# 2024 Southeast Missouri State Redhawks football team

The 2024 Southeast Missouri State Redhawks football team represented Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) as a member of the Big South–OVC Football Association during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 11th-year head coach Tom Matukewicz, the Redhawks played their home games at Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

## Preseason
### Preseason poll

The Big South-OVC Conference released their preseason poll on July 17, 2024. The Redhawks were picked to finish third in the conference.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | UT Martin | 61 (5) |
| 2 | Eastern Illinois | 53 (2) |
| 3 | Southeast Missouri State | 51 (2) |
| 4 | Tennessee State | 41 |
| 5 | Gardner-Webb | 40 |
| 6 | Charleston Southern | 27 |
| 7 | Tennessee Tech | 24 |
| 8 | Lindenwood | 18 |
| 9 | Western Illinois | 9 |

### Transfers
#### Outgoing

| Player | Position | New school |
| Joel Logan | DL | Alabama A&M |
| Josh Jackson | QB | Central Connecticut |
| Harris Adams | DL | Cincinnati |
| Henry Pickens III | DB | Duquesne |
| Christian Fuhrman | LB | Northern Illinois |
| Jenson Walker | LS | North Texas |
| Joe Bowman | K | UTEP |
| Christian Fuhrman | LB | Unknown |
| Camani Cobbs | DB | Unknown |

#### Incoming

| Player | Position | Previous school |
| Tony Terry | OLB | Kansas |
| Cam Pedro | WR | Marshall |
| Zyier Thornton | LB | New Mexico State |
| Jared Pedraza | LB | Northwestern State |
| Jalen Nettles | OL | UAB |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 24 | 6:00 p.m. | vs. North Alabama* | | Cramton BowlMontgomery, AL (FCS Kickoff) | ESPN | W 37–15 | 4,358 |
| August 31 | 8:00 p.m. | at New Mexico State* | | Aggie Memorial StadiumLas Cruces, NM | TruTV | L 16–23 | 10,738 |
| September 7 | 6:00 p.m. | UT Martin | | Houck StadiumCape Girardeau, MO | ESPN+ | W 45–42 $^{2OT}$ | 6,127 |
| September 21 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 7 Southern Illinois* | No. 21 | Saluki StadiumCarbondale, IL | ESPN+ | W 38–21 | 13,421 |
| September 28 | 3:00 p.m. | Northwestern State* | No. 13 | Houck StadiumCape Girardeau, MO | ESPN+ | W 19–0 | N/A |
| October 5 | 2:00 p.m. | at Eastern Illinois | No. 13 | O'Brien FieldCharleston, IL | ESPN+ | W 38–27 | 7,777 |
| October 12 | 3:00 p.m. | Tennessee Tech | No. 11 | Houck StadiumCape Girardeau, MO | ESPN+ | W 34–3 | 5,220 |
| October 19 | 3:00 p.m. | at Charleston Southern | No. 8 | Buccaneer FieldNorth Charleston, SC | ESPN+ | W 26–13 | 3,105 |
| October 26 | 2:00 p.m. | Gardner–Webb | No. 6 | Houck StadiumCape Girardeau, MO | ESPN+ | W 30–24 | 7,295 |
| November 9 | 1:00 p.m. | at Lindenwood | No. 6 | Harlen C. Hunter StadiumSt. Charles, MO | ESPN+ | L 12–24 | 5,108 |
| November 16 | 1:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | No. 12 | Houck StadiumCape Girardeau, MO | ESPN+ | W 54–45 | 4,839 |
| November 23 | 3:30 p.m. | at Tennessee State | No. 12 | Nissan StadiumNashville, TN | ESPN+ | L 21–28 | 1,536 |
| November 30 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 11 Illinois State* | No. 16 | Houck StadiumCape Girardeau, MO (NCAA Division I First Round) | ESPN+ | L 27–35 | |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### vs. North Alabama

