From the outside, Southeast Missouri State was not a logical choice for an FCS playoffs bid in 2022. The Redhawks were coming off a 4-7 campaign in 2021 and, worse than that, the south side grandstands of SEMO's Houck Field was condemned during the season.
Tom Matukewicz's team didn't let external factors determine their internal commitment.
As a stadium, Houck Field may have only been halfway usable. But the team that played on it was totally complete.
The coaching staff was encouraged by the team's performance in a 42-10 loss at Iowa State to open the season, and that encouragement was justified the next week when SEMO went on the road and defeated rival Southern Illinois, ranked No. 17 at the time, on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds to play. The Redhawks then reeled off five straight wins after that, shrugged off a Homecoming loss to Eastern Kentucky, and won their last three to close the season.
Southeast Missouri State rolled to the Ohio Valley Conference championship, winning all five OVC games by an average of 26.2 points per game.
The story of the 2022 Redhawks are told through their rings, explained in this video below, narrated by Matukewicz himself.