be able to find streaming broadcasts of Redhawks games on a new platform, as the university and Ohio Valley Conference announced Monday a media rights agreement that will see ESPN+ feature a minimum of 600 OVC events during the 2018-19 school year...

With the season opener two weeks away, the Southeast Missouri State football team ended the quarterback battle Saturday and announced Daniel Santacaterina as the starter less than an hour after fall camp concluded with a scrimmage. Santacaterina impressed in the intrasquad tune-up, unofficially completing 9 of 17 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown and working around a couple of drops by his receiving corps...

And on the seventh day, they rested. Midway through fall camp and with a week of practices under their belt, the Southeast Missouri State football team stepped away from the field this weekend. Following the cancellation of a planned intrasquad scrimmage Saturday in an attempt to allow players to heal up bumps and bruises, the Redhawks took to the Show Me Center on Sunday for media day, wrapping up two days without snapping a football as the team enters its final week of the preseason and the stretch leading up to its Sept. ...

It has been an offseason of change for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team, but the Redhawks' roster for the 2018-19 season was filled out with Friday's announcement of the signing of Durham, North Carolina, product Jordan Love. A 6-foot-5 combo guard, Love averaged 20 points, 2.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds and two steals a game as a senior at Voyager Academy. ...

Only so much can be gleamed from watching players practice in helmets and shoulder pads. Football is, after all, a contact sport. Tuesday, Southeast Missouri State coach Tom Matukewicz got a chance to see his players perform under game-like circumstances as the Redhawks held their first fall practice in full pads at Houck Field. With the season opener less than a month away, his first impressions were positive...

Football has become a year-round endeavor, but for those who love it, there's just something special about the first day of fall camp. Southeast Missouri State held its first fall football practice Friday morning at the Rosengarten Athletic Complex, and coach Tom Matukewicz had some extra pep in his step as he patrolled the practice fields on what is a kind of personal holiday...

After three years as a Southeast Missouri State men's basketball assistant coach, Adam Gordon was elevated to associate head coach Wednesday. Gordon has worked under SEMO head coach Rick Ray for the past six years, including three seasons as director of operations when Ray coached at Mississippi State...

Southeast Missouri State football senior Marquis Terry added another preseason accolade to his resume Tuesday. The running back was named to the 2018 STATS Football Championship Subdivision Preseason All-American Team, one of six Ohio Valley Conference players to receive that recognition. Terry was a third-team selection...

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz knows where his team needs to improve. After watching the Redhawks lose five one-possession games last year, partly due to an offense that ranked in the bottom half of the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring and total offense, Matukewicz brought in a new offensive coordinator...

Southeast Missouri State football senior running back Marquis Terry was named a Preseason Football Championship Subdivision All-American by Lindy's Sports, which recently released its annual college football magazine. Terry was honored as a second-team selection and the magazine's pick for Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year...

It took three days and 248 names called, but Southeast Missouri State outside linebacker Kendall Donnerson will have a chance his football dreams after being selected by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday on the final day of the 2018 NFL Draft. Donnerson, a 6-foot-2, 248-pound native of Maumelle, Arkansas, was the 248th pick in the seventh and final round of the draft...

The third-seeded Kennett Indians struck for three runs in the third inning Saturday and beat seventh-seeded Dexter 5-2 in a consolation semifinal of the SEMO Conference Baseball Tournament at Cape Central High School. The Indians will face Notre Dame in the fifth-place game at 2:15 p.m. Monday. Dexter (3-12) will meet New Madrid County Central for seventh place at noon Monday. Both games will be played at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau...

It wasn't an intrasquad game, but the Southeast Missouri State football team wrapped up spring practice by showcasing its talents to the public. Due to a lack of healthy players at certain positions, like offensive line, the Redhawks opted not to split the squad into two teams for the customary spring game, instead scrimmaging in front of hundreds of fans Saturday at Houck Field...

The Southeast Missouri State football team was down four offensive lineman and a couple quarterbacks, but Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage provided an opportunity for the Redhawks to improve ahead of next week's spring game. SEMO mixed in positional drills throughout the morning and ended by simulating late-game situations. ...

Nearly five months after the football season ended, Kendall Donnerson's day began at 6:30 a.m. That gave the senior time to eat breakfast and get his body ready before beginning what was perhaps his final football act as a member of the Southeast Missouri State football team: pro day...

When it comes to installing a new offensive system, Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz and his new offensive coordinator are of the same mind: throw everything at the players and see what sticks. Instead of a more gradual approach, Matukewicz and coordinator Jeromy McDowell dove right into the up-tempo, no-huddle offense on the first day of spring practice Monday...

Southeast Missouri State football added a road game against Montana State to its 2019 schedule, the school announced Friday. The Redhawks will face the Big Sky Conference member the second week of the season, on Sept. 7. It will be one of four non-conference games and part of a 12-game schedule...

Previous school: Brighton HS (Tenn.) Position: Wide receiver Measurables: 6-4, 185 lbs. Twitter handle: @AaronDAlston15 Alston is one of two Brighton players who signed with the Redhawks this season. He'll join fellow high school teammate Cameron John (outside linebacker) at Southeast after helping guide the Cardinals to their best season in school history, a 10-5 campaign in 2017 that ended in the Class 5A state semifinals...

There are needs, and then there are urgent needs. When it comes to the Southeast Missouri State football team, consider the quarterback position part of the latter. The Redhawks officially announced the addition of 22 players to their roster on Wednesday's National Signing Day, with three quarterbacks joining the program in hopes of vying for an opportunity to take over as the team's starter...

The Southeast Missouri State football team released its 2018 schedule Wednesday, with an 11-game slate that features five home games. The three non-conference games that begin the season feature a season-opening trip to Arkansas State on Sept. 1, a visit from Dayton on Sept. 8 and a road contest at regional rival Southern Illinois on Sept. 15...

CHARLESTON, Mo. – As a freshman for the Charleston football team, Jeremy Tucker had his doubts. The Bluejays were in the midsts of the school's longest losing streak and Tucker wasn't sure he wanted any part of it. Fast-forward to Wednesday – surrounded by family, friends, coaches and teachers, through all the losses and eventual turnaround Charleston made – Tucker was getting a full ride to a Division I college...

For the first time, college football recruits have the opportunity to officially sign with schools during an early signing period which kicked off Wednesday and runs through Friday. Southeast Missouri State took advantage of the window and, on Wednesday, brought in 12 new Redhawks into the program, highlighted by four junior college transfers, a Football Bowl Subdivision transfer and a local product...

Southeast Missouri State football standout Zach Hall was named to the HERO Sports Sophomore All-America team on Monday. Hall, who started all 11 games at inside linebacker, was a first team selection after finishing the 2017 season with a team-high 79 tackles, including 38 solo stops...

The Southeast Missouri State football team had several close losses in 2017 and finished the season with a 3-8 record, including a 3-5 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference. Sound familiar? That's because the Redhawks matched both of their records from the previous season, and just like 2016, they were unable to steer themselves to the winning side of a handful of one-possession games...

With a resume of national success and former ties to the Southeast Missouri State football program, Jeromy McDowell's coaching debut at the Division I level appears to be a quintessential match. McDowell, who played quarterback for three seasons at Southeast, was hired Tuesday as the Redhawks' offensive coordinator. He'll also take over as quarterbacks coach, assuming both positions that were held the last two seasons by Jon Wiemers...