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Redhawks | 7 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 37 |
at Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama
* Date: August 24
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Wind: SW at 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) • Weather: Sunny • Temp: 89 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 4,358
* Referee: Brad Carrell
* TV announcers (ESPN): Jay Alter (play-by-play) and Rocky Boiman (analyst)
| Statistics | UNA | SEMO |
| First downs | 16 | 23 |
| Total yards | 320 | 372 |
| Rushing yards | 216 | 176 |
| Passing yards | 104 | 196 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 12-24-2 | 24-31 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 23:21 | 36:39 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| North Alabama | Passing | Ari Patu | 12/24, 104 yards, 2 INT |
| North Alabama | Rushing | Jayvian Allen | 13 carries, 100 yards, TD |
| North Alabama | Receiving | Kobe Warden | 5 receptions, 50 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Carter Hensley | 10/14, 100 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Payton Brown | 19 carries, 97 yards, 3 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Dorian Anderson | 5 receptions, 71 yards |

### at New Mexico State (FBS)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redhawks | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Aggies (FBS) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 23 |
at Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM
* Date: Saturday August 31, 2024
* Game time: 8:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 90 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 10,738
* TV announcers (TruTV): J.B. Long (play-by-play) and Mike Golic, Jr. (analyst)
| Statistics | SEMO | NMSU |
| First downs | 15 | 20 |
| Total yards | 352 | 270 |
| Rushing yards | 57 | 210 |
| Passing yards | 295 | 60 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 27–45–1 | 7–23–1 |
| Time of possession | 37:24 | 33:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 27/45, 295 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Steven Lewis | 1 carry, 27 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Dorian Anderson | 6 receptions, 115 yards, 1 TD |
| New Mexico State | Passing | Parker Awad | 5/18, 37 yards, 1 INT |
| New Mexico State | Rushing | Seth McGowan | 11 carries, 87 yards, 2 TD |
| New Mexico State | Receiving | PJ Johnson III | 2 receptions, 35 yards |

### vs. UT Martin

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | Total |
| Skyhawks | 0 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 42 |
| Redhawks | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 45 |
at Houck Stadium • Cape Girardeau, MO
* Date: Saturday September 7, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 6,127
* Referee: Branden McCain
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
| Statistics | UTM | SEMO |
| First downs | 22 | 24 |
| Total yards | 470 | 365 |
| Rushing yards | 193 | -11 |
| Passing yards | 277 | 376 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 23-33-0 | 34-64-0 |
| Time of possession | 38:13 | 21:47 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UT Martin | Passing | Kinkead Dent | 23/33, 277 yards, 4 TD |
| UT Martin | Rushing | Patrick Smith | 26 carries, 148 yards, 1 TD |
| UT Martin | Receiving | DeVonte Tanksley | 7 receptions, 113 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 34/63, 376 yards, 6 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Payton Brown | 2 carries, 3 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Dorian Anderson | 8 receptions, 127 yards, 2 TD |

### at No. 7 Southern Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Redhawks | 13 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 38 |
| No. 7 Salukis | 2 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 21 |
at Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL
* Date: September 21, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 86 °F (30 °C)
* Game attendance: 13,421
* Referee: Jason Berg
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | SEMO | SIU |
| First downs | 22 | 24 |
| Total yards | 449 | 403 |
| Rushing yards | 148 | 62 |
| Passing yards | 301 | 341 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25-41-1 | 28-48-0 |
| Time of possession | 26:01 | 33:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 25/40, 301 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Payton Brown | 18 carries, 124 yards, 1 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Dorian Anderson | 8 receptions, 111 yards, 2 TD |
| Southern Illinois | Passing | Hunter Simmons | 28/48, 341 yards, 1 TD |
| Southern Illinois | Rushing | Jerrian Parker | 15 carries, 32 yards |
| Southern Illinois | Receiving | Vinson Davis III | 9 receptions, 132 yards, 1 TD |

