Southeast Missouri Wins the War for the Wheel Trophy
September 23, 2024
Southeast Missouri State and Southern Illinois are only 48 miles apart, so it wasn’t too far of a drive for the Redhawks to face their rival. The No. 7 Salukis had a 21-16 lead late in the third quarter, but Paxton DeLaurent threw two touchdown passes and Payton Brown ran another score in during the final stages of the game allowing Southeast Missouri State to run away with the War for the Wheel Trophy, 38-21. The wins moves SEMO up to No. 14 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. Southern Illinois drops 10 places to No. 17.
The Salukis don’t have long to lick their wounds as they travel to No. 5 South Dakota in one of four top 25 matchups in the final weekend of September. The other matchups feature No. 2 North Dakota State traveling to No. 15 Illinois State and No. 4 Idaho facing their third straight ranked opponent in No. 11 UC Davis. The final matchup has newly ranked and No. 25 Lamar traveling to No. 7 Central Arkansas. This is the first time Lamar has been ranked in the FCS Coaches Poll since the AFCA took over in 2018.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 4 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (22) 3-1 644 1 D. Southeastern Louisiana, 41-0 Oct. 5 at No. 19 Northern Iowa
2 North Dakota St. (1) 3-1 612 2 D. Towson, 41-24 Sept. 28 at No. 15 Illinois St.
3 Montana St. (2) 4-0 598 3 D. Mercyhurst, 52-13 Sept. 28 at Idaho St.
4 Idaho (1) 3-1 578 4 D. No. 23 ACU, 27-24 Sept. 28 at No. 11 UC Davis
5 South Dakota 2-1 515 6 D. Drake, 42-3 Sept. 28 vs. No. 17 Southern Illinois
6 Villanova 3-1 475 5 Lost to Maryland, 38-20 Sept. 28 vs. LIU
7 Central Arkansas 3-1 467 8 D. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 56-17 Sept. 28 vs. No. 25 Lamar
8 North Dakota 3-1 457 9 D. San Diego, 41-24 Sept. 28 vs. Murray St.
9 Montana 3-1 453 10 D. Western Carolina, 46-35 Sept. 28 at Eastern Washington
10 Sacramento St. 2-2 408 11 D. Texas A&M-Commerce, 34-0 Sept. 28 at Northern Arizona
11 UC Davis 3-1 366 12 D. Utah Tech, 32-14 Sept. 28 vs. No. 4 Idaho
12 William & Mary 3-1 355 13 D. Furman, 34-24 Sept. 28 vs. Hampton
13 Mercer 4-0 286 16 D. The Citadel, 38-21 Sept. 28 at Wofford
14 Southeast Missouri St. 3-1 277 21 D. No. 7 Southern Illinois, 38-21 Sept. 28 vs. Northwestern St.
15 Illinois St. 3-1 276 15 D. Eastern Illinois, 31-7 Sept. 28 vs. No. 2 North Dakota St.
16 Tarleton St. 3-1 263 17 D. North Alabama, 28-14 Sept. 28 vs. Southeastern Louisiana
17 Southern Illinois 2-2 248 7 Lost to No. 21 Southeast Missouri St., 38-21 Sept. 28 at No. 5 South Dakota
18 UIW 2-2 194 18 D. Northern Arizona, 38-14 Oct. 5 vs. Prairie View A&M
19 Northern Iowa 2-2 105 19 Lost to Hawaii, 36-7 Oct. 5 vs. No. 1 South Dakota St.
20 New Hampshire 3-1 98 NR D. Bryant, 38-17 Oct. 4 at Harvard
21 Florida A&M 2-2 85 20 Lost to Troy, 34-12 Sept. 28 vs. Alabama A&M
22 ACU 2-2 78 23 Lost to No. 4 Idaho, 27-24 Sept. 28 at Utah Tech
23t. UAlbany 1-2 73 22 Idle Sept. 28 vs. Maine
23t. Richmond 2-2 73 NR D. Delaware St., 38-24 Sept. 28 at Elon
25 Lamar 3-1 68 NR D. Texas Southern, 20-17 Sept. 28 at No. 7 Central Arkansas
Dropped Out: Lafayette (14), Chattanooga (24), Youngstown St. (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Rhode Island, 54; Lafayette, 49; Chattanooga, 46; Weber St., 28; McNeese, 23; Eastern Illinois, 20; Missouri St., 20; Harvard, 19; Lehigh, 19; Stony Brook, 16; Wofford, 14; Monmouth (N.J.), 10; Youngstown St., 10; Duquesne, 9; North Carolina Central, 9; Stephen F. Austin, 9; Nicholls, 7; Butler, 6; East Tennessee St., 6; Indiana St., 5; Northern Arizona, 4; Southern, 4; Dartmouth, 3; Yale, 3; Central Connecticut St., 2; Jackson St., 1; Murray St., 1; Western Carolina, 1.
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Southeast Missouri State and Southern Illinois are only 48 miles apart, so it wasn’t too far of a drive for the Redhawks to face their rival. The No. 7 Salukis had a 21-16 lead late in the third quarter, but Paxton DeLaurent threw two touchdown passes and Payton Brown ran another score in during the final stages of the game allowing Southeast Missouri State to run away with the War for the Wheel Trophy, 38-21. The wins moves SEMO up to No. 14 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. Southern Illinois drops 10 places to No. 17.
