Outright OVC football title on the line: 4 storylines ahead of SEMO at Tennessee State

Tom Matukewicz strolled off the practice field at Houck Stadium Tuesday evening and summed up the mentality of his program entering this weekend.

“This is a big game,” he said. “Thinking about winning doesn’t help you win. Talking about winning doesn’t help you win. So, we need to have the discipline to not get caught up in dropping our success. We really just need to lock in and be disciplined on the little things of really just having a championship week from a preparation standpoint.”

The No. 11 Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (9-2, 6-1 Big South-Ohio Valley Conference) will travel to the Music City this Saturday for their biggest showdown of the regular season when they square off against No. 25 Tennessee State (8-3, 5-2) at 3:30 p.m.

If SEMO comes out victorious, it will hand Matukewicz his first outright conference title and earn the program an automatic berth to the 24-team FCS Playoffs.

Here are four things to watch for when SEMO visits Nissan Stadium to take on the Tigers:

Defense due for a bounce back

Facing a team as well-rounded as Tennessee State obviously poses a big challenge, but a lot of SEMO’s success on Saturday will be dictated by how well it performs on the defensive side of the ball.

The Redhawks struggled to stop Western Illinois’ offense, allowing a season-high 45 points and 593 total yards (500 passing), but were able to win the turnover battle behind three interceptions. While WIU quarterback Nathan Lamb will arguably be the best quarterback SEMO sees in the regular season, Tennessee State still has the weapons to give the Redhawks fits.

The Tigers rank fourth in the OVC in scoring offense (26.6 points per game) and are led by dual-threat quarterback Draylen Ellis. The slim 6-foot-1, 175-pound signal caller doesn’t light up the stat sheet, but he is a savvy thrower (20 touchdowns to seven interceptions) and has the scrambling ability to extend plays downfield with his legs.

A key matchup in the game will be SEMO cornerback Ty Leonard against Tennessee State wideout Karate Brenson. Leonard has three interceptions in the past two games but will have his work cut out for him against the 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior who has big-play ability and is currently averaging 15.2 yards per reception.

Entering the Western Illinois game, SEMO’s defense had only surrendered 30 plays of 20-plus yards all season. The Redhawks gave up a total of eight against the Leathernecks.

How exactly is this group – especially considering growing injury issues in the secondary – going to make enough plays to slow down the Tigers? That’s a big question heading into Saturday's matchup.

Run game could be a pivotal factor

The injury-riddled SEMO backfield has shown flashes of greatness this season. With promising true freshman Payton Brown missing five games, other options like Brandon Epton Jr., Darrell Smith and Cole Ruble have each turned in 100-plus rushing yard performances this fall.

However, the run game has been invisible and inconsistent at times.

“We've been able to drive the ball in the pass game so well and then use the run game kind of secondary,” seventh-year offensive coordinator Jeromy McDowell said. “But I'd obviously really like the run game to get going. I think it'll take some pressure off some of that pass game stuff, too.”

SEMO averages 3.2 yards per rush, which ranks dead last in the OVC. Tennessee State averages 3.3, which ranks seventh. The two rushing attacks have been underwhelming, but SEMO recently showed some promise with Epton Jr. coming off his career game in a 132-yard rushing performance against Western Illinois.

Who finishes with more yards on the ground, the Redhawks or the Tigers? The answer may say a lot about the outcome of the game.

Pippin’s consistency

In close football games, special teams tend to be a huge deciding factor. That’s where senior kicker DC Pippin comes into play.

One of the Redhawks’ unsung heroes this fall, Pippin, who was recently named Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week after going 4-of-4 in field goals and 6-of-6 in PATs against Western Illinois, has been a reliable weapon for most of his career. He drilled a season-long 53-yarder against New Mexico State in the second game of the season and is 12-of-15 in field goals outside of Houck Stadium in 2024.

If Saturday’s game boils down to the final possession, SEMO has a reliable option sitting in its back pocket.

Milestones on the horizon

Aside from lofty playoff and conference title implications, this 2024 SEMO football team could be moving up in the record books, depending on how Saturday’s game shakes out.

A victory over Tennessee State will hand the Redhawks their first 10-win season in program history after posting a total of seven nine-win seasons in year's past, including this fall.

“They’ve been playing football for over 100 years here and there has never been a 10-win team,” Matukewicz said. “This team has a chance to win 10, so you could lay claim that you’re the best team to ever play here.”

Quarterback Paxton DeLaurent, who already shattered four single-season records in passing yards (3,287), pass attempts (487), completions (293), and total offense (3,355 yards), needs just two more touchdown passes to tie Jack Tomco (29) for the most by a SEMO quarterback in a single-season.