Snyder named Southeast Missouri State football team's starting quarterback

~ Coach Tom Matukewicz announced the senior beat out transfer Alex Niznak for the job on Saturday

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz made it clear that he'd decide on his team's starting quarterback when one of the candidates showed that they were deserving of the job of leading the team.

Following the Redhawks' final scrimmage of fall camp, Matukewicz said he had made his decision but did not want to announce his choice until after he'd spoken to his team.

Hours later, Matukewicz announced that senior Kyle Snyder will be Southeast's starting quarterback entering the season.

Snyder, who wore the No. 1 quarterback jersey since spring, and junior transfer Alex Niznak, who wore the No. 2 jersey, both had reps with the first-team offense that includes preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference receiver Paul McRoberts and star running back DeMichael Jackson on Saturday, but Snyder proved to be the right guy to lead the offense when Southeast opens its season in less than two weeks.

"I thought they moved the ball well," Matukewicz said of the two quarterbacks. "Once we got down in the red zone we got points, which that's the main thing. Really there's only two critical errors. We had a pick ... then we took a sack [during a two-minute drill], which is embarrassing."

Snyder completed 6 of 16 passes for 42 yards and was sacked once. Niznak was 6 for 12 for 37 yards passing. He was picked off by cornerback Buck Wilson early in the scrimmage and was sacked twice.

Snyder and McRoberts both noted that the offense started out slow, but the pair connected on a couple of plays to finish off the game.

Snyder completed a 4-yard pass to McRoberts in the end zone to pull the offense within 7-6 of the defense.

Snyder immediately went back to his top wide receiver to complete the two-point conversion and send the offense out on top in the team's final scrimmage of fall camp.

"It was a rough start," said McRoberts, who has an injured right pinky. "The defense just came out, really driving us and getting in our head a little bit. Toward the end we just started slowing it down ... and plays started developing and happening, so we started believing more that we can really do this. We just stuck together instead of breaking down."

"I don't know, it's starting to get to the point where it's like 100 percent [confidence] with me and him, so that's good," Snyder said with a smile.

Snyder's longest pass of the day was a 22-yard strike to freshman wide receiver Adrian Davis.

"I feel like I can be a little precise on my throws," Snyder said. "You know, I had a couple passes there where I wish I would've thrown it here or a little farther, just little things like that I can critique [before film]. We've got less than two weeks, I believe -- the days are just all kind of blurring together. Less than two weeks to get that all shaped up and we'll be ready to go for Week 1."

Niznak rushed for 40 yards on 10 carries, which tied for a team-high in rushing yards Saturday, and had a five-yard touchdown run. Snyder rushed for 17 yards on six carries. Niznak is not allowed to conduct interviews under team rules until after the Redhawks first game against Missouri Baptist on Aug. 28 because he is a newcomer.

"I feel like it's really helped elevate my game a lot, and that's good," Snyder said of the quarterback competition. "You know, I've been part of a program like that at Ohio where I really had to boost my level of play, and I feel like it's good for me and for Alex as well."

Freshmen quarterbacks Griffin Pickler and Anthony Cooper each completed one pass, and Cooper was sacked twice. McRoberts also got in on some quarterback action.

After receiving a handoff from Snyder, McRoberts threw the ball into the end zone, hoping to get it to a tight end. It was deflected and caught by offensive lineman Traven Mable.

McRoberts said he "normally wouldn't make that pass" and was really hopeful when he saw Mable diving that he'd catch it.

"Well, it would've been illegal if it wasn't touched by the defense first, so there's a lot of teachable moments there," Matukewicz said. "[For the] defense, bat it down, don't bat it forward. And that's why you run to the ball. People think that the game is luck and the ball just bounced a certain way, and that's not true. That's why we chase the ball, so when the ball does something like that we have more players around than the opponent has around the ball, and we tend to get a little luckier that way."

Outside linebackers Ymonice Wisler and Rider Garrett led the defense with six and five tackles, respectively.