Opponent capsule: Southeast Missouri, Illinois State’s 1st-round playoff foe

Tom Matukewicz has coached Southeast Missouri State football since 2014. (Photo by SEMORedhawks.com)

By Dan Verdun

When Illinois State makes its first FCS playoff appearance in five years, the Redbirds will travel to a familiar destination. 

ISU will return to Houck Field in Cape Girardeau, Mo., home of Southeast Missouri State football.

Illinois State (9-3) from the Missouri Valley Football Conference will tangle with SEMO (9-3) of the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 30.  

When the two teams met in the first round of the 2019 FCS playoffs, the Redbirds scored a 24-6 victory. All-American tailback James Robinson ran for a school-record 297 yards for Illinois State.

The schools squared off on 11 previous occasions with the first meeting taking place in 1943. ISU holds an 8-3 series lead.

Here’s our look at the Redbirds’ postseason opponent:

School:  Southeast Missouri State University

Founded: 1873

Location:  Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Distance from Normal, Ill.: 286 miles, according to Google Maps

Population: 39,540

Enrollment:  9,677

Nickname: Redhawks

Colors: Black & red

Conference: Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association

Head Coach: Tom Matukewicz (Fort Hays State, 1997)

Overall Record: 9-3

I-AA/FCS Playoff Appearances: 4 (2018, ‘19, ‘22, ’24)

Key players: QB Paxton DeLaurent, RB Payton Brown, WR Tristan Smith, WR Dorian Anderson, WR Cam Pedro, LB Bryce Norman, DB Khalani Riddick, K D.C. Pippin

Best NFL player from SEMO: C Ken Inman, 194 games with 144 starts (Green Bay Packers, 1960-63; Los Angeles Rams, 1965-74)

Other notable SEMO players in NFL: G-K John Wittenborn, G Dan Connolly, C Eugene Amano, DB Dimitri Patterson, CB Mike Ford, OL Ted Banker, DB Marquis Walker, K Mike Wood

Famous SEMO alumni: Dick Hantak (NFL referee), Roy Thomas (Marvel Comics editor-in-chief), Linda Godwin (astronaut), Kerry Robinson (MLB player), Neil Boyd (2008 “America’s Got Talent” winner), Cedric The Entertainer (actor, comedian)

Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.

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