### vs. Northwestern State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Demons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 13 Redhawks | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
at Houck Stadium • Cape Girardeau, MO
* Date: Saturday September 28, 2024
* Game time: 3:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy, 72 °F (22 °C)
* Referee: Jeremee Tate
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Erik Sean (play-by-play) and Rick Weiser (analyst)
| Statistics | NWST | SEMO |
| First downs | 5 | 26 |
| Total yards | 120 | 420 |
| Rushing yards | 53 | 183 |
| Passing yards | 67 | 237 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 9–18–0 | 21–43–1 |
| Time of possession | 18:15 | 41:45 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Northwestern State | Passing | Quaterius Hawkins | 5/6, 51 yards |
| Northwestern State | Rushing | Zay Davis | 7 carries, 16 yards |
| Northwestern State | Receiving | Travon Jones | 3 receptions, 26 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 21/43, 237 yards, TD, INT |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Darrell Smith | 31 carries, 127 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Cam Pedro | 4 receptions, 58 yards, TD |

### at Eastern Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 13 Redhawks | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 27 |
at O'Brien Field, Charleston, IL
* Date: Saturday October 5, 2024
* Game time: 2:00 PM
* Game weather: Sunny, 83 °F (28 °C)
* Game attendance: 7,777
* Referee: Drew Myers
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
| Statistics | SEMO | EIU |
| First downs | 26 | 19 |
| Total yards | 426 | 385 |
| Rushing yards | 61 | 19 |
| Passing yards | 364 | 366 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 30–43–1 | 27–42–0 |
| Time of possession | 34:02 | 25:58 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 30/43, 364 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Darrell Smith | 18 carries, 63 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Tristan Smith | 8 receptions, 124 yards, 1 TD |
| Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 27/42, 366 yards, 2 TD |
| Eastern Illinois | Rushing | MJ Flowers | 14 carries, 48 yards, 2 TD |
| Eastern Illinois | Receiving | MJ Flowers | 11 receptions, 72 yards |

### vs. Tennessee Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Eagles | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 11 Redhawks | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 34 |
at Houck Stadium • Cape Girardeau, MO
* Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
* Game time: 3:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 80 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 5,220
* Referee: Zach Erdmann
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
| Statistics | TNTC | SEMO |
| First downs | 20 | 23 |
| Total yards | 265 | 455 |
| Rushing yards | 34 | 37 |
| Passing yards | 231 | 418 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 26-47-2 | 34-46-2 |
| Time of possession | 30:29 | 29:31 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tennessee Tech | Passing | Jordyn Potts | 26/47, 231 yards, 2 INT |
| Tennessee Tech | Rushing | Jalen Mitchell | 10 carries, 25 yards |
| Tennessee Tech | Receiving | D.J. Linkins | 7 receptions, 90 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 34/46, 418 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Cole Ruble | 10 carries, 31 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Cam Pedro | 6 receptions, 111 yards |

### at Charleston Southern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Redhawks | 6 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 26 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
at Buccaneer Field • North Charleston, SC
* Date: Saturday October 19, 2024
* Game time: 3:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 71 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 3,105
* Referee: Gabriel Tomlin
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
| Statistics | SEMO | CHSO |
| First downs | 28 | 12 |
| Total yards | 415 | 255 |
| Rushing yards | 80 | 108 |
| Passing yards | 335 | 147 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 32–55–0 | 12–18–0 |
| Time of possession | 33:43 | 26:17 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 32/55, 335 yards, 1 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Jacorey Love | 12 carries, 65 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Tristan Smith | 7 receptions, 90 yards |
| Charleston Southern | Passing | Kaleb Jackson | 9/15, 125 yards, 2 TD |
| Charleston Southern | Rushing | Autavius Ison | 11 carries, 44 yards |
| Charleston Southern | Receiving | Chris Rhone | 6 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD |

### vs. Gardner-Webb

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 14 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| No. 6 Redhawks | 0 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 30 |
at Houck Stadium • Cape Girardeau, MO
* Date: Saturday October 26, 2024
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 7,295
* Referee: Michael Lennie
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
| Statistics | GWEB | SEMO |
| First downs | 13 | 25 |
| Total yards | 274 | 432 |
| Rushing yards | 107 | 120 |
| Passing yards | 167 | 312 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 14–31–2 | 35–58–2 |
| Time of possession | 25:56 | 34:04 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing | Tyler Ridell | 14/31, 167 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing | Edward Saydee | 13 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving | Edward Saydee | 4 receptions, 84 yards, 1 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 35/58, 312 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Cole Ruble | 16 carries, 122 yards, 1 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Dorian Anderson | 7 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD |

