SEMO vs. Illinois State Preview

SEMO plays its first postseason game in the FCS playoffs on Saturday, November 29th against the 12th ranked Illinois State Redbirds.

SEMO entered the postseason adding another trophy to its cabinet as the team was one of four teams to lay claim to the Ohio Valley Conference championship, thereby securing their FCS playoff spot. The Redhawks have two wins this season against other ranked opponents, including SIU and UT Martin, which are also in the playoffs.

In addition to team success, this season also showcased individual greatness, led by the offense led by senior quarterback Paxton DeLaurent, who led the OVC in passing yards and passing touchdowns, enough to name him OVC Offensive Player of the Year, and in of defense with senior inside linebacker Bryce Norman, who led the OVC in total tackles and named him the OVC Defensive Player of the Year.

This game marks SEMO’s fifth time in the postseason and the fourth time under head coach Tom Matukewicz, who has made more playoff appearances than any other coach in program history.

The Illinois State Redbirds are one of four teams in the Missouri Valley Conference, a five-team conference ranked in the top 25 FCS teams. The Redbirds have a 9-3 record with wins against some of the Redhawks’ common opponents, such as North Alabama, Eastern and Western Illinois and SIU.

The Redbirds have made the playoffs nine times, six of them under the leadership of current head coach Brock Spack.

In the nine games the two programs have played against each other, Illinois State has the edge against the Redhawks with a record of 6-3.

Two of the Redhawks’ wins over the Redbirds have come at Houck Stadium, which will be the 10th game between the two programs.

At home, the Redhawks have remained undefeated this season, maintaining a perfect 5-0 record and beating teams such as UT Martin, Northwestern State and Tennessee Tech University.

If the Redhawks win, they would not only advance to the next round of the playoffs against UC Davis in California, but they would also break a program record for most wins in a single season with a total of 10 wins.

Kickoff for this game is November 30th at 11:00 a.m. at Houck Stadium.