'Hawks christen season vs. Govs

~ Tony Samuel will coach his first game at Southeast today when the Redhawks visit Austin Peay.

Tony Samuel still doesn't quite know what to expect from his initial Southeast Missouri State football team, although he has a much better handle than he did early last month.

But the Redhawks' first-year head coach will begin to find out plenty more tonight when the Redhawks open the season with a 6 p.m. kickoff against Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tenn.

"Any time you start the first game with a new team, there are a lot of questions that won't get answered until you play that first game or two," Samuel said.

With uncertainty, however, also comes excitement, as the 2006 Redhawks are about to test themselves against outside competition for the first time. After practicing and scrimmaging since Aug. 7, Samuel figures they're ready.

"Now that you're preparing for an opponent, it's exciting," he said. "Camp is over, it's the first game. I know the players are real excited. This is what they enjoy, playing games."

Despite taking over a team that went 2-9 last year, Samuel has said often during the preseason he thinks there is enough experience and talent on hand to compete for an Ohio Valley Conference championship.

Southeast has 25 seniors. Of the 24 first-team positions -- including the kicker and punter -- 11 are manned by seniors, with seven more filled by juniors.

"Any time you're dealing with quite a few seniors, you've got a chance," Samuel said.

The Redhawks should have an excellent chance of opening the season with a victory against an Austin Peay program that is awarding scholarships this year for the first time since 1996.

The Governors, 2-9 in 2005, are operating on about a half-scholarship level right now, with 30 grants awarded. The Division I-AA maximum is 63 scholarships.

Austin Peay, which left the OVC in football after 1996, will be nearly fully funded next season when it rejoins the conference.

Coach Carroll McCray realizes his young Govs -- 51 freshmen, including redshirts, are listed on the 84-man roster while just seven juniors and two seniors will start tonight -- have a long way to go. But he's enthused about their upgrade back to the scholarship level and about ultimately rejoining the OVC.

"The young class we brought in ... I think we're very athletic," McCray said. "We don't have the experience, but I think we improved the team speed with our skill guys.

"I've seen a lot of things I like and a lot of things we need to improve on, but it's time to get on the field, get a measuring stick so these young guys know what they need to work on."

The Govs were primarily a running team last year, and they return arguably their top player in junior tailback Chris Fletcher. The 5-foot-10, 200-pounder rushed for 970 yards in 2005 while averaging 4.8 yards per carry. He scored seven of Austin Peay's 18 touchdowns.

"He's had a good career here so far, but that's been in a different league," said McCray, whose squad had been in the nonscholarship Pioneer League but will compete as an independent this year.

Both coaches say they don't really know what to expect from their opening opponent, which is often the case in the first game.

"There are so many unknowns, other than looking at the two-deep and knowing his reputation, reading in the press guide where some of his staff has been," McCray said. "Coach Samuel is known and has a lot of respect around the country for the physical football teams he puts on the field.

"I just know it's going to be a tough, hard-nosed football team coming over. We have to be the same way."

Said Samuel: "We know who their coordinators are, what they like to do. You try to look at what they've done in the past. I'm sure they're doing the same with us. It's part of the chess game."

Austin Peay was outscored 412-140 last year and outgained on average by nearly 200 yards per game. In the preseason Jeff Sagarin ratings of all Division I-A and I-AA teams, the Govs are ranked 240th out of 241.

Of course, Southeast is not exactly high on that list, ranking 197th. And, based on the Redhawks' recent past, it's doubtful they should feel comfortable against any opponent.

"People that compete really understand there is nothing like an easy game," Samuel said. "When you think that way, that's when upsets happen.

"Austin Peay will be very excited about going back to scholarship football, and going on the road for the first time, it will be a big challenge for us."