Redhawks preserve streak, perfect OVC record

The Southeast Missouri State football team never had beaten Eastern Kentucky in Cape Girardeau, losing all nine meetings, while going just 2-18 against the Colonels overall.

But in this remarkable season for the Redhawks, nobody should have been surprised by Saturday's dominant 40-21 win over EKU at Houck Stadium.

While the crowd was disappointing -- a little more than 6,000 people showed up -- the performance of the 13th-ranked Redhawks certainly wasn't. Southeast posted its seventh straight victory for the program's longest winning streak since the 1975 squad also captured seven in a row.

More importantly, the Redhawks -- 7-1 overall and 6-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play -- stayed squarely in the hunt for their first OVC title and first FCS playoff berth, which would be the program's first postseason appearance of any kind.

With only two conference games remaining, the Redhawks have assured themselves that their Nov. 13 regular-season finale at third-ranked, undefeated Jacksonville State (8-0, 5-0) will be for at least a share of the OVC title.

Southeast will go to Jacksonville, Ala., with no worse than a 6-1 conference record. A win over the Gamecocks would give the Redhawks the OVC's automatic playoff berth based on the head-to-head result.

But I'll be surprised if the Redhawks don't make the long trek to Alabama with a perfect OVC slate and a nine-game winning streak, which would be accomplished by beating Tennessee-Martin in Saturday's homecoming game and then Division II Southwest Baptist the following week.

And by entering the Jacksonville State game 9-1, I've got to think the Redhawks would be assured of a playoff bid no matter what they do against the Gamecocks.

Who would have thunk it?

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Speaking of Southeast's 1975 football team, that group will have a 35-year reunion at homecoming.

According to Rick Wieser, the quarterback on that squad who does color commentary on the radio broadcasts for Southeast home games, the 1975 group will gather in the booster area of Houck Stadium prior to kickoff Saturday.

The 1975 team started the season with four straight losses before ending with seven consecutive wins to capture the MIAA championship with an undefeated conference record.

By the way, Southeast's all-time record for consecutive victories is 16 spanning the 1936 through 1938 seasons.

Southeast's all-time record for single-season wins is nine, accomplished by the 1937 and 1955 squads that went 9-0. The current Redhawks have a shot to at least match that mark.

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I wrote in last week's column that it won't be a surprise if Southeast standout senior tailback Henry Harris shows up on the watch list for the Walter Payton Award that goes to the top running back in FCS.

The Walter Payton Award is for the outstanding FCS player, not just running back, although if Harris keeps up his torrid pace both as a rusher and all-purpose runner I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up on the watch list.

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Southeast basketball fans have an opportunity to get a sneak preview of the men's team Saturday.

The Redhawks' inaugural Red and Black intrasquad game, open to the public, will begin at approximately 5 p.m. at the Show Me Center, or about one hour following the conclusion of the 1 p.m. football game against UT-Martin.

Admission and parking for the Red and Black game are free. Southeast players and coaches will sign autographs afterward.

Children 12 and younger are encouraged to wear costumes and participate in pre-Halloween trick-or-treating on the arena concourse.

Also regarding Southeast hoops, the official OVC preseason polls and individual honors for men and women will be announced today.

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Thursday's much-hyped high school football game of the year in Southeast Missouri turned out to be a real dud, thanks to a dominating performance by Sikeston.

The Bulldogs throttled host Central 21-0, the score not indicating how lopsided the contest was. Sikeston piled up more than 400 yards of offense while holding the Tigers to less than 100 yards.

Sikeston put on quite a show in front of an overflow Houck Stadium crowd estimated at more than 11,000. The Bulldogs remained undefeated while handing the Tigers their first loss.

While Sikeston clinched a playoff berth, Central also stands a good chance of getting in from Class 4 District 1, which could set up a postseason rematch.

Elsewhere on the area prep football scene, kudos to Chaffee for clinching the program's first playoff berth since the 1983 team captured the Class 1 state championship.

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Sure, things could go sour the rest of the way, but by all looks of things this Missouri football team is for real.

The Tigers certainly looked like the real deal Saturday night during their thrilling 36-27 home victory over Oklahoma, which had been atop the BCS standings.

MU snapped a seven-game losing streak to an OU squad that had won 19 of the previous 20 meetings.

The Tigers are 7-0 for the first time since 1960, when that team finished 11-0.

But now MU faces perhaps an even bigger challenge, traveling to Nebraska this Saturday. A win in Lincoln would make the Tigers legitimate national title contenders.

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The SIU football team, in the midst of its first struggling season in some time, dropped out of the two major FCS polls last week for the first time since Sept. 8, 2003, a span of 98 weeks.

SIU is 3-4 overall and 2-3 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.