Expectations heaped upon SEMO FB heading into 2023

The 2023 edition of Southeast Missouri State football has had a lot of preseason hype put upon its broad and talented shoulders, and no one is more cognizant of that than the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Redhawk coach Tom Matukewicz.

“Our biggest challenge this year is going to be ourselves,” Matukewicz said at the Big South-OVC Football Association media day on Tuesday in Nashville. “It’s our egos.”

The Redhawks are coming off a 9-3 season in which they won their second OVC title in four seasons and advanced into the FCS Playoffs for the third time in five years.

“We do have a lot of great things going for us,” Matukewicz said. “But I struggle with my ego and I am 50 (Matukewicz turns 50 on August 5), so what do you think a 20-year-old does?

“We have to make sure that we can check our egos and have the courage to do the things it takes to make sure that we keep ourselves on track.”

On Tuesday, remaining humble could not have been an easy task.

SEMO received six of the 10 first-place votes cast by the head coaches in the preseason conference poll while leading all teams with 96 points, 10 more than runner-up Gardner-Webb.

“There is excitement,” Matukewicz said. “This is the best roster that I have had.”

There were 10 Redhawk student-athletes that were named to the Big South-OVC Football Association Preseason “Watch List,” including the 2022-23 OVC Male Athlete of the Year, SEMO running back Geno Hess.

“We have a great running back,” Redhawk wide receiver Ryan Flournoy, who was also honored on the list, said. “You can expect big plays. We have a lot of weapons.”

Joining Hess and Flournoy on the list of top players were quarterback Paxton DeLaurent, offensive lineman Zack Gieg, defensive lineman Steven Lewis, linebackers Keandre Booker and Bryce Norman, defensive backs Lawrence Johnson and Ty Leonard, and return specialist Dalyn McDonald.

“We have to put the focus on us,” defensive lineman Lunden Manuel said, “and drown out the outside noise and constant reminders of everything that we did last year.

“You can’t go into this season with hopes and dreams. We haven’t accomplished anything this season. (But) We’re looking forward to making that happen.”

Manuel spoke of “taking that next step,” and what that means statistically is ‘Can the Redhawks win 10 games?’

Three times in the past five seasons, SEMO has won nine games, but no team in school history has ever won 10.

“There is this unknown,” Matukewicz said, “this pressure on myself that I just want to make sure that I’m not the reason that we don’t accomplish the mission this year.”

SEMO returns 14 starters from the 2022 squad and will open the regular season at Kansas State on Sept. 2 at 6 p.m.

The Redhawks will open their home season at renovated Houck Field on Sept. 9 against Lindenwood at 6 p.m.

“Just like every football coach,” Matukewicz said, “there is excitement, but there is also this tense exchange in making sure that I am ready and leading my team well.”