Southeast Missouri State football team prepares for up-tempo attack of Murray State

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz yelled for his team to move faster at the beginning of its practice Tuesday at the Rosengarten Athletic Complex.

The players weren't going through drills any slower than they normally would, but normal speed isn't good enough this week.

The Redhawks begin Ohio Valley Conference play Saturday against the up-tempo Murray State Racers, which is a big turnaround from the methodical triple-option they faced in a 26-21 loss to Division II Shorter University last weekend.

"It is night and day. It is unbelievable," Southeast defensive coordinator Bryce Saia said with a chuckle. " ... It is absolutely different. We're fortunate in the way that Missouri and Indiana State and the offense that we go against all year round, there is carry over. We're fortunate in that way, but we haven't seen tempo like this. ... We've got our work cut out for us. Our kids are resilient. Today was a good day, so I'm really excited about this week."

The challenge for the defense, which was on the field for 36 minutes, 31 seconds over eight drives against Shorter, is getting on the field and getting lined up in time.

"Then when you get lined up physically, you have to be disciplined mentally, which is what we're talking about, because you don't want to give up the big play," Saia said. "Murray State's going to get yardage. They've got yards on Western Michigan, NIU [Northern Illinois], and the last time I checked those are good teams, so you just have to get their points down and you have to win third down. That's the cornerstone of our program -- third down and red zone -- and it's been good so far this year, but we've took some hits the last two weeks, and that's the truth. We've got to get better."

Missouri and Southern Illinois converted 5 of 13 and 5 of 12 third down attempts, respectively, against Southeast.

Nationally-ranked Indiana State converted 4 of 15, and Shorter was 9 of 14.

Two of ISU's third down conversions came in its 29-point second half after the Redhawks shut the Sycamores out in the first half, something that hadn't been done by an ISU foe since 2013.

"Really it was pretty good up until this last Saturday, and it was good in the first half," Matukewicz said. "It was all second half, and you extend those drives and it just kills you."

The Hawks picked up the first down on four of five third-down plays in the second half.

They faced third-and-10 following a timeout with 11:11 remaining and completed a 33-yard pass for the first down to move into Southeast territory. Three plays later, on third-and-7, BJ McCoy rushed for a 37-yard touchdown that tied the game at 14-all.

The Hawks faced third-and-7 in the red zone at the start of the fourth quarter and pulled within a point on an 18-yard touchdown pass.

Matukewicz said the players were in the correct positions for each situation for the most part.

"There was a fade, we were right there," Matukewicz said. "Then we turn a wheel loose -- a linebacker has eyes on him and decides not to cover him, first down. We lost containment, he scrambled, first down. Gave up a slant, we're right there. But when you're in position, you've got to make those plays."

Murray State, which averages 467.2 yards of offense per game, is No. 1 in the conference in third-down conversions at 45.3 percent.

What the Redhawks call the "money down" will be critical against the Racers.

"A lot of it comes down to just discipline," safety Eriq Moore said. "Discipline with your eyes, being disciplined with your keys, reading what you're supposed to be reading, not trying to do somebody else's job, and then once you do all that it comes down to just making a play and being an athlete. Coach Saia says a lot, 'Two athletes, one ball,' and that's what it comes down to, just making a play on the ball."

Southeast dropped a few spots to No. 5 in the OVC in third-down defense, with opponents converting 42.6 percent of the time.

The Redhawks defense leads the conference with 14 sacks, ranks second in interceptions with five and allows the fourth fewest points per game in the OVC at 28.2.

In the last two games, Southeast has given up 38 second-half points and just seven in the first half.

"I think it's really the fourth quarter. It's not just walking out of the locker room," Saia said about the second-half struggles. "There's a lot that goes into that. ... We're lucky this year where we have a lot more depth than last year, where we can roll them so it's not a fatigue thing. It might be a mental focus thing. We've been playing good defense, really good defense, in stretches. We just have to be more consistent, and it's mentally, I think, as much as anything."

Injury update

Junior quarterback Tay Bender will not play against MSU on Saturday. He sprained his left, non-throwing shoulder during the third quarter of the loss to Shorter.

Bender underwent an MRI on Tuesday, but results were not available yet.

Sophomore receiver Adrian Davis, who sustained a knee injury in the third quarter against Shorter, is considered day to day but practiced Tuesday.