EKU, SEMO both desperate to win Saturday

Two-time defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Eastern Kentucky is in a precarious position as it seeks to three-peat.

The Colonels have two OVC losses, meaning they need to win their final two conference games and receive some help as Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State both have only one league defeat.

It was suggested to Southeast Missouri State coach Tony Samuel that the Colonels would be in desperation mode Saturday when they host Samuel's Redhawks.

Samuel didn't dispute that, but he pointed out that EKU (4-3, 4-2 OVC) won't be the only desperate team on the field in Richmond, Ky.

"We're very desperate, too. We're trying to get a win," Samuel said. "We're probably in a much tougher situation than they are."

Southeast (1-6, 0-5) has suffered six straight losses since a season-opening victory over NAIA Quincy. The Redhawks are among just nine Division I-AA squads in the country to have not beaten a Division I-AA opponent.

"We have to figure out how to win a game," Samuel said.

The Redhawks have had their chances in every OVC contest as their largest margin of defeat has been 12 points. Two of the losses have been by a touchdown or less.

Samuel said his players are resilient and will continue to put out great effort, but he acknowledges that the losing takes a toll.

"It's never easy when you lose this many games," Samuel said. "And it's even tougher when all these games are close.

"There's always going to be frustration. But we'll keep playing. We'll keep plugging along."

History suggests that the Redhawks will have a tough time breaking their losing streak Saturday as they play their final road game of the season.

EKU leads the all-time series with Southeast 17-2 and has won the last five meetings. Southeast's only wins over the Colonels came consecutively, in 2002 and 2003, although both were in Richmond, Ky.

The Colonels appear somewhat vulnerable, as evidenced by last week's 24-20 loss at Austin Peay.

"They had a tough loss, but they're still a good football team," Samuel said.

Austin Peay shredded the OVC's top rushing defense as EKU allowed 263 yards on the ground in losing to the Governors for the first time since 1977, a streak of 22 games.

EKU had allowed just 441 yards rushing during its first six contests. The Colonels still lead the conference by giving up an average of 100.6 rushing yards per game.

"They got run on [by Austin Peay], which is kind of unusual," Samuel said.

EKU'S traditionally stout defense leads the OVC with 18 sacks and 12 interceptions.

Offensively, the Colonels have the league's third-rated quarterback in redshirt freshman T.J. Pryor.

Pryor, directing EKU's spread attack, has completed 62.4 percent for 1,434 yards, with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

Senior wide out Garnett Phelps leads the league with 43 receptions and 579 receiving yards. No other league OVC player has more than 30 catches.