Peiffer mirrors Redhawks' upswing

~ The former Jackson linebacker has upgraded his game as a sophomore

Blake Peiffer said there is no magic formula for why he has been producing the best football of his college career.

"Just getting more playing time, getting more comfortable," said Southeast Missouri State's sophomore linebacker. "Early in the year I wasn't getting as much playing time. I'm playing more now and I'm just running with it."

Peiffer, a former Jackson High School standout, has been running to track down opposing ball carriers.

After having just nine tackles in the first five games this season, Peiffer has piled up 29 tackles in the past four contests.

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Peiffer either has led or tied for the team lead in tackles in three of the last four games. He was second in the other.

"Blake is coming into his own," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said. "Once he got beyond his tentative state, he settled in. He's improving as the season goes along. He really had a good game Saturday."

Peiffer had eight tackles during the 24-17 victory over Tennessee-Martin that pushed Southeast's winning streak to eight.

"The past few weeks is the best I've played, this past game especially," Peiffer said.

Peiffer's 38 tackles this season are tied for seventh on the Redhawks. His increased production has coincided with him starting three of the past four games.

"Blake has always been good," said senior linebacker Joshua Jackson, who leads the Redhawks with 60 tackles. "He's stepped up. He's been a major part of our linebacker corps."

Peiffer had a solid true freshman season last year after a stellar high school career that saw him earn all-state honors in football while also winning a state wrestling championship.

Peiffer, seeing considerable action off the bench in 2009, posted 32 tackles including a career-high nine in his collegiate debut against Quincy.

Samuel is not surprised that Peiffer has stepped up his game based on his attitude and work ethic.

"He's a good kid, a hard worker," Samuel said. "He's a low maintenance guy. He doesn't say much, he just works hard."

Peiffer said all the Redhawks stepped up their work rate in the offseason after the 2009 squad went 2-9 and finished last in the Ohio Valley Conference but lost numerous close games.

"There were a lot of games last year we could have won," said Peiffer, the son of former Southeast center Dan Peiffer, who played in the NFL and is a member of the school's athletic hall of fame. "Nobody liked that feeling. We worked harder."

That hard work apparently paid off because Southeast (8-1, 7-0 OVC) has had a remarkable turnaround that already rates among the best seasons in program history.

"Yes and no," said Peiffer when asked if this season has been a surprise. "We all knew we had a good team. From the offseason we had, we all thought we could have a season like this."

Surprising or not, Peiffer said the Redhawks relish the new-found success that has them tied for fourth among the Football Championship Subdivision's (formerly Division I-AA) all-time most improved teams over a one-year span. Southeast already has the top one-year turnaround in school history.

"It's great when you can have a season like this," Peiffer said. "Each week we're taking a new step. We just want to keep that going."

Southeast fans already are looking ahead to the Nov. 13 showdown at second-ranked Jacksonville State. If the Redhawks are victorious, they would capture their first OVC title.

Peiffer said the Redhawks refuse to take the bait as they are focused solely on Division II Southwest Baptist (7-2) in Saturday's regular-season home finale that will serve as Senior Day.

"Southwest Baptist is the next team on our agenda we have to focus on," Peiffer said. "Our coaches preach every day to focus on the next opponent."

While there is a chance the Redhawks still could have another home game if they make the FCS playoffs -- a playoff berth appears likely -- Peiffer said he wants to send out Southeast's seniors with a bang.

"That would be great," Peiffer said. "They've all put in their time and have had the rough seasons."