### at Lindenwood

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 Redhawks | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
| Lions | 0 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium • St. Charles, MO
* Date: Saturday November 9, 2024
* Game time: 1:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Rainy, 55 °F (13 °C)
* Game attendance: 5,108
* Referee: John Kellemeir
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
| Statistics | SEMO | LIN |
| First downs | 8 | 17 |
| Total yards | 234 | 375 |
| Rushing yards | 60 | 192 |
| Passing yards | 174 | 183 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16–37–1 | 13–20–1 |
| Time of possession | 19:26 | 40:34 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 16/37, 174 yards, 1 INT |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Darrell Smith | 9 carries, 37 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Tristan Smith | 7 receptions, 64 yards |
| Lindenwood | Passing | Nate Glantz | 13/20, 183 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Lindenwood | Rushing | Steve Hall | 18 carries, 91 yards |
| Lindenwood | Receiving | Jeff Caldwell | 6 receptions, 99 yards, 1 TD |

### vs. Western Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 14 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 45 |
| No. 12 Redhawks | 10 | 21 | 13 | 10 | 54 |
at Houck Stadium • Cape Girardeau, MO
* Date: Saturday November 16, 2024
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 60 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 4,839
* Referee: Matthew Jones
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
| Statistics | WIU | SEMO |
| First downs | 25 | 33 |
| Total yards | 593 | 559 |
| Rushing yards | 93 | 192 |
| Passing yards | 500 | 367 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 27–42–3 | 24–39–1 |
| Time of possession | 26:09 | 33:51 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Western Illinois | Passing | Nathan Lamb | 24/39, 449 yds, 3 TD, 3 INT |
| Western Illinois | Rushing | Cameren Smith | 17 carries, 84 yards, 1 TD |
| Western Illinois | Receiving | Matthew Henry | 7 receptions, 183 yards, 1 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 24/39, 367 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Brandon Epton Jr. | 22 carries, 126 yards, 1 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Dorian Anderson | 5 receptions, 116 yards, 1 TD |

### at Tennessee State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 12 Redhawks | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Tigers | 21 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
at Nissan Stadium • Nashville, TN
* Date: Saturday November 23, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 53 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 1,536
* Referee: Brad Carrell
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
| Statistics | SEMO | TNST |
| First downs | 18 | 19 |
| Total yards | 308 | 347 |
| Rushing yards | 75 | 115 |
| Passing yards | 233 | 232 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 27–47–0 | 20–32–0 |
| Time of possession | 28:17 | 31:43 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 27/46, 233 yards, 2 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Payton Brown | 10 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Tristan Smith | 8 receptions, 70 yards |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 20/31, 232 yards, 2 TD |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | Jaden McGill | 18 carries, 73 yards |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | CJ Evans | 6 receptions, 107 yards, 1 TD |

### at No. 11 Illinois State (NCAA Division I Playoff–First Round)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 11 Redbirds | 7 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
| No. 16 Redhawks | 7 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 27 |
at Houck Stadium • Cape Girardeau, MO
* Date: Saturday November 30, 2024
* Game time: 12:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy, 32 °F (0 °C)
* Game attendance: 0
* Referee: Preston Clipper
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Shawn Kenney (play-by-play) and Jay Sonnhalter (analyst)
| Statistics | ILST | SEMO |
| First downs | 14 | 34 |
| Total yards | 322 | 602 |
| Rushing yards | 45 | 35 |
| Passing yards | 277 | 567 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 24–36–0 | 48–85–5 |
| Time of possession | 25:33 | 34:27 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Illinois State | Passing | Tommy Rittenhouse | 24/36, 277 yards, 2 TD |
| Illinois State | Rushing | Wenkers Wright | 12 carries, 17 yards, 1 TD |
| Illinois State | Receiving | Daniel Sobkowicz | 7 receptions, 136 yards, 1 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 48/85, 567 yards, 4 TD, 5 INT |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Brandon Epton Jr. | 6 carries, 32 yards |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Cam Pedro | 11 receptions, 149 yards |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Final |
| STATS | — | — | — | 21 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 |
| Coaches | — | — | — | 21 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 17 |