DC Pippin, No. 13 SEMO take care of business against Northwestern State

SEMO kicker DC Pippin boots a field goal against Northwestern State on Saturday, Sept. 23. Pippin went 4-for-6 in the game.

Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

No. 13 SEMO found out that its offense can be slowed down.

Carried by stifling defensive play and kicker DC Pippin’s four field goals, the Redhawks did just enough to get by Northwestern State 19-0 on Saturday afternoon at Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau.

Pippin's four field goals established a new career high.

"I just try to take it one kick at a time," Pippin said. "Going into a game, you never know, you might have no times, you might have six. So it's just about staying ready and just focusing on the kick that's in front of you, and not as a whole."

The SEMO offense celebrates after wide receiver Cam Pedro's 10-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against Northwestern State on Saturday, Sept. 28. The Redhawks cruised to 4-1 on the season behind the 19-0 shutout victory at Houck Stadium.

Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

Pippin is in his fourth year with the Redhawks and third year as a starter. He earned Second-Team All-Big South-OVC honors last year and entered this season among the Big South-OVC Players to Watch. As he got stronger throughout his college career, much of his success as a kicker was determined by his head and his heart, more so than his foot.

"At this point in my career, it's almost all mental," Pippin said. "You've done all the things physically, you know what to do there, but just getting better mentally every day because you're gonna be in different situations and need different mental strengths, and just building that all the time is important."

Coming off an away victory at then-top 10 ranked Southern Illinois, the Redhawks faced a potential “let down” game against an inferior opponent. Quarterback Paxton DeLaurent’s 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cam Pedro on the first offensive possession of the day appeared to be an early glimpse as to how the rest of the game would shake out.

Except it was not.

Following that drive, SEMO failed to score a touchdown the rest of the way despite marching into the red zone six additional times. While he missed kicks from 32 and 37 yards, Pippin ignited the offense after nailing four of his six attempts — all from 38 yards and in.

"It could have been a lot better. Those two you got to have," Pippin said.

"But at the end of the day, my holder, Adam Hess, reminds me that you can't let the last kick define you in a good way or a bad way. You just got to reset and make the next kick."

After struggling to string together much significance in the passing game in the final three quarters, SEMO found a steady rhythm with running back Darrell Smith. The grad student had a career game after bulldozing his way to 145 rushing yards on 31 carries in place of usual starter Payton Brown, who was limited to just four carries.

"Loved how we run the ball," SEMO head coach Tom Matukewicz said. "He's a great kid that had to accept a role that he didn't like, behind some of those other guys and was patient and waited for his turn and did a great job today."

DeLaurent bowed out of the day with 237 yards through the air to go with a touchdown and an interception behind a shaky 48.8 completion rate. To his credit, SEMO had its fair share of drops in the game, which was also a big reason for the inconsistencies and missed opportunities in the red zone.

The sloppy conditions from Hurricane Helene kept coming, but so, too, did SEMO’s aggressive defense. The retooled unit locked down on Northwestern State’s two-quarterback look led by JT Fayard and Quaterius Hawkins, holding the duo to a mere 67 yards passing.

Northwestern State (0-5) had four second-half possessions — three ended in punts, and the final possession ended on downs. That was all before SEMO held the Demons to 50 total yards in the first half.

One particular play stood out: defensive coordinator Ricky Coon dialed up a heavy blitz on fourth-and-2 early in the fourth quarter. Hawkins collapsed in the pocket and was met by linebackers Bryce Norman and Mali Walton through the gaps for a huge turnover on downs at the SEMO 42. The dual-threat quarterback only rushed for 13 yards in the game, and SEMO was ultra-efficient in containing his scramble ability.

“It’s all about being unselfish, everyone loving each other, everyone doing what they’re supposed to do so that they’re not out of gap getting their eyes at the wrong place,” SEMO linebacker Jared Pedraza said. “We just listen to our coaches, trust each other and you see the result.”

The 19-0 win was SEMO’s first home shutout in 30 years and first overall shutout since 2014.

"We're a brotherhood," Pedraza said.

At 4-1, the Redhawks remain undefeated against FCS opponents and will presumably use Saturday's victory as a gut check ahead of conference play.

"I think the team's confident," Pippin said. "We're playing well, guys are having fun, and we'll keep it going."

SEMO visits Eastern Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 5, to begin a seven-week stretch against Big South-OVC conference opponents. The Redhawks edged the Panthers 35-28 at Houck Stadium last season.

"This is a seven-game mission to bring home a championship," Matukewicz said.