Defense still wins championships.

There is no coincidence that the past three FCS national champions all ranked top three nationally in both total defense and scoring defense. In fact, four of the previous five Ohio Valley Conference champions all led the conference in those two statistical categories.

SEMO football fans were far too familiar with last season’s defensive woes, and if this program is going to regain its national relevance, third-year defensive coordinator Ricky Coon will have to lead this defense to be as effective as it was in 2022 to elevate what was statistically one of the worst units in the OVC last season.

In 2022, the Redhawk defense held their opponents to just 22.6 points per game and 361.1 yards per game, which both ranked first in the OVC. Last season, the unit took a huge step back, allowing 29.6 points per game and 441.9 yards per game.

With three new assistant coaches, a veteran front seven, and three starters back in the secondary, SEMO should improve on last year’s numbers and be a more complete group. Matukewicz said that it may take some time for the unit to gel.

“We got a lot of new coaches and new faces on defense, so it may take us a little bit to understand what our players are really good at and just emphasizing that,” Matukewicz said. “I still feel like we’re going to have a really good top one-to-two defense.”

One way to mitigate last year’s flaws is to have an improved pass rush, as the Redhawks posted an OVC-worst 14 total sacks last season.

Up front, four defensive linemen return, including 2022 second-team All-Big South-OVC defensive tackle Steven Lewis, who has 35 career starts under his belt. Joining senior edge rusher Sam Cook are transfers McCoy Casey (Trinity Valley) and Zy’ier Thornton (New Mexico State) – two players the coaching staff “feel really good about.”

At inside linebacker, Jackson native and 2024 Preseason Big South-OVC Association Defensive Player of the Year Bryce Norman is set for one final season and will continue to be the ironman of the Redhawk defense.

Upon being named a Freshman All-American in 2021, Norman has led the team in tackles each season. By all accounts, the team captain has taken steps forward as a leader over the course of his career.

“I’ve always kind of been a quiet guy so being a leader hasn’t always been my strong suit,” Norman said. “I kind of let my play do the talking has kind of worked my way into being a leader of the team.”

Norman will be complimented well by Northwestern State transfer Jared Pedraza – a production machine who tallied 209 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks across 37 games for the Demons.

If the pass rush can prove to be more effective, the secondary should improve. Cornerbacks Joedrick Lewis and Ty Leonard headline the group as the two combined for 77 tackles, 21 pass breakups, and three interceptions last season. At safety, Khalani Riddick and Dony’e Taylor return and will battle for a starting spot over the next few weeks. A pair of transfers in Justus Johnson (Murray State) and Adrian Patterson (Coffeyville Community College) entered the program in January and should mix into the rotation.

A breakout campaign from one of these newcomers would be a huge step in helping replace do-it-all defensive back Lawrence Johnson’s production.

On special teams, second-team All-Big South-OVC kicker DC Pippin returns and is a weapon between the hashes. He converted 11 of 14 field goal attempts, including a long of 48 yards, in 2023. Sophomore Logan Leftrick averaged 39.8 yards per punt in 10 games as a true freshman last season. He will battle senior Adam Heston, who suffered a broken leg early last season, for the starting job this fall.