Southeast football preview: Redhawks out to buck history

There is no place to go but up for the Southeast Missouri State football team, which will try to rebound from a last-place Ohio Valley Conference finish and post a rare winning season.

Southeast coach Tony Samuel, in the final year of a five-year contract, believes the Redhawks have what it takes.

The 2009 Redhawks went 2-9 overall and 1-7 in the nine-team OVC. Southeast, which opens the campaign Thursday at Ball State, tied for seventh in the OVC's preseason poll.

"We've got quite a bit of returners," Samuel said. "We've got more depth. I think that's important. I see us as a faster team, a more physical team. I think this group is ready to do some great things."

Samuel is 13-32 overall and 6-25 in the OVC during his first four seasons at Southeast. The Redhawks twice have won four games under Samuel, with their high-water mark in league play two wins.

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tony Samuel is entering the final year on his original five-year contract. (Fred Lynch)

But Samuel is not the first Southeast football coach to experience rough sledding.

Southeast has not won more than four games in a season since 2003, and the Redhawks' last winning record came in 2002. That is one of only two winning seasons for Southeast since it moved up to Division I-AA in 1991.

Southeast's two winning marks were 8-4 in 2002 and 7-5 in 1994 in 18 Division I-AA seasons. Southeast has had only four winning OVC records, most recently in 2003, during that same span.

Southeast's overall Division I-AA record is 71-142, which spans three coaches. The program has gone 47-95 in OVC play.

The beauty of the preseason, however, is that all squads are undefeated right now, so optimism runs rampant.

"I think we've got a lot of talent," junior quarterback Matt Scheible said. "I feel like we let a lot of games slip away [in 2009]. We want to prove ourselves this year.

"Our goal is to win the OVC championship."

The 2009 Redhawks were involved in numerous games that hung in the balance late, but they failed to pull them out. They believe they can reverse those results.

Southeast returns significant experience with 33 returning lettermen, including 14 starters. The roster features 21 seniors and 18 juniors.

"We were right there last year and I think we've grown a lot as a team," senior linebacker Joshua Jackson said. "I believe this year we should be able to do what we want to do."

Southeast's schedule, which features five games at home and six on the road, is challenging. The Redhawks will be significant underdogs in two of their three nonconference contests, which both are away from Houck Stadium.

Ball State, the Redhawks' Division I-A opponent in Thursday's opener, is paying Southeast $275,000 in the university's annual "money game" to generate revenue for the athletic department.

Southern Illinois, a perennial Division I-AA power, is ranked fifth nationally.

Southeast's nonconference home date is with Division II Southwest Baptist.

The Redhawks hit the road to face what are expected to be the OVC's top two teams, nationally ranked Jacksonville State and Eastern Illinois.

Other OVC road games are against Murray State and Austin Peay. Conference home contests are with Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State and Tennessee-Martin.

Southeast begins the season with three straight road dates and four of its first five away from home before finishing with four of its final six at Houck Stadium.

"It's a good schedule," Samuel said. "But nothing we do will surprise me. It might some other people."

Three TV games

Three of Southeast's 2010 games will be televised live on the Wazoo Sports Network. They will air locally on the Heartland CW (WQWQ-TV).

The three contests are Sept. 11 at Murray State, Oct. 2 at Eastern Illinois and Oct. 16 at Austin Peay.