Southeast Missouri State football looks to continue historic season with upset of No. 2 Weber State in FCS second-round matchup

Southeast Missouri State football head coach Tom Matukewicz links arms with his players before taking the field for their homecoming game against Austin Peay on Oct. 13, at Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau.

BEN MATTHEWS

The Southeast Missouri State football team has no prior knowledge to fall back on. Once again, the Redhawks are in uncharted territory.

In a season full of firsts and historic feats, this is the biggest one yet. Southeast is playing a second game in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the first time ever. Win and the Redhawks are in the quarterfinals.

To do that, though, Southeast (9-3) will have to knock off second-seeded Weber State (9-2) in a second-round game at 3 p.m. Saturday in Ogden, Utah. The Wildcats enter on a six-game winning streak and as Big Sky Conference champions. They also had last week off after receiving that top-eight seed and the accompanying bye.

Southeast, on the other hand, needed a second-half comeback to get to this point as it edged visiting Stony Brook 28-14 last week in the first-ever FCS postseason game at Houck Stadium.

Now, the unseeded Redhawks have to calm the nerves and aim for a historic upset against one of the best teams they've played all season.

Southeast Missouri State mascot Rowdy Redhawk strikes a pose as pyrotechnics ignite in the distance Sept. 1 at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

BEN MATTHEWS

"It's tough," quarterback Daniel Santacaterina said. "Honestly, I think everyone is going to feel it before the game. It's a second-round playoff game, pretty big, so you've got to let that sink in before the game and then get your mind right, and after the first play all that stuff goes away and you're just playing football."

In 2010, the only other time Southeast made the FCS playoffs, the format was different. There were 20 teams instead of the current 24-team format, and the Redhawks got a bye to the second round. They traveled to Eastern Washington and fell to the eventual national champions 37-17.

This time around, Southeast picked up a playoff win, setting up a matchup against last year's quarterfinalists. With a win this weekend, this year's team would also set a new program record for victories in a season.

"It's an amazing opportunity," linebacker Zach Hall said. "Just glad to share it with so many great teammates and ready to go get it on with them."

Hall is a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the national defensive player of the year, one of three Redhawks up for national awards. He broke the program single-season tackles record last week and has 163 on the year.

On the other side of the ball, running back Marquis Terry is a Walter Payton Award finalist, which is given to the national offensive player of the year, and coach Tom Matukewicz is on the Eddie Robinson Award finalist list, handed out to the best coach.

For the second consecutive game, Southeast will face a top-15 defense. After not scoring in the opening half last week for the first time all season, the Redhawks finished with 240 yards of offense, less than Stony Brook. Terry had 64 yards on 19 carries after re-aggravating an ankle injury two weeks ago against Eastern Illinois.

Weber State is holding teams to 20.8 points per game and has eight All-Big Sky Conference first-team performers on defense.

"We got exposed on a couple things that we worked on this week," Matukewicz said. "Hopefully, we're able to get a little better at it."

For the historic season to continue, Southeast again needs to win the turnover battle. The Redhawks are first in the nation with a plus-27 turnover margin and scored 21 points off four turnovers last week.

They also have to be efficient in the red zone after scoring touchdowns on all three trips last week.

"We can't settle for field goals," Matukewicz said. "Obviously, if we can run it, it's going to be fine, but that may be hard to do against them. They get us in a throwing situation down there, our wideouts have to get open, our o-line has to protect and Santacaterina's got to do what he's been doing, which is complete the ball in the red zone."

Santacaterina had four touchdowns last week, three passing and one rushing.

"I need to take care of the football first and foremost and then just got to make plays down there," Santacaterina said. "If the play breaks down, got to make something happen while being smart, so there's a happy medium there. You've got to score points at all costs."

Points will be key against a Wildcats team that averages 26.9 per game and has the Big Sky Freshman of the Year in running back Josh Davis, who is eighth in the nation with 1,288 yards on the ground -- Terry is 12th with 1,226. Weber State also has two first-team all-conference linemen, and Jake Constantine has passed for 1,734 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Southeast's depth on the defensive line, where it goes nine-deep, will help.

The players and coaches know what type of opportunity awaits. A first-ever trip to the quarterfinals is at stake, but it won't come easy.

The Redhawks enter as an 11-point underdog to Weber State, according to the betting website 5dimes.eu.

"It's special," Santacaterina said. "We've got to prepare harder than any game we've had before because every game from now on is going to be harder than the last. This is going to be one of the best teams we've played."