Southeast Football

Two months ago, Southeast Missouri State announced a contract extension for football coach Tom Matukewicz. Coming off a season in which the program tied the school record for wins and won a Football Championship Subdivision playoff for the first time, it seemed like a logical decision...

National Signing Day doesn't carry quite the same significance as it has in the past with many recruits signing to a college program during the early signing period in December. Still, for fans across the country, including in Southeast Missouri, Wednesday represented the start of a new season...

A historic playoff victory led to the highest-ever ranking for the Southeast Missouri State football team. The Redhawks came in at No. 15 in the final Football Championship Subdivision STATS Media poll, released Monday. That's a new program record. Southeast was also No. 16 in the Coaches poll...

Zach Hall made history Friday night without even stepping onto a football field. The Southeast Missouri State linebacker, who just completed his junior season, became the program's first Football Championship Subdivision STATS Buck Buchanan Award winner, handed out annually to the nation's best defensive player...

Southeast Missouri State linebacker Zach Hall was named the 2018 Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Defensive Player of the Year, the organization announced Thursday. Hall is also one of three finalists for the STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award, given to the national defensive player of the year, which will be announced Friday...

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz has been rewarded for a historic season. Less than a month after Southeast Missouri State football's first-ever Football Championship Subdivision playoff victory, athletic director Brady Barke announced a two-year extension for Matukewicz through the 2022 season. The contract officially runs through Jan. 31, 2023...

The Southeast Missouri State football team already has some local flavor in its 2019 signing class. The Redhawks added 16 players Wednesday, the start of a three-day early signing period. That group includes running back Q'Nairies Anderson, a running back from Charleston High School in Charleston, Missouri...

For the first time in program history, two Southeast Missouri State football players were named Walter Camp Football Foundation Football Championship Subdivision All-Americans as linebacker Zach Hall and left tackle Drew Forbes were honored Friday. The duo had already been named Associated Press FCS All-Americans earlier this week...

The Southeast Missouri State football team's season ended over a week ago, but the honors keep coming. Three Redhawks were named to the 2018 Associated Press Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team on Tuesday, with linebacker Zach Hall becoming the fifth player in program history to garner first-team honors. Seniors Marquis Terry and Drew Forbes were second-team offense selections...

Southeast Missouri State linebacker Zach Hall is coming off a record-setting season. Now, the junior has a chance to take home national defensive player of the year honors. Hall was one of the top three finalists for the STATS Football Championship Subdivision Buck Buchanan Award announced Tuesday, and that trio was invited to the STATS FCS Awards Banquet and Presentation on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas...

OGDEN, Utah — When Weber State football coach Jay Hill looks at the Southeast Missouri State program, he sees a lot of similarities. Yes, the Wildcats are the second seed in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, and Southeast hadn't won an FCS postseason game until last week. But last year, Weber State hosted an FCS postseason game for the first time in program history...

OGDEN, Utah — All season long the Southeast Missouri State football team thrived by following a simple formula: generate more turnovers than the opposition. The Redhawks entered Saturday's second-round Football Championship Subdivision playoff game first in the nation in turnover margin...

The Southeast Missouri State football team has no prior knowledge to fall back on. Once again, the Redhawks are in uncharted territory. In a season full of firsts and historic feats, this is the biggest one yet. Southeast is playing a second game in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the first time ever. Win and the Redhawks are in the quarterfinals...

The Southeast Missouri State football team was in an offensive rut Saturday. For the first time all season, SEMO didn't score in the opening two quarters and faced its largest halftime deficit this year. With the offense struggling to move the ball, having amassed 103 yards in the first half, the defense jump-started the Redhawks by doing what it's done all season: forcing a turnover...

With the 14-point comeback completed, and a historic victory secured, Southeast Missouri State football quarterback Daniel Santacaterina took a few seconds to survey everything going on around him and soak in all the joy. A year ago, Santacaterina wasn’t on the roster at SEMO, which was coming off its seventh consecutive losing season. A playoff berth, let alone a victory, seemed far-fetched to most outside observers...

When the Southeast Missouri State football team takes the field Saturday, it will be making history. For the first time ever, the Redhawks are hosting a game in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Thanks to a 38-32 win over Eastern Illinois last week, SEMO secured its best record in eight years and a place in the FCS postseason for the second time in school history...