The Salukis don’t have long to lick their wounds as they travel to No. 5 South Dakota in one of four top 25 matchups in the final weekend of September. The other matchups feature No. 2 North Dakota State traveling to No. 15 Illinois State and No. 4 Idaho facing their third straight ranked opponent in No. 11 UC Davis. The final matchup has newly ranked and No. 25 Lamar traveling to No. 7 Central Arkansas. This is the first time Lamar has been ranked in the FCS Coaches Poll since the AFCA took over in 2018.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 4 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (22) | 3-1 | 644 | 1 | D. Southeastern Louisiana, 41-0 | Oct. 5 at No. 19 Northern Iowa | |
| 2 | North Dakota St. (1) | 3-1 | 612 | 2 | D. Towson, 41-24 | Sept. 28 at No. 15 Illinois St. | |
| 3 | Montana St. (2) | 4-0 | 598 | 3 | D. Mercyhurst, 52-13 | Sept. 28 at Idaho St. | |
| 4 | Idaho (1) | 3-1 | 578 | 4 | D. No. 23 ACU, 27-24 | Sept. 28 at No. 11 UC Davis | |
| 5 | South Dakota | 2-1 | 515 | 6 | D. Drake, 42-3 | Sept. 28 vs. No. 17 Southern Illinois | |
| 6 | Villanova | 3-1 | 475 | 5 | Lost to Maryland, 38-20 | Sept. 28 vs. LIU | |
| 7 | Central Arkansas | 3-1 | 467 | 8 | D. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 56-17 | Sept. 28 vs. No. 25 Lamar | |
| 8 | North Dakota | 3-1 | 457 | 9 | D. San Diego, 41-24 | Sept. 28 vs. Murray St. | |
| 9 | Montana | 3-1 | 453 | 10 | D. Western Carolina, 46-35 | Sept. 28 at Eastern Washington | |
| 10 | Sacramento St. | 2-2 | 408 | 11 | D. Texas A&M-Commerce, 34-0 | Sept. 28 at Northern Arizona | |
| 11 | UC Davis | 3-1 | 366 | 12 | D. Utah Tech, 32-14 | Sept. 28 vs. No. 4 Idaho | |
| 12 | William & Mary | 3-1 | 355 | 13 | D. Furman, 34-24 | Sept. 28 vs. Hampton | |
| 13 | Mercer | 4-0 | 286 | 16 | D. The Citadel, 38-21 | Sept. 28 at Wofford | |
| 14 | Southeast Missouri St. | 3-1 | 277 | 21 | D. No. 7 Southern Illinois, 38-21 | Sept. 28 vs. Northwestern St. | |
| 15 | Illinois St. | 3-1 | 276 | 15 | D. Eastern Illinois, 31-7 | Sept. 28 vs. No. 2 North Dakota St. | |
| 16 | Tarleton St. | 3-1 | 263 | 17 | D. North Alabama, 28-14 | Sept. 28 vs. Southeastern Louisiana | |
| 17 | Southern Illinois | 2-2 | 248 | 7 | Lost to No. 21 Southeast Missouri St., 38-21 | Sept. 28 at No. 5 South Dakota | |
| 18 | UIW | 2-2 | 194 | 18 | D. Northern Arizona, 38-14 | Oct. 5 vs. Prairie View A&M | |
| 19 | Northern Iowa | 2-2 | 105 | 19 | Lost to Hawaii, 36-7 | Oct. 5 vs. No. 1 South Dakota St. | |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 3-1 | 98 | NR | D. Bryant, 38-17 | Oct. 4 at Harvard | |
| 21 | Florida A&M | 2-2 | 85 | 20 | Lost to Troy, 34-12 | Sept. 28 vs. Alabama A&M | |
| 22 | ACU | 2-2 | 78 | 23 | Lost to No. 4 Idaho, 27-24 | Sept. 28 at Utah Tech | |
| 23t. | UAlbany | 1-2 | 73 | 22 | Idle | Sept. 28 vs. Maine | |
| 23t. | Richmond | 2-2 | 73 | NR | D. Delaware St., 38-24 | Sept. 28 at Elon | |
| 25 | Lamar | 3-1 | 68 | NR | D. Texas Southern, 20-17 | Sept. 28 at No. 7 Central Arkansas |
Dropped Out: Lafayette (14), Chattanooga (24), Youngstown St. (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Rhode Island, 54; Lafayette, 49; Chattanooga, 46; Weber St., 28; McNeese, 23; Eastern Illinois, 20; Missouri St., 20; Harvard, 19; Lehigh, 19; Stony Brook, 16; Wofford, 14; Monmouth (N.J.), 10; Youngstown St., 10; Duquesne, 9; North Carolina Central, 9; Stephen F. Austin, 9; Nicholls, 7; Butler, 6; East Tennessee St., 6; Indiana St., 5; Northern Arizona, 4; Southern, 4; Dartmouth, 3; Yale, 3; Central Connecticut St., 2; Jackson St., 1; Murray St., 1; Western Carolina, 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
