Semoball

Five things to watch: SEMO at Austin Peay

Bryson Donnell (93) and the SEMO Redhawks look to corral Austin Peay quarterback Draylen Ellis (9) on Saturday at APSU.
Southeast Missourian

Southeast Missouri State’s margin for error got a whole lot thinner.

When Tennessee Tech upset the Redhawks 28-17 on Saturday in Cookeville, it put an early dent in their Ohio Valley Conference title hopes.

Next up: OVC heavyweights. 

SEMO (1-4, 1-1 OVC) turns its attention to Austin Peay (2-3, 0-0), a former league doormat that tied for second with the Redhawks in the preseason coaches poll behind favorite Murray State, which visits Houck Field next week.

Tennessee-Martin ­— the league’s lone Top 25 team thanks to a 3-1 start — hosts SEMO the following week.

SEMO coach Tom Matukewicz isn’t thinking about OVC standings until his team rights the ship.

“We’re at a point where we can let that (Tennessee Tech) loss do two things,” Matukewicz said “You can use (the adversity) and put in the work to win the rest, or you can go the other way and fracture, start pointing fingers.“

A timely road win over a longtime OVC rival could help springboard SEMO into the former.

Austin Peay dropped a 24-22 home decision to Tennessee State on Saturday, a week after SEMO throttled the Tigers 47-13 at Houck Stadium.

APSU and TSU play each other twice this season, so their first meeting didn’t count in the OVC standings.

SEMO and Austin Peay, which shared the OVC crown in 2019, have dealt with injuries at key positions, youth and have exhibited bouts of inconsistency. 

“We’re inconsistent. We looked like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against Tennessee State, then we looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars against Tennessee Tech,” Matukewicz said. 

APSU has talent

The Governors have one of the most productive quarterbacks at the FCS level in OVC preseason Offensive Player of the Year Draylen Ellis.

Ellis ranks eighth in the country in total passing yards (1,450) with 10 touchdown passes and five interceptions.

Defensively the Governors are led by two-time All-American and OVC preseason Defensive Player of the Year nickel linebacker Kordell Jackson, who has missed significant time this season due to an injury. He had two tackles last week.

Austin Peay was ranked No. 20 in the FCS preseason poll and beat then-18th-ranked Tennessee-Chattanooga 30-20 in its season opener.

SEMO to continue QB rotation

While APSU has an established QB, SEMO is still determining who will be its primary signal caller going forward.

After going with junior college transfer C.J. Ogbonna the first four games, SEMO opted to rotate Ogbonna and Jalyn Williams last week against Tennessee Tech.

Ogbonna started, but Williams got the majority of the reps.

Ogbonna has completed 48 of 97 passes for 521 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions through five games. Williams completed 12 of 26 passes for 119 yards on Saturday. 

“They both have played well,” Matukewicz said. “Both could play better, and right now we’re letting the reps go by how they earn it. They both manage the games well, they haven’t turned it over poorly. They’re still not that clear-cut, no doubt about it. We’re splitting it up and I think our team feels good about both.”

A farewell Homecoming

When APSU and SEMO lock up in a 3 p.m. kickoff on Saturday at Fortera Stadium, it will be the final time the two teams meet as OVC foes.

The Governors are moving to the the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2022, joining the likes of other former OVC schools such as Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky. 

A lively Homecoming crowd is expected in the 10,000-seat venue.

APU offense sputters 

The Governors can move the ball up the field, but it often stubs its toe on third down, in fourth-down conversions tries and in the red zone.

APSU is 41 for 97 in third-down situations, 4 for 11 on fourth down and has scored touchdowns in 8 of 17 red zone trips. It averages one interception a game.

Another classic?

When SEMO and Austin Peay have met in recent years, it’s often a white-knuckle affair.

APSU has beaten the Redhawks in three of the past four meetings, all games decided by seven points or less. APSU clipped SEMO 49-42 in overtime in the spring season.

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