2026 Week 7 - WIU at Southeast Missouri State

[ST_Lawson]

 AT 

Opponent: Southeast Missouri State Redhawks
Game Time: Saturday, October 17 at 2 PM
Location: Recently-renovated (2023) Houck Field (capacity 8,000), Cape Girardeau, MO

Last Year: In 2025, SEMO went 4-8 overall, with a 3-5 conference record. They won our matchup with them, 22-17, on 11/15/25.
This Year: he Redhawks are 3-3 with wins over Indiana State (23-21), Central Arkansas (27-9), and Lindewood (38-27) and losses to FBS Iowa State (38-10), rival SIU (34-20), and then FCS #20 West Florida (20-17).
History: The Leathernecks and Redhawks have faced off three times, with SEMO being undefeated against WIU. They won 46-0 in 1944, then won in 2024 (54-45) and 2025 (22-17).

Projections: 

• Massey Ratings currently says we have about a 35% chance of winning, with a predicted score of 30-24 for SEMO.
• Sagarin's projections say a 30% chance of a WIU win with a predicted score of 26-18 for SEMO.

Odds-wise, we have a better chance against SEMO than they gave Tennessee State against us, and it took some last-minute heroics on our part to come away with a win. If we are somehow able to block a little better on offense and hopefully clean up some of the penalties (a common refrain this year), we have a good chance of a win.

[NewNeck]

WIU/SEMO preview at the 1:05:37 mark 

[wiu712]

 
 

[ST_Lawson]

With as bad as the OVC is this season in football, we're tied with SEMO for the top spot in the conference currently. SEMO, EIU, UTM, and we are all 1-0 in the OVC, with SEMO and us having the best overall records at 3-3. Of the remaining games, SEMO should be the toughest (~34% chance of win), but the remaining 5 games are all in the ~46-54% range...essentially a coin flip based on whoever plays a little better that day.

[rocki]

IF we can cut down on penalties, we should give ourselves a chance to be in the games to come. Too often, we are our own worst enemy.

[wiu712]

Game Day Forecast:
Plentiful sunshine.
High 61.
Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
 
 

[sealhall74]

Is there something wrong with the 98.1 radio stream?

I get commercials but nothing else.  
 

[wiu712]

Southeast Missouri State won the game 40-30.

#17 Kennedy McGill was 20 of 37 for 264 yards.  0 Touchdowns.  2 Interceptions.  He also rushed 27 times for 183 yards -- scoring 3 Touchdowns.

Western had 533 Total Yards:  264 yards Passing.  269 yards Rushing.

Attendance at SEMO = 3,276

 
 

[NewNeck]

Had to follow game on espn app…looked like total domination by WIU. 533 yds, 26 first down, 7.7 yds per play. Huge fake field goal TD. Did semo run game wear us down? Seems like another game where WIU outplayed opponent but lost…