Southeast Missouri State football QB Santacaterina cleared to play in home opener against Dayton

Southeast Missouri State quarterback Daniel Santacaterina pitches to a running back during a preseason practice.

Fred Lynch

After days of waiting and wondering, Southeast Missouri State football fans got the answer they wanted Friday morning: Daniel Santacaterina was cleared to play in the home opener.

The SEMO starting quarterback was carted off the field after taking a hit to the head area late in the second quarter of the season opener last week, but returned to the sideline in the fourth quarter. Now, he will make his debut at Houck Field against Dayton at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Southeast sports information director Jeff Honza tweeted the news early Friday. With the Northern Illinois transfer at the helm, the Redhawks hope to avenge last year's 25-23 loss to the Flyers.

"Dayton's a storied program in Ohio that's won a lot of football games," Southeast coach Tom Matukewicz said. "They have tremendous stability with their coaching staff. I know that they're going to try to out-work us. We have to do everything we can to not get out-worked."

Before Santacaterina exited the game against Arkansas State, he was 10-of-13 passing for 89 yards and a touchdown. Backup Anthony Cooper completed 8 of 15 passes for 74 yards and ran seven times for 21 yards and a touchdown in Santacaterina's place.

With Santacaterina out, Arkansas State out-scored the Redhawks 27-7 en route to a 48-21 win.

"We didn't handle the third quarter well without him being in there, even emotionally," Matukewicz said. "It tells you a lot about who he is and how connected he is with, not only offense, but defense players and even young players. He's a tremendous leader and just a great kid. He's a lot of fun to be around."

Santacaterina suffered the injury on a scramble with about two minutes remaining in the first half. With the first down already secured, Santacaterina began to slide to the ground. Arkansas State free safety Demari Medley then dove forward and hit Santacaterina in the head.

The Redhawks signal-caller crumbled to the turf and was down for several minutes. Medley was ejected for targeting.

"That obviously is what they're trying to take out of the game," Matukewicz said. "Why this whole thing (has) come about with all these targeting rules and stuff like that. It was certainly scary, a scary moment. His parents were down there, and you just don't want that to be a part of the football game."

Santacaterina was eventually strapped to a board and loaded onto a cart. He was taken to a local hospital for precautionary reasons before he was released. He was later seen walking along the SEMO sideline.

"When he came back to our sideline in the fourth quarter it seemed to lift our sideline a little bit," Matukewicz said. "He means so much to this ball club, that him being there and being around is a real big deal."

With Santacaterina back, SEMO (0-1) will look for its first win of the season against Dayton (1-0), which is coming off a 49-28 home win over Robert Morris.

Like SEMO, the Flyers are a Football Championship Subdivision program but compete in the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League. The football-only conference began play in 1993 and none of the conference's teams offer athletic scholarships.

That didn't stop Dayton from edging Southeast last year as running back Tucker Yinger ran for 141 yards on 24 carries. Yinger is back and had 139 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries last week.

SEMO enters after giving up 685 yards of offense last week, albeit to a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent. Arkansas State's Justice Hansen, the Preseason Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, may end up being the best quarterback the Redhawks will face all season. Still, the Red Wolves rushed for 188 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.

"We got to get our defense shored up," Matukewicz said. "We gave up a lot of yards, a lot of points, didn't make them earn it. It starts there."

Matukewicz added special teams coverage needs to improve, as well.

Zach Hall leads the defensive unit after tallying a career-high 22 tackles last week and being named Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week and STATS National Defensive Player of the Week.

"He's instinctive, and he's good," Matukewicz said. "But you get 22 tackles because you are relentless."

Southeast hopes that attitude pays off against Dayton.

Santacaterina may be back, but Matukewicz said his team knows they are in for a tough contest.

"The schemes are one thing," Matukewicz said, "but we got to do a great job of playing hard for four quarters and making sure we're the team that plays the hardest."