SEMO Redhawks to host Illinois State in first round of FCS playoffs

Southeast Missouri State will host a game in the first round of the FCS Playoffs at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov 30.

This is SEMO’s fifth FCS Playoff appearance and fourth since the 2018.

The Redhawks (9-3) will host No. 12 seed Illinois State (9-3) despite being the lower seed. Illinois State’s stadium, Hancock Stadium, is reserved next weekend for the ISHA football state championship games.

The Redhawks will host an FCS Playoff game for the first time since 2019. The Redbirds were also their opponent back then and won 24-6 on their way to the quarterfinals.

The winner between Redhawks and Redbirds will travel to No. 5 University of California-Davis on Dec. 7.

This has been a lucky weekend for SEMO. The Redhawks lost 28-21 on the road at Tennessee State on Saturday but won the four-way tiebreaker for the automatic bid thanks to University of Tennessee-Martin defeating Lindenwood in overtime.

Between losing to Lindenwood and TSU this month, SEMO went from No. 6 with a first round bye to out of the seedings entirely. The luck of the draw matched the Redhawks with the one nationally seeded team with a scheduling conflict.

It’s been a good year overall for the Redhawks, who bounced back from a 4-7 2023 season. Senior quarterback Paxton DeLaurent finished the regular season leading the conference in passing yards (3,520) and touchdowns (29). Wide receiver Cam Pedro led the conference in receptions with 73. Senior linebacker Bryce Norman led the conference in both tackles (126) and sacks (5.5). Kicker DC Pippin led Big South-OVC kickers in both field goals made (26) and attempts (34).

This is the first time since 2013 that the OVC will be represented by three teams in the FCS Playoffs. Three of the four teams who finished with a share of the conference title made the playoffs, with Tennessee Tech being left out.

UT Martin was awarded with an at-large bid and will travel to No. 16 seed New Hampshire on Saturday. The Skyhawks have won at least a share of the conference title for four consecutive seasons.

TSU won a share of the conference title for the first time since 1999, when head coach Eddie George was the running back during the Tennessee Titans’ only Super Bowl appearance. The Tigers will travel to Montana to take on the No. 14 seeded Grizzlies on Saturday.

Montana State (12-0), North Dakota State (10-2), South Dakota State (10-2), South Dakota (9-2), UC Davis (10-2), Incarnate Word (10-2), Mercer (10-2) and Idaho (9-3) are the tournament’s top eight seeds and each have a bye in the first round and host the second round.

The FCS playoffs will feature 24 teams for the fourth straight year. All games will be played on campus sites until the FCS National Championship, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas on Monday, Jan. 6.