SportsAugust 26, 2015
Southeast Missouri State football team begins transitioning to game week practice preparations
The Redhawks will get into the swing of their weekly practice routine, complete with preparation for their next opponent, this Sunday when the players will begin to learn more about the two-time defending Southeastern Conference East Champion Missouri Tigers.
While Monday marked the first day of classes at Southeast Missouri State and meant members of the Redhawks football team headed back to school, the coaching staff began their own day of homework.
After the team wrapped up fall camp with its scrimmage on Saturday the coaching staff watched cut-up video of each play the Redhawks ran in the previous two weeks, taking notes on what went well and what needed improvement.
The result was the practice plan for this week, which has been completely focused on the Redhawks.
The team will get into the swing of its weekly practice routine, complete with preparation for their next opponent, this Sunday when the players will begin to learn more about the two-time defending Southeastern Conference East Champion Missouri Tigers.
"Friday we'll kind of switch modes from a coaching staff standpoint," Southeast coach Tom Matukewicz said. "We'll gameplan and then Saturday will be a mock scrimmage so just everything that's ever happened in football. Then Sunday is our full-padded, heavy all Mizzou day."
The players will learn a little bit about the Tigers, who they open the season against on Sept. 5, prior to their challenging Sunday practice. They'll go over film and be fed as much information as possible on Mizzou.
Matukewicz explained that this Sunday's practice will be similar to what the team's Tuesday practice will be like each week, but the schedule is altered for the season opener.
"That's one thing that's a lot different that I learned from Coach [Jerry] Kill," Matukewicz said. "Tuesday is your hardest practice and what we try to do is make it on Sunday this week so that gameday is farther away from your heaviest practice so you have more days to recover before gameday, and I think that's been really helpful."
Quarterback deadline
The wait for Matukewicz to name the team's starting quarterback continues, and likely will until Friday.
Matukewicz, who had his team do third-down and red zone offense situations on Tuesday and Wednesday, said the decision was "becoming clearer" following Wednesday's practice at the Rosengarten Athletic Complex.
Junior transfer Tay Bender remained in the No. 1 jersey while Jackson graduate and freshman Dante Vandeven was promoted on Tuesday to the No. 2 jersey. Senior Alex Niznak now holds the No. 3 spot.
The quarterbacks will go through a two-minute drill during Thursday's practice to assist Matukewicz in making his choice.
Bender has worn the No. 1 jersey since part of the way through spring drills.
"Deadline or not, I'm going to come out here and do what I do every day and that's compete and play," Bender said. "That's up to the coaches. I'm not going to stress over the quarterback position. I'm here to compete. Regardless coach is going to put who he wants out on the field, so I'm going to leave it up to him."
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Matukewicz said the offense is a bit of a "work in progress" without the starter being named, but takes comfort in the fact that all three quarterbacks have similarities so the offensive packages aren't different.
He was pleased that there were no interceptions on Wednesday and acknowledged a fumble by Vandeven, who will not be made available for interviews until after the first game due to a team rule, but said he believed the mistake was more on the running back's part.
Vandeven's improvements since starting out in the No. 4 jersey in fall camp have impressed offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Sherard Poteete.
"He's making reads, he's making adjustments with secondary," Poteete said. "On certain plays your primary read may be here, but he sees the adjustment of the defense and knows right now that something back side may be open. He's that far. He's making those decisions, which has put him in our mix now. Then also he just adds the value of his speed and quickness that when the play breaks down, he's a ballplayer."
Bender has the same big-play capabilities and has improved steadily like Vandeven, according to Poteete.
"When we are moving fast and when our tempo's up Tay has been very accurate and very precise in getting the ball out on time," Poteete said, "and when you get the ball out on time receivers are able to get the ball with some cushion to be able to make plays down the field."
He said that the entire offense has been in the same situation as the coaches, playing the waiting game for a quarterback to prove that they're worthy of the starting nod.
"I think they're kind of waiting to see who's going to be the consistent guy on a day in, day out basis as well, and I think right now they've kind of rallied around those two guys knowing that (they have) the ability to make plays when things do go bad," Poteete said. "I think they see that on film and I think they see it out here on the practice field and I think they're doing the same as we are -- waiting to see who's going to be consistent."
NFL scouts watching
As Paul McRoberts jogged from one side of the practice field to the other with his fellow wide receivers there were two visitors close behind.
The visitors to Wednesday's practice were scouts from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were in attendance to watch the Redhawks' star receiver.
McRoberts spoke with the men prior to practice and tries not to worry about their presence at all.
"I don't think extra, 'Oh, man, the NFL's here,' or anything like that," McRoberts said. "They told me themselves to go out there and have fun. Every scout that came I just have fun with it."
Scouts from the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks also have come to watch McRoberts.
"Luckily I always do great when they come," McRoberts said with a laugh, "but at the same time it's about just enjoying the day. When they're on the sidelines I just look at them like my teammates. I don't try to impress them. I just go do what I do."
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