SIU provides first test

On paper, Southeast Missouri State's early schedule doesn't appear to be conducive to a strong start, but coach Tim Billings figures he'll at least get an early indication of how much the Redhawks have improved.

Tonight's opener against highly regarded Southern Illinois -- set for 6 p.m. at Houck Stadium -- should be quite a measuring stick all by itself.

"It will be a great measuring stick to see where we're at," Billings said. "We're going to play a great football team.

"Being as young as we are, I think we're the kind of team that is going to be a lot better in three or four weeks. These first three weeks [Southeast plays at Division I-A Kent State and at Missouri State to round out its nonconference schedule] will tell us a lot. It will really determine how good we can be."

Billings and the Redhawks -- who went 3-8 overall last year, including a 3-5, sixth-place finish in the nine-team Ohio Valley Conference -- will worry about Kent State and Missouri State later.

For now, all their attention is focused on the mighty Salukis from across the river in Carbondale. SIU went 10-2 last year and won its second consecutive Gateway Conference title with a 7-0 mark. The Salukis are the nation's fifth-ranked Division I-AA team entering this season.

"We know they're a great team, and it's going to be a big challenge for us," Southeast senior cornerback Kellin White said. "But we're excited and ready to play."

Billings knows the Redhawks will have to be ready to play against an SIU squad that was ranked No. 1 for much of last season and returns many of its key players -- with seven starters back on offense and another seven on defense.

Offensively, the Salukis are led by four-year starting quarterback Joel Sambursky, who directed an attack in 2004 that scored a school-record 511 points to rank third nationally.

Sambursky passed for 2,224 yards last year, with 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions, while completing nearly 61 percent. Also a dangerous runner, Sambursky has 5,199 career passing yards, which is just 30 off the school record. He already is the Salukis' career leading in TD passes with 43.

"He's a heck of a quarterback and a great leader," Billings said. "He's got all the intangibles, and he's got a lot of good players around him."

Players like speedy tailback Arkee Whitlock, who rushed for 959 yards last year while averaging 6.4 yards per carry, and dangerous wide receiver Brent Little, a Poplar Bluff, Mo., native who caught 35 passes for a 23.5-yard average.

"They're just so good offensively," Billings said. "They can run the ball right at you, and they do such a good job of play-action. They're good in all phases."

SIU's major question mark on offense is a line that returns only one starter -- and that player, center Will Justice, is questionable for tonight with an ankle injury -- but coach Jerry Kill said, "We feel good about it. I think potentially and physically we have a chance to be better [on the line] than we were a year ago."

Defensively, SIU ranked first nationally in scoring defense last year, and it set a school record for fewest points allowed in an 11-game regular season (123). Many of the top defenders are also back, although there are questions at cornerback.

"They've got a great defense," Billings said.

In last year's meeting in Carbondale, Southeast trailed just 14-3 at halftime before SIU ran away to a 42-3 victory. The Salukis rolled up 550 yards -- including 320 on the ground -- and held the Redhawks to 250 yards.

That game was a sign of things to come for Southeast's defense, which ended the season as statistically one of the nation's worst units.

"Last year in the first half we played pretty well, but we just didn't help ourselves offensively," Billings said. "I think we'll be a lot better on defense this year, but part of it is, we have to be better offensively, to keep our defense off the field. I think we will be better offensively."

Even though SIU will enter tonight's game as a heavy favorite, Kill said he has plenty of respect for Billings and his staff, and he expects the Redhawks to give the Salukis all they can handle.

Now, that may just be coach-speak, but Kill emphasized that it wasn't very long ago that SIU was in the same boat as Southeast -- a team expected to struggle. The Salukis were 1-10 and 4-8 in Kill's first two seasons -- losing to the Redhawks both years -- before they exploded on the national map with consecutive 10-2 records.

"SEMO has got more people back than you originally think when you look at it, and I know they feel like they've recruited well," Kill said. "We look to see a very athletic team, and I know they're going to be well coached. They pounded our tail the first two times, and we were fortunate to get them the last two years.

