Redhawks prepare for OVC measuring stick

If the Sept. 16 Ohio Valley Conference opener at Jacksonville State was a good measuring stick for Southeast Missouri State football, then Saturday's second OVC game -- at home against Samford -- certainly fits that bill as well.

The contest at perennial OVC power Jacksonville State was a chance for the Redhawks to see how they stack up against one of the league's powerhouses.

The answer: Not very well -- at least on this day -- as Southeast was dominated 38-7, with the game actually not even as competitive as the score.

That outcome does not bode well for those optimistic Southeast fans who dreamed of the Redhawks' being surprise OVC contenders in coach Tony Samuel's first year, although it's just one game.

But perhaps an even better indication of just where this season might be headed could come Saturday night at Houck Stadium.

The 2-1 Redhawks will be facing a 2-2 Samford squad that is widely considered to be among that muddled second tier of OVC teams. It will be an opportunity for the Redhawks to see how they stack up against one of the league's solid yet far from overwhelming clubs.

I wrote before the season that I did not expect the Redhawks to be in the same class as Eastern Kentucky, defending champion Eastern Illinois and Jacksonville State -- picked first through third in the conference's preseason poll -- although I might have to adjust that thinking following two major upsets, by Tennessee Tech over Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee-Martin over Jacksonville State.

I did believe, however, that the Redhawks would be able to compete well with the other five OVC squads.

Saturday night, we'll begin to get a clearer indication if that's true or not.

We'll also begin to get a clearer indication if Southeast has a realistic chance of bettering its last-place prediction from the OVC's preseason poll.

Beat Samford -- No. 4 in the poll -- and the Redhawks just might be able to challenge for an upper-division finish, which would be quite an accomplishment for Samuel's first season in Cape Girardeau, especially for a team that won only two games all of last year.

But lose to the Bulldogs and the Redhawks will be hard-pressed to avoid an 0-4 OVC start, since their following two conference games are against Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky, although perhaps the Colonels are a bit more vulnerable than most people anticipated.

Every game is big, but in the scope of Southeast's season, Saturday's looms particularly large.

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The OVC race is certainly off to a crazy start as perennial powers Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State have already been handed losses by teams not exactly regarded as prime championship contenders.

To put things in perspective, consider that Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State and Eastern Illinois went a collective 18-0 against the rest of the conference in 2005 -- yet now that trio has already received two defeats from outside its own circle.

Tennessee-Martin's 24-14 home win over Jacksonville State Saturday was surprising, but maybe not stunning, considering that the Skyhawks improved so much last year, returned considerable talent and had been impressive through three games.

But Tennessee Tech beating visiting Eastern Kentucky 27-14 Thursday was definitely a shocker.

The Eagles had been the league's least impressive team through three weeks. They were outscored 105-33, were the only conference squad without a win, and ranked last in the league in scoring offense and total offense. Plus, they lost to the Colonels 52-3 last season.

But, as the saying goes, that's why they play the games.

And now it will be interesting to see if any other of the OVC's perceived six second-tier teams will be able to knock off any of the three big dogs.

How about the Redhawks?

You never know.

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The University of Missouri football team has not exactly played a murderer's row schedule -- far from it -- but 4-0 is 4-0.

Which is exactly the Tigers' record right now, marking the first time they've won their first four games since 2003 and only the fifth time since 1925 they've pulled that off.

MU has been solid favorites in all four of its contests to date, against Murray State, Mississippi, New Mexico and Ohio.

But Mississippi, New Mexico and Ohio are just the kind of underdog squads the Tigers have lost to early in the past two seasons. The fact MU has avoid stumbling so far is a major plus.

And, considering the Tigers open Big 12 Conference play Saturday at home against reeling Colorado -- although the Buffaloes are coming off a near-upset of Georgia -- they will be favored to reach 5-0 before the schedule heats up.

In the mediocre Big 12 North -- the entire Big 12, for that matter, because the league appears to be a bit down from seasons past -- there has probably never been a better chance for MU to contend for a championship.

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I know my friend Brian Roth won't like me writing this -- although he grew up in southern Illinois, he's one of Southeast's biggest fans and simply despises Southern Illinois University athletics -- but you've just got to hand it to SIU's football team.

This was regarded as something of a transition year for the Salukis, who suffered heavy graduation losses from last year's squad that made its third straight Division I-AA playoff appearance. They were picked to finish just fourth in the Gateway Conference.

Yet on Sept. 16, the Salukis traveled to Bloomington, Ind., and stunned Indiana 35-28 despite falling behind 14-0 early in the game.

Sure, Indiana is currently one of the nation's weaker Division I-A programs among those that compete in elite conferences.

But for a Division I-AA team to beat a Big Ten squad is impressive regardless of the circumstances. In fact, a Gateway Conference club had never pulled off such a feat.

And the victory was certainly no fluke. SIU outrushed Indiana by a staggering 244 yards to 76 yards, which is pretty amazing.

Throw in four touchdown passes from first-year starting quarterback Nick Hill and the Salukis had an upset that vaulted them to 10th in the national rankings and perhaps indicated that they'll contend for yet another Gateway championship.

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A story I wrote in Thursday's Southeast Missourian about the Southeast women's basketball program detailed a 10-player roster for the 2006-2007 Redhawks.

But the Redhawks will actually have 11 players. Coach B.J. Smith recently learned that freshman guard Crystal Pinnock from Toronto has received favorable news from the NCAA clearinghouse, and she will be eligible to participate this year.

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Former Southeast baseball standout Zach Borowiak struggled offensively much of the year with the Portland (Maine) Sea Dogs, a Class AA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The shortstop batted just .216.

But Borowiak was part of a championship team as the Sea Dogs recently captured the Eastern League crown, beating the Akron Aeros in a best-of-five title series that went the distance.

Borowiak saw limited action for Portland in the playoffs -- primarily as a late defensive replacement -- but he went 2-for-5 in the championship series. Overall, he was 2-for-7 in the postseason.

Borowiak, a native of Nashville, Ill., completed his eligibility at Southeast in 2003. He recently finished up his fourth professional season.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.