Southeast Missouri State football team looks for rare win vs. EKU

The Eastern Kentucky football team has virtually owned Southeast Missouri State over the years, leading the all-time series 20-3 and winning eight of the past nine meetings.

EKU routed the host Redhawks 31-7 last year and is 10-1 against Southeast in Cape Girardeau.

Southeast hopes to buck those trends when the squads square off Saturday in the Ohio Valley Conference game on homecoming weekend at Houck Stadium.

"It's good right now," said Southeast coach Tony Samuel of the Redhawks getting to play at home again after they had just two of their first seven games at Houck Stadium. "We've been doing an awful lot of traveling."

Southeast (1-6 overall, 1-3 OVC) will face a tradition-rich EKU squad (4-3, 2-1) that was picked second in the OVC preseason poll and still has its sights set on the league championship.

The Colonels are among two OVC teams with one conference loss. There are two remaining OVC squads without a league defeat -- Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State, who square off Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.

"I'm sure they're thinking they're still in the [OVC title] hunt, as well they should think," Samuel said.

Samuel said EKU probably is better than its 4-3 overall record because the Colonels' three defeats have come against nationally-ranked teams with one combined loss.

EKU fell at Louisville 44-7, at Eastern Illinois 42-7 and at home against Coastal Carolina 52-31. Louisville is 16th and 18th in the two major FBS polls, while Eastern Illinois and Coastal Carolina -- both undefeated -- are second and sixth, respectively, in the FCS rankings.

The Colonels are riding a two-game winning streak, both victories at home, after opening OVC play with the loss at Eastern Illinois. They beat conference opponents Austin Peay 38-3 and Tennessee Tech 24-10 the past two weeks.

"We all know EKU is a solid team, a very physical team," said Samuel, whose squad last beat the Colonels 40-21 in 2010 in Cape Girardeau. "Their style of football is physical. Their style of defense is physical."

It's especially going to be a challenge for the Redhawks to run against the Colonels, who lead the OVC and rank fifth nationally in rushing defense at 93.4 yards per game. They held Tennessee Tech to 27 yards rushing Saturday.

EKU has statistically struggled defending the pass, allowing a conference-worst 265.7 yards per game through the air.

Offensively, the Colonels have their usual strong rushing attack as they lead the OVC with 213.3 yards a contest on the ground.

Five EKU players have rushed for at least 200 yards, led by redshirt freshman J.J. Jude with 397 yards. Much of that total came against non-scholarship Morehead State, when he piled up 195 yards on 33 carries and scored four touchdowns during a 56-24 romp.

"They want to run the football. They've got a real nice stable of running backs," Samuel said.

Samuel said what makes EKU's offense go is junior quarterback Jared McClain, who can hurt opponents with his legs as much as his arm.

McClain has completed 58.9 percent (89 of 151) for 1,082 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He has rushed for 240 yards and a team-leading five touchdowns. He ranks fourth in the OVC in total offense at 188.9 yards per game.

"They've got a very active, athletic quarterback, probably the most active one we'll see this year as far as making things happen when the play breaks down," Samuel said. "He's an X factor for them. He's not the biggest, but he makes people miss out on space.

"He can throw the ball. They drop him back, they roll him out, they bootleg him. He's got a good arm."

McClain's top targets are two big wide receivers in 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman Devin Borders and 6-4 Jeff Glover, each with 24 catches. Borders is averaging 14.4 yards per reception and has scored four touchdowns.

"They're solid on offense, solid on defense. It's going to be a good challenge for us," Samuel said.