Southeast Missouri State football looks to build on record performance in homecoming contest against Austin Peay

Southeast Missouri State quarterback Daniel Santacaterina (10) cheers on members of the defense during the inaugural "War for the Wheel" rivalry game against SIU on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.

Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian

A lot can change in five weeks.

When the Southeast Missouri State football team last played a home game, it was coming off an opening-game loss and there were questions surrounding quarterback Daniel Santacaterina's health. The junior signal-caller never missed a game, and now, over a month later the Redhawks return home with a winning record thanks to their first win at Tennessee Tech in 15 years.

Coming off that record 70-point performance, SEMO hosts Austin Peay on homecoming at 1 p.m. Saturday at Houck Field with a chance to grab a second consecutive Ohio Valley Conference win.

"We got our work cut out for us, but certainly glad to be home," SEMO coach Tom Matukewicz said. "It's homecoming. There seems be a little buzz about it. I know our team plays better when they're a lot of people in the crowd, and it seems like that's going to be the case."

Southeast will even break out new red home uniforms, from Under Armour, for the game. The red jerseys, with white numbers, are complemented by red pants with white and black helmets.

It's a new look for the Redhawks, and they hope it produces a different outcome than last year when they fell to Austin Peay 38-31.

The Governors (3-3, 1-2 OVC) are coming off a 49-34 win over Tennessee State that snapped a two-game losing streak. Quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall rushed for a game-high 76 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 189 yards and a score.

Oatsvall torched the SEMO defense last year, completing 13 of 22 passes for 199 yards and two TDs and adding 66 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Governors running back Kentel Williams is also back after rushing for 148 yards and a touchdown on eight carries last year against SEMO.

"It's going to be a challenge," Matukewicz said. "I think the biggest thing is just being able to tackle them and not give up the big play. That's kind of what got us last year."

Govs senior Nate Howard is coming off a performance that earned him the honor of OVC Defensive Player of the Week as he racked up five tackles against TSU, including two for a loss, a sack and forced and recovered a fumble.

The Redhawks (3-2, 1-1) set a program record for points scored during the 70-38 win over TTU last week. They did that with star running back Marquis Terry rushing for two yards on two carries.

Terry was injured during a 23-14 loss to Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 22. He got a chance to rest with SEMO on a bye the following weekend and started against TTU as the offense took the opening possession and marched down the field for a touchdown.

He never returned. The next time the offense got the ball, SEMO was up 14-0 and perhaps decided to give Terry some more rest. Terry, who rushed for a school-record 311 yards against Southern Illinois on Sept. 15, was seen wearing a walking boot on his left foot earlier this week.

Santacaterina led the way against The Golden Eagles, throwing for 395 yards and four touchdowns on 20-of-27 passing and being tabbed OVC Newcomer of the Week.

It was a bounceback performance after Santacaterina threw four interceptions in that defeat at EKU.

"It just shows you his character, and that's why athletics is such a great teacher of life," Matukewicz said. "You're going to have some bad days, and they're going to happen. You've got to learn from them, but you've got to get up the next day and move forward and that's what he did. It crushed him. No one felt worse than him at EKU, but he put the work in."

When SEMO last played a home game, Santacaterina was coming back from a hit to the head area against Arkansas State that knocked him out of the season opener and sent him to a local hospital for precautionary measures.

He responded with a solid game in the home opener, throwing for 269 yards and three TDs in a 40-21 win over Dayton.

Now, the Redhawks are back home and hoping for another solid performance, and another win.

"We're getting there as far as how hard you have to play and how physical you have to be to play Division I," Matukewicz said. "I think we're playing together. Sometimes we may have to win on defense. Sometimes we may have to win on offense."