The most successful season for the Southeast Missouri State football team in eight years was rewarded with three of the Ohio Valley Conference's top four awards Tuesday. Redhawks senior running back Marquis Terry was named the OVC Offensive Player of the Year, junior linebacker Zach Hall was selected OVC Defensive Player of the Year and coach Tom Matukewicz was the recipient of the Roy Kidd OVC Coach of the Year...

A day after the Southeast Missouri State football team received its second-ever berth to the Football Championship Subdivision playoff, coach Tom Matukewicz was tabbed as a finalist for the coach of the year award. The 15 finalists for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award were revealed Monday, and Matukewicz was the Ohio Valley Conference's sole representative...

The Southeast Missouri State football team is headed to the playoffs. The No. 20 Redhawks received one of the 14 at-large bids to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs when the 24-team field was announced Sunday morning in a live selection show on ESPNU...

Zion Custis caught the ball three yards from his own goal line with one thought in his mind: "make a play." He did just that. Seconds later, the Southeast Missouri State football freshman was raising his arms and strolling into the opposing end zone for a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown...

The Southeast Missouri State football team blew a chance to win a conference title last week, but there's still hope. While a heartbreaking, last-second loss to Murray State last week cost the Redhawks the Ohio Valley Conference championship, a playoff berth remains within reach...

On the back of a last-second loss, the Southeast Missouri State football team dropped to No. 23 in both the FCS Coaches and STATS Media polls. The Redhawks (7-3, 5-2 Ohio Valley Conference) lost to Murray State 40-38 on Saturday as the Racers scored the game-winning touchdown on a last-second kickoff return. ...

MURRAY, Ky. -- It's not often a coach says his team is too ready to play a football game, but Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz believes that may have been the case in his team's stunning 40-38 loss to Murray State on Saturday. Going into the game, the Redhawks controlled their own destiny. ...

The Southeast Missouri State football team heads into the final two weeks of the regular season with an advantage the program isn't used to: control over its destiny. If the Redhawks, who before this season hadn't had a winning season in eight years, win their final two games they will win the Ohio Valley Conference for the first time since 2010 and earn the automatic Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth that comes with it...

Voters are beginning to take notice of the Southeast Missouri State football team. Two days after winning its fifth consecutive game, SEMO moved up five spots in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll to No. 19 on Monday. The Redhawks also jumped four spots in the STATS FCS Media Poll to No. 21...

Justin Swift reached out and snagged the interception, changing the complexion of the game in an instant. Less than a minute into the second half, the Southeast Missouri State linebacker hauled in an under thrown pass near the goal line, and the offense did the rest, driving down the field for a touchdown and a 17-point lead...

It took the Southeast Missouri State football team less than three minutes to jump out to a two-possession lead Saturday. From there, the Redhawks didn't look back. SEMO never trailed in a 56-33 win over UT Martin in Ohio Valley Conference action Saturday in Martin, Tennessee, taking a double-digit lead into halftime and pouring it on late to claim its fourth consecutive win...

Coming off a program-defining win, Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz knows his team can't let its guard down. Last week, SEMO snapped No. 12 Jacksonville State's 36-game Ohio Valley Conference winning streak. This Saturday, the Redhawks' opponent isn't quite as ballyhooed, but still poses a threat...

A day after ending the nation’s longest conference winning streak, Southeast Missouri State football was rewarded with two weekly honors. Linebacker Justin Swift was named Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week and punter Jake Reynolds was tabbed as OVC Specialist of the Week, the league announced Sunday...

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz called it the best defensive performance in his five-year tenure. The statistics certainly backed him up. SEMO held the No. 3 scoring offense in the Football Championship Subdivision to 14 points, its lowest point total of the season and 34 points below its average...

There weren't any wild celebrations at the final whistle, no last-second comeback needed. The Southeast Missouri State football simply dominated from start to finish, ending the nation's longest active conference winning streak in the process. SEMO scored on the game's opening possession and never trailed in the 37-14 win over No. 4 Jacksonville State in Saturday's Pink Up game at Houck Field, halting the Gamecocks' run of 36 consecutive Ohio Valley Conference victories...

Coming off a dramatic homecoming victory, the Southeast Missouri State football team doesn't get any respite with a conference matchup against a top-five program. Jacksonville State, ranked No. 4 in the Football Championship Subdivision, looks to extend its Ohio Valley Conference winning streak to 37 games when it takes on Southeast at 1 p.m. Saturday at Houck Field...

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...

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...

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...