Scheible puts on show in Southeast Missouri State football team's win

Southeast Missouri State senior quarterback Matt Scheible has had quite a few big performances during a career in which he has started every game since the beginning of his sophomore season.

Scheible performance Saturday during a 37-30 home win over Eastern Illinois has to rank high on his list of accomplishments.

Scheible rushed for a career-high 161 yards on 19 carries. All but 22 of the yards came in the second half. He scored two touchdowns, on a career-long 71-yard run and an 18-yarder.

"He's unbelievable," junior offensive guard Colt McCauley said. "He's such a great athlete, and he can see those holes."

Scheible added 130 yards passing and three touchdowns. He completed 14 of 18 attempts.

Scheible's 291 yards of offense gives him 5,874 for his career. He ranks second all-time at Southeast and needs less than 60 yards to break the record.

"You have to take your hat off to Scheible," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said. "I think I told you guys I thought he was special when I met him in the principal's office [while Samuel was recruiting Scheible in Washington, Mo.].

"He's just one of those special people."

Scheible ranks seventh on Southeast's career rushing yards list with 1,983 and eighth in career passing yards with 3,892. He is a lock to become the first quarterback in Ohio Valley Conference history to throw for at least 4,000 yards and rush for at least 2,000 yards in his career.

But the team-oriented Scheible said he pays no attention to records and professed to not know much about them.

"Sometimes I don't even know the stats until we show up for film Sunday," Scheible said. "I don't even know what records you're talking about, but if I get it, it's all because of my teammates."

Peiffer's first sack

Junior linebacker Blake Peiffer, a Jackson High School graduate, continued to be a tackling machine.

And Peiffer added something different to his arsenal Saturday -- his first quarterback sack as a collegiate player.

Peiffer was credited with a half sack, along with junior linebacker Darrick Borum, on a blitz during the first possession of the second half.

"It's a nice feeling," Peiffer said about the sack. "I don't get many blitzes in a game."

Peiffer had his third double-digit tackling performance in four games this season. He finished with a team-high 11. He has led the Redhawks in tackles in every contest.

Peiffer, who entered play leading the OVC and ranking fourth nationally in tackles per game, now has 48 tackles this season.

Borum added nine tackles Saturday, while senior cornerback Kweku Arkorful was credited with eight, including arguably the hit of the game on EIU tailback Jake Walker.

Senior defensive end Steve Hendry and junior college transfer defensive tackle Joe Malolo both also were credited with a half sack. Southeast posted its first two sacks of the season in the win.

Borum nabbed Southeast's first interception of the year.

Noteworthy

* Redshirt freshman wide receiver/return man Spencer Davis, who has been a bright spot for Southeast, missed the game with an ankle injury suffered last week at Tennessee Tech.

Southeast struggled in the return game without Davis. Senior Kris Cottner, a Perryville High School graduate, and true freshman Trey Lewis, a Sikeston High School grad, handled kickoff returns Saturday, while senior Aaron King was on punt returns.