Redhawks have a proud football tradition with recent accomplishments of note....see some excerpts as follow plus the full bio at link below:
https://semoredhawks.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/tom-matukewicz/2649"Tom Matukewicz begins his ninth year as the Redhawks head coach in 2022. He guided his teams to one Ohio Valley Conference title (2019), two NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff appearances (2018, 2019) and the school’s only FCS Playoff win (2018). Matukewicz has seven wins over nationally-ranked FCS opponents, most of any head coach in SEMO history. Additionally, he holds the most wins (41) and OVC victories (33) of any head coach during the school’s NCAA Division I era.
SEMO put together four-straight winning seasons in OVC play, another program first for Matukewicz. The Redhawks put together back-to-back nine-win campaigns for the first time in program history when they finished at 9-4 each of the 2018 and 2019 seasons. SEMO went a combined 12-1 at home over that span, as well.
A year ago, the Redhawks tied for second in the OVC with a 4-2 record marking the third time in the last four seasons where they finished either first or second in the league standings.
"SEMO led the OVC in kick returns (25.7 ypr), fourth down conversions (10-of-15, 66.7 pct.), opponent fourth down conversions (10-of-23, 43.5, pct.), red zone offense (33-of-33, 1.00 pct.) and red zone defense (31-of-40, 77.5 pct.). The Redhawks led the FCS in red zone offense as one of only two teams in the country that converted all of its chances inside the 20-yard line.
The Redhawks also ranked second among OVC leaders in rushing offense (195.1 ypg), punting (38.8 ypp), PAT kicking (36-of-37, 97.3 pct.) and turnover margin (+6).
In a challenging year brought on by a global COVID-19 pandemic, SEMO finished its abbreviated 2020 season with an overall record of 4-4 and took fourth in the OVC with a 4-3 mark."
{Interesting tidbit.... SEMO's defensive line coach Jerone Steckel played at Eastern Illinois and was the roommate of a guy named Jimmy Garoppolo which means he probably played vs UCA when the Panthers and Bears played a few years back.....he is the adopted son of former Mizzou long time defensive coach who preceded Petrino as head coach at Mo State....oddly, EIU's head coach at the time was Kim Dameron (Rogers native and played for Hogs) who now coaches at Ft Smith Southside who plays at Rogers this Friday night....Steckel also played HS ball in St Louis very near where I used to live.....}
SEMO's upperclassmen summary....
TE: one SR 6'5 261
OL: 5 SR (avg 6'3 300, largest 330) + one JR 6'5 303 + one grad transfer 6'4 309
Two of the SRs are transfers from Fresno State
DL: 2 SR 6'2 300 + one JR 6'1 289
LB: 4 SR (avg 6'2 235) + 3 JR (avg 6'2 227) + on Grad Student 6'2 214 from Northern Illinois.....also includes a couple community college transfers
DB: 4 SR 5'8-6'1 + one JR 6'1 202.....includes a couple community college transfers
Sounds pretty even with UCA....however, OL looks to have more depth as does DBs...they have LOTS of freshmen on the roster also....hoping temp is not terribly high Sat afternoon at The Cape as Bears will be busy with a no huddle hurry up offense that throws the ball around a LOT....Bears would need to ground out yards and first downs and run clock to help defense...
Current weather forecast is mid 80s for high, partly cloudy with 15-20mph winds and a pretty good chance for light showers....
UCA record vs SEMO.....7-7-1 with 4-3 at Conway and 3-4-1 at The Cape ...first game in 1953 and most recent in 1986 (13-9 win under Coach Horton)....the only game I have been at was 1978 at The Cape where Bears lost 0-16....muggy night and we just had no luck getting much offense...still ended season at 9-2 and the NAIA playoffs (under Coach Stephens)...