Loss margin Southeast's biggest in decades

The Southeast Missouri State football team learned the hard way why Cincinnati is the nation's 23rd-ranked Division I-A squad.

Southeast set a modern-day school record for most points allowed and biggest margin of defeat during Saturday's 70-3 road blowout.

Only Southeast's 1913 team allowed more points or lost by a wider margin as that outfit fell to Christian Brothers 97-6.

Southeast's 1922 squad also suffered a 67-point setback, falling to Springfield 67-0.

Cincinnati's offense, led by star wide receiver Mardy Gilyard and standout quarterback Tony Pike, inflicted plenty of damage on Southeast's defense.

Gilyard piled up four touchdowns, two on catches, one on a run and one on a punt return that opened the game's scoring.

"We didn't want to kick to him," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said. "Once I saw him catch the ball in that position, I knew we were in trouble. He's a great football player."

Pike threw for three touchdowns and ran for another.

"They do some good things," Samuel said of the Bearcats' offense. "Pike in particular, he really engineers that thing well. They do have the ability to run. Gilyard is all over the place and they've got a couple other good receivers."

The Redhawks had opened the season with a record-setting performance on the positive side as they posted a modern-day school mark for points in a game and largest margin of victory in routing NAIA Quincy 72-3.

Cincinnati turned the tables against the Redhawks as they suffered their fourth straight lopsided loss to a squad from a BCS conference.

Southeast, which received $275,000 for playing Saturday's contest, has been outscored 244-16 by BCS conference teams the last four years. That includes losses at Missouri last season, at Cincinnati in 2007 and at Arkansas in 2006.

For the second time in three years against Cincinnati, Doug Spada accounted for Southeast's only points.

Spada, a senior, kicked a 23-yard field goal in the first quarter to trim the Bearcats' lead to 7-3.

During a 59-3 loss at Cincinnati in 2007, Spada booted a 25-yard field goal.

Spada also averaged 45.8 yards on 10 punts in the game.

Southeast sophomore quarterback Matt Scheible completed 15 of 27 for 123 yards. He was intercepted three times.

Senior wide receiver Walter Peoples caught four passes for 38 yards, all in the first half, to lead the Redhawks.

The Redhawks' top rusher was junior tailback Henry Harris, who gained 41 yards on 10 carries, all in the opening half.

Now the Redhawks will face nothing but fellow Division I-AA squads the rest of the year.

That includes next Saturday's Ohio Valley Conference opener at home against Eastern Illinois.