Gregory Street Tennis Courts | Illinois State University Athletics
Gregory Street Tennis Courts | Illinois State University Athletics
Illinois State University is set to face Southeast Missouri State in the first round of the 2024 FCS Playoffs. The Redbirds, ranked No. 12, will travel to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, for a matchup at Houck Stadium on November 30. This marks Illinois State's return to postseason play after a five-year absence.
The two teams have met 11 times previously, with Illinois State leading the series 8-3. Their last encounter was in the first round of the 2019 FCS Playoffs, where Illinois State secured a 24-6 victory.
Brock Spack, head coach of Illinois State since 2008, has guided his team to nine playoff appearances and became the program's all-time wins leader in 2021. On the opposing side, Tom Matukewicz has led Southeast Missouri State since 2013 and has taken his team to four NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff appearances.
Illinois State's offense is bolstered by wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz and running back Wenkers Wright. Sobkowicz recently surpassed the 2,000 career receiving yards mark, while Wright achieved over 1,000 rushing yards this season. Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse has been instrumental during ISU's five-game winning streak.
On defense, linebacker Amir Abdullah returned from injury to make significant contributions. Sophomore Tye Niekamp was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against North Dakota.
Southeast Missouri State finished their regular season with a shared conference title and an undefeated home record under Coach Matukewicz. Quarterback Paxton DeLaurent set multiple single-season records for SEMO this year.
Both teams enter the playoffs with identical records of 9-3 and are eager to advance further in the tournament.
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