Redhawks have chance to impress with start of OVC play

The Southeast Missouri State football team is where most people thought it would be at this point with a 1-1 record.

There was the impressive 72-3 drubbing of NAIA Quincy in the season opener, followed by Saturday's 70-3 pounding at Division I-A Cincinnati, which is now ranked 17th nationally.

Now the real fun begins for the Redhawks, who will have their season defined by what happens in Ohio Valley Conference play.

The Redhawks have a chance to make an immediate statement as they open their league schedule Saturday night at home against an Eastern Illinois squad coming off a rare losing season.

EIU will be trying to bounce back with one-time Iowa starter Jake Christensen leading the way at quarterback, along with Florida transfer Mon Williams at tailback.

The Panthers (2-0) appear well on their way to making amends from 2008 as they have routed two Missouri Valley Conference squads -- although struggling ones -- beating Illinois State 31-6 and Indiana State 31-0.

I don't think fans know what to make of Southeast -- I certainly don't -- but we'll begin to learn a lot more about where the Redhawks stand when they face Eastern Illinois.

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I'm not sure any OVC football team ever opened with a more difficult two-game stretch than Jacksonville State.

The Gamecocks not only played their first two contests against Division I-A squads, but they faced a pair of high-profile I-A outfits that were ranked in the preseason.

JSU lost at No. 14 Georgia Tech 37-17 in its opener -- without star quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, who was suspended for the game -- then Saturday fell 19-9 at unranked Florida State as Perrilloux returned.

The Gamecocks nearly pulled off a monumental upset of Florida State as they led 9-7 with less than a minute remaining. The Seminoles scored the go-ahead touchdown with 35 seconds left and added a defensive TD 21 seconds later.

JSU finally gets to face a fellow I-AA team this week when they visit Alabama A&M.

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Two other OVC teams kick off their conference schedules this week as Eastern Kentucky hosts Tennessee Tech.

Three more OVC squads open next week, and by Oct. 3 all nine will have played a conference game.

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For a football program that has not experienced much team success in recent years, Southeast can boast a notable achievement.

Southeast has more former players on active NFL rosters than any other current OVC school.

Offensive linemen Eugene Amano (Tennessee) and Dan Connolly (New England), tight end/linebacker Edgar Jones (Baltimore) and cornerback Dimitri Patterson (Philadelphia) all opened the season in the NFL.

According to the OVC, three schools have two players each on active NFL rosters: Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky and Murray State.

The NFL season began with 12 players from OVC schools on active rosters, plus two more on practice squads and one on injured reserve.

Others on active NFL rosters are Eastern Illinois' Tony Romo (Dallas) and Pierre Walters (Kansas City); Eastern Kentucky's Yeremiah Bell (Miami) and Antwaun Molden (Houston); Murray State's Shane Andrus (Indianapolis) and Rod Harper (New Orleans); Tennessee State's Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Arizona); and Tennessee Tech's Frank Omiyale (Chicago).

Tennessee State's Cecil Newton (Jacksonville) and Javarris Williams (Kansas City) are on practice squads, while Tennessee State's Lamar Divens (Baltimore) is on injured reserve.

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I'm sure the Missouri football team is breathing a sigh of relief after rallying to beat Bowling Green 27-20 on Saturday, thus avoiding a big upset.

It was a far cry from the dominant, season-opening performance MU put on in trouncing Illinois, but at least the Tigers are 2-0.

And Jackson product Grant Ressel continued to shine in his first year as MU's kicker.

Ressel, a sophomore, booted field goals of 46 and 38 yards. Including the three he made against Illinois, Ressel is 5 for 5.

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The Southeast women's tennis program will have an alumni match Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Redhawks Tennis Complex.

All former Southeast players, along with fans, are encouraged to come out and meet and greet members of the 2010 Redhawks as part of Southeast's Family Weekend.

For more information, call Southeast coach Mark Elliott at 986-1314.

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It certainly has been a rough start for the six high school football teams in the Southeast Missourian's coverage area.

Only Chaffee owns a win through three weeks of the season as the squads are a combined 1-16.

That includes 0-3 marks for Jackson, Central, Scott City, Perryville and St. Vincent. And the majority of those defeats have been lopsided.

Hopefully things get better in a hurry for the local teams or it could be a long, long year.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.