Redhawks try to stay perfect in OVC vs. TSU

They have played different types of schedules, but Tennessee State and Southeast Missouri State are dominating the Ohio Valley Conference's major team statistical categories.

Saturday the squads will get to decide who is better on the field in a 6 p.m. kickoff at Houck Stadium. The matchup is billed as Blackout Night, with Southeast fans encouraged to wear black.

It will be just the second home game for the high-flying Redhawks, off to their first 3-0 OVC start and ranked nationally for the first time since early in the 2003 season.

Southeast, 4-1 overall and riding a four-game winning streak for the first time since 1994, is No. 25 in The Sports Network Division I-AA poll.

"It's great what we're doing, but we can't get complacent," sophomore linebacker Darrick Borum said. "We have a lot more we want to accomplish."

The Redhawks are excited about having four of their final six games at home after playing four of their first five on the road.

But unfriendly environments have been kind to Southeast, which has its first three-game road winning streak since 1994.

"We've played good on the road, but we're definitely looking forward to being at home," junior quarterback Matt Scheible said. "We had a great crowd our first home game, and hopefully we'll keep getting that kind of support."

While league-leading Southeast has already played three OVC games, TSU's lone conference test to date was a 26-23 home loss to Austin Peay.

The Tigers, 3-2 overall, have played most of their contests against other historically black colleges in their annual "classic" matchups that provide revenue much like the other OVC squads that play Division I-A opponents.

"They're very athletic and they're probably going to be the biggest team we'll face size-wise," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said of a TSU squad featuring 14 Division I-A transfers, many from prominent programs. "They've got a nice combination of size and speed. They're a very good football team."

As far as statistics go, TSU leads the OVC in four of the eight major team categories. Southeast leads in two.

TSU is first in scoring defense (19.6 points per game), total defense (285 yards per game), rushing defense (105 yards per game) and total offense (392.8 yards per game).

Southeast is first in rushing offense (254.8 yards per game, sixth nationally) and passing defense (164.4 yards per game) while ranking second in scoring defense (19.8 points per game), total defense (302.8 yards per game) and rushing defense (138.4 yards per game).

The Redhawks also lead the OVC and nation in third-down conversions at 54.4 percent while pacing the league in turnover margin (plus four) and fewest penalty yardage (156). They are second nationally in fewest sacks allowed (two) and fewest yards penalized (156).

"It will be interesting because both of us come into the game with the same philosophy -- ball control," Samuel said.

That's because both feature a dominant rushing attack. While Southeast is sixth nationally, TSU also is in the top 10.

Saturday's contest also will pit the OVC's top two rushers in TSU senior Preston Brown and Southeast senior Henry Harris, who are third and fourth nationally with 760 and 680 yards, respectively.

Harris, also second nationally in all-purpose yardage, has four straight 100-yard rushing games. Brown has a high game of 233 yards while also turning in a 218-yard performance.

TSU also features the OVC's No. 3 rusher in junior Dante Thomas with 400 yards.

"They like to run the football. We like to run the football," first-year TSU coach Rod Reed said. "Henry Harris is a force to be reckoned with and their quarterback runs well.

"Coach Samuel has done a heck of a job so far getting those guys ready to play. We know what we'll be up against."

Borum honored

Borum has been selected as one of the College Sporting News National All-Stars of the week.

Borum had a career-high 10 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, an interception and a pass breakup in last week's 28-13 win at Eastern Illinois.

Borum leads the OVC in sacks, tackles for loss, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries.