Back at it: SEMO Football opens 2021 spring season

Southeast Missouri State freshman wide receiver Garrett Todd (foreground) lines up with junior wide receiver Johnny King (background) for a drill Monday at Houck Stadium as the Redhawks opened their 2021 spring season with a practice.

Tony Capobianco ~ Tcapobianco@semoball.com

In an incredible act of irony, as the FBS college football season came to a close on Monday with Alabama and Ohio State competing for a national championship, programs at the FCS level were opening their training camps.

Southeast Missouri State conducted its first football practice of the revised 2021 spring season on Monday at Houck Stadium and calendar be damned, seventh-year Redhawk coach Tom Matukewicz was embracing the situation.

“I woke up early this morning,” Matukewicz said. “I had the same feeling (of anticipation). In fact, I had a better feeling than in the fall because I really believe that we are getting it in.”

As the sporting world navigated the new dilemma of a global pandemic last August, SEMO tried to open training camp after much debate among the leadership of the FCS, the Ohio Valley Conference, and the university, itself.

There were a handful of practices before everything shut down – at least for a while.

The Redhawks ultimately practiced for a month before playing their first regular-season game (a 20-17 loss at Southern Illinois in October).

Matukewicz’s team then took the next two-plus months off before reconvening Monday.

“They have been away for eight weeks,” Matukewicz said of his players and their training. “This is like getting a Christmas present and you can’t open it and break it. We can’t get all of these guys hurt after being home by themselves.”

SEMO has a 95-man roster this spring with 14 starters returning from the 2019 season (eight on offense and six on defense).

Matukewicz said Monday was a day of observing and seeing where his players were from a physical conditioning perspective more so than delving deep into any schematics.

The Redhawks trained for a little more than 90 minutes and will follow this routine before training camp picks up another level of intensity On January 25.

“We’re trying to teach them some football while getting them in shape,” Matukewicz said.

The Redhawks will open the spring portion of their season on Feb. 21 at Houck Stadium against Murray State (2 p.m.).

The season will consist of seven games (three home, four away) and all will be OVC games.

Sixteen teams will earn or be awarded bids into the FCS Playoffs (selection will be on April 18) with the postseason starting on the weekend of April 24.

The FCS National Championship Game will be played on one of three potential days (May 14, 15, or 16) in Frisco, Texas.

SEMO has qualified for the postseason two consecutive seasons and Matukewicz feels this group has the potential to do so again.

“I have confidence in this team,” Matukewicz said. “I feel really good about our depth. We’ve always had a lot of energy.

“This team really likes to play football.”