Illinois State is back in the FCS playoffs and will hit the road to take on OVC co-champion Southeast Missouri in a first-round contest set to take place at Houck Field in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

The Redbirds and Redhawks will meet for the 11th time, with Illinois State holding a 7-3 advantage in the series that dates back to 1943. SEMO has won the last two contests against ISU, with wins at home in 2000 (28-25) and in Normal in 2001 (38-33). The Redbirds won the five games previous to that in the series from 1970 to 1997. This will be the sixth time the two squads face off in Cape Girardeau, with the Redbirds holding a 2-3 record at Houck Field.