Southeast has popped Top 25 polls

If you're a casual sports fan or not a sports fan at all, you may have missed the memo: The Southeast Missouri State University football team is having quite a season.

One week after another, Southeast has put together impressive games, whether late-comeback dramatics, record-breaking offensive performances or ending conference winning streaks of nationally ranked opponents.

Coach Tom Matukewicz has his team sitting at 6-2 and 4-1 in the OVC, and assured of having its first winning season since 2010 and in the driver's seat to win a conference title. The Redhawks broke into the top 25 in two national polls for Football Championship Subdivision teams this week.

The Redhawks are rolling offensively, having scored 40 or more points four times, with the ability to run and pass the ball very effectively. Last week Kristian Wilkerson set a school record with 263 receiving yards. And Southeast has had some very fine receivers in its history. Marquis Terry is perhaps the team's most explosive player, having set several records earlier this year only to be slowed somewhat by an ankle injury. He looked strong last week, running for 123 yards. In short, Southeast's offense will be hard to stop with the current cast of players excelling all over the field, including quarterback Daniel Santacaterina.

This is the best SEMO team since 2010 when the Redhawks made it to the national playoffs. This team, statistically, seems superior to the 2010 team in terms of offensive prowess. The 2010 team had a point differential of plus-25 through its first eight games in 2010. Through eight games this year, they're plus-68.

Southeast hosts Tennessee State at 1 p.m. Saturday at Houck Stadium. If you've missed the fun so far, now is the time to see what this team is all about. Come show the Redhawks your support.