'Hawks' biggest task is staying positive

Southeast players and coaches are trying to remain upbeat in the face of an 0-5 start.

Not much has gone right -- at least on the scoreboard -- for Southeast Missouri State so far this season, so coach Tim Billings knows it's more important than ever for the winless Redhawks to keep a positive attitude.

"No question," said Billings during his weekly media conference Monday. "It's easy for the players to get down; it's easy for the coaches to get down."

Billings said he believes the Redhawks (0-5, 0-2 Ohio Valley Conference) have remained upbeat -- but he also realizes that could very well change if the losses continue to mount.

"Right now, I still feel pretty good about it [the attitude]," Billings said. "But we have to win a football game."

Southeast's next chance for a victory will be Saturday, when Eastern Illinois (2-2, 1-0) visits Houck Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

"It doesn't get any easier," Billings said. "They're one of the better teams in the conference."

Offense the main culprit

Billings said the Redhawks' offense -- namely an inability to score despite moving the ball fairly well -- has been Southeast's primary problem.

Despite ranking third in the OVC in total offense with 360.8 yards per game, Southeast is seventh out of nine teams in scoring offense with 16.6 points per game.

The Redhawks have scored just nine touchdowns, two of them coming on defense.

"Take that [the defensive touchdowns] out and we're scoring 13 points a game. You can't win football games doing that," Billings said.

Southeast has especially struggled when reaching the red zone. The Redhawks have only five touchdowns in 15 trips inside the opposition's 20-yard line, which is by far the lowest percentage in the OVC. Southeast has far too often had to settle for short field goals.

"We're moving the ball but we're not putting it in the end zone," Billings said. "If we could score [touchdowns] in the red zone ... we've had the opportunity to win three football games. It's the difference between being 3-2, or at least 2-3."

McCoy not yet a factor

Junior cornerback Charles McCoy came to Southeast last year as perhaps the most heralded recruit in school history, as he signed with the Redhawks despite being courted by Southern California.

The junior college transfer was academically ineligible last season and has played sparingly this year, mainly on special teams.

"He lifted a lot [last year], got bigger and lost some speed," Billings said. "There are things he has to do in the winter and offseason to get back to where he was when we recruited him."

Still, Billings said McCoy has recently started playing more in the secondary and that trend could continue.

Simonhoff earns OVC honor

All-American punter David Simonhoff, who had been off to a slow start, appeared to get back on track during Thursday's 33-17 loss at Samford, averaging 52 yards on seven punts, including an 80-yarder.

Simonhoff, named the OVC specialist of the week, has boosted his season average to 42.2 yards per punt. He set school and OVC records last year as a sophomore by averaging 46 yards per punt.

Noteworthy

* Tailback John Radney suffered a toe injury early against Samford and probably won't play this week.

* Wide receiver Jamel Oliver did not play against Samford because of a team suspension, but Billings said he will see action this week.