Column: Forget the fumbles, bad D is what is costing SEMO FB

If a physician was examining the 2023 Southeast Missouri State football program today, the most critical thing that he/she would have to be careful NOT to do is confuse the symptoms with the diagnosis.

In each of the past two weeks, the Redhawks have endured a pair of teeth-grinding losses, and bizarrely, both were in the exact same manner.

A week ago, the (for now) No. 16-ranked Redhawks fumbled the ball away to rival Southern Illinois in SEMO territory, which ultimately led to a Saluki winning score with 11 seconds on the clock.

On Saturday, SEMO did the same thing, as junior quarterback Paxton DeLaurent got the ball knocked out of his grasp in Redhawk territory, which led to an Eastern Kentucky field goal as the clock expired, giving the host Colonels a 41-38 win.

“It’s on us,” 10th-year Redhawk coach Tom Matukewicz said following the loss. “We have to coach them better. We have to play better. At the end of the day, we’re not going to point fingers.”

OK, then I will.

Fans will focus on the two ungodly miscues at the hands of graduate student running back Geno Hess, who fumbled against Southern Illinois with 1:46 remaining in the game, and DeLaurent, who did the same with 18 seconds left on the clock. However, those mistakes are the symptoms of what has ailed this team. Those errors wouldn’t have been so reprehensible had the SEMO defense just been decent at any point in the second half (against Southern Illinois) and final three quarters (against Eastern Kentucky), which is the diagnosis for what has this team struggling.

“At the end of the day,” Matukewicz said, “we’re not good enough.”

It’s debatable whether the talent level is lacking or if it is a matter of execution. However, that really is inconsequential.

The fact is, the Redhawk defense isn’t playing to the level that is expected by anyone, be it the coaches, the players, the fans, or the beat writer. And if that doesn’t change in the next 14 days, what was supposed to be a memorable season, certainly will be, but for all of the wrong reasons.

DeLaurent will tell you the entire loss on Saturday was his fault. That is admirable. But the truth is, each of the past two weeks, SEMO has held double-digit leads in the fourth quarter and blown both games.

The Redhawks (1-3) led Southern Illinois 15-0 at halftime and took a 17-0 lead on Eastern Kentucky late in the FIRST quarter, yet lost both games.

That is bad defense.

Championship teams don’t outscore their opponents. Championship teams prevent the opposition from scoring enough points to win.

Against Eastern Kentucky (1-3), SEMO, including DeLaurent, did more than enough to win the game.

DeLaurent completed 31 of 43 passes for 358 yards and accounted for five scores (three passing, two rushing). Sorry, this loss ain’t on him.

SEMO freshman punter Logan Leftrick, who has been nothing short of miraculous in his two games this season given the circumstances that he is under, did his job with 2:34 remaining on Saturday. He booted a kick to the Colonel's seven-yard line, thus forcing Eastern Kentucky to go virtually the length of the field in a very short amount of time in a quest to tie the game.

Eastern Kentucky quarterback Parker McKinney, who like Southern Illinois quarterback Nic Baker, is absolutely tremendous, played like Tom Brady against the SEMO defense on that decisive drive.

He is great, but he isn’t THAT great.

With the game on the line, the Redhawk defense allowed “big chunk” plays of 18 yards, 14 yards, 15 yards, five yards, six yards, 10 yards, six yards, etc., before the Colonels tied the game at 38.

That Eastern Kentucky drive followed an earlier fourth-quarter offensive series, in which Eastern Kentucky tore off a 51-yard run – off-tackle – to the SEMO two-yard line, which pulled the Colonels to within one score.

“We’ve got better players than the results that we are getting,” Matukewicz said. “We have to coach better.”

Something needs to be done because Eastern Kentucky pummeled the Redhawks 41-21 over the final 47:32 of the game.

Southern Illinois dominated SEMO 26-10 over the final 26:12 of that game.

The Redhawk defense has allowed its opposition to rack up 1,075 yards of total offense over the past two weeks.

The Colonels produced points on four of their initial six offensive series and closed the game by doing so on each of their final three offensive series.

A defense that porous isn’t winning any type of championship, and absolutely doesn’t need to worry about making postseason plans.

“We lost both games,” Matukewicz said. “We didn’t necessarily get beat. We lost them ourselves.”

The Redhawks will return to action with a Big South/OVC Football Association game at Central Arkansas (which also has a really good quarterback) on Oct. 7 at 4 p.m.

Tom Davis is a freelance sports reporter for Semoball.com