"The biggest thing, we went over there two years ago when SEMO had a lot of talent and was ranked, and we were kind of a no-name team. We ended up playing very well and ended up having a very good season. Now the situation is kind of reversed."

Added Kill: "We have a lot of seniors, and I think they understand you can go to the outhouse from the penthouse in a hurry."

Billings knows that virtually everybody outside of his program is expecting SIU to roll tonight. But the sixth-year coach said he looks for major improvement this year from the Redhawks, who he believes possess the most overall speed and skill-position talent since he took over the program, along with improved depth.

"I'm excited to see what type of football team we have," he said. "I really think we can have a good football team."

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Today's game

n When: 6 p.m.

* Where: Houck Stadium, Cape Girardeau

* Records: Southeast 0-0, Southern Illinois 0-0

* 2004 records: Southeast 3-8 (3-5 OVC), Southern Illinois 10-2 (7-0 Gateway).

* Coaches: Tim Billings (Southeast) 23-34, sixth year; Jerry Kill (Southern Illinois) 25-22, fifth year.

* Series: Southeast leads 36-29-8.

* Last meeting: Southern Illinois won 42-3 in 2004 in Carbondale.

* Radio: KEZS-102.9 FM

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Tonight's probable lineups

OFFENSE

Southeast

WR: Jamel Oliver, 6-1, 180, Sr.

WR: Brian Matthews, 6-3, 215, Jr.

TE: Joesph Tuineau, 6-8, 280, So.

LT: Zach Leible, 6-4, 285, Fr.

LG: Austin Russell, 6-3, 320, Jr.

C: Joe Hadley, 6-3, 320, Jr.

RG: John Ball, 6-4, 290, Jr.

RT: Taurean Robinson, 6-4, 325, Sr.

WR: T.J. Milcic, 6-5, 200, Sr.

QB: Mike Haley, 6-6, 225, Sr.

RB: Austen Collins, 6-0, 195, Sr.

K: Colin Schermann, 6-0, 160, Fr.

Southern Illinois

WR: Kellen Allen, 6-2, 190, Sr.

TE: Chris Kupec, 6-2, 235, Sr.

LT: Darren Marquez, 6-5, 310, Fr.

LG: Matt Ruth, 6-3, 285, So.

C: Will Justice, 6-5, 295, Jr.

RG: Jared Green, 6-0, 285, Sr.

RT: Andrew Kernes, 6-6, 290, So.

WR: Brent Little, 6-0, 185, Sr.

QB: Joel Sambursky, 6-0, 195, Sr.

FB: J.T. Wise, 6-1, 240, Jr.

TB: Arkee Whitlock, 5-10, 200, Jr.

K: Craig Coffin, 5-11, 215, Jr.

DEFENSE

Southeast

DE; Edgar Jones, 6-5, 250, Jr.

DT: Brandon Bohnert, 6-4, 270, Sr.

DT: Bernard Quinn, 6-2, 305, Jr.

DE: J. Komondoreas, 6-1, 230, Sr.

LB: Tunde Agboke, 5-11, 215, Jr.

LB: Seth Harrell, 6-0, 230, Jr.

LB: Travion Brock, 5-9, 205, Sr.

CB: Kellin White, 6-1, 210, Sr.

FS: D'Eldrick Taylor, 5-11, 190, Jr.

SS: Mike Miller, 5-10, 198, Sr.

CB: Monroe Hicks, 5-9, 170, So.

P: David Simonhoff, 6-2, 200, Jr.

Southern Illinois

DE: Billy Beard, 6-2, 280, Sr.

DT: Linton Brown, 6-0, 325, Sr.

DT: Lionel Williams, 6-2, 265, Sr.

DE: Jeff Jones, 6-1, 265, Sr.

LB: Royal Whitaker, 6-0, 230, Sr.

LB: Tony Rinella, 6-1, 225, Sr.

CB: Anthony Williams, 5-8, 165, So.

OS: Frank Johnson, 6-0, 205, Sr.

FS: Marlon Heaston, 5-11, 205, Jr.

OS: Jamarquis Jordan, 6-1, 210, Sr.

CB: Larry Taylor, 6-0, 180, So.

P: Craig Coffin, 5-11, 215, Jr.