Southeast finalizes football schedule

Southeast Missouri State football fans will get an early look at the Redhawks, as they play two of their first three games at Houck Stadium.

Southeast opens against Quincy on Sept. 3, a Thursday, at 6 p.m. at Houck Stadium. The university released the schedule Thursday.

"The season opener is exciting for every team in America," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said in a statement. "The beginning of the year is always a challenge. We've had some serious battles in recent home openers, so it will be important to find the identity of our team."

After a trip to Cincinnati on Sept. 12, the Redhawks return home to open Ohio Valley Conference play Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. at Houck Stadium. Cincinnati finished ranked No. 17 in last year's final Division I poll.

"The kids like to play a school on that level," Samuel said. "A fair amount of our kids have played there before, so they should be more comfortable this time around."

The Redhawks hit the road after the Eastern Illinois game, playing four of their next five away from Houck Stadium.

Southeast closes with three games at Houck Stadium, including the season finale against Southern Illinois.

"If we're doing things the way we want to, having those final three games at home will be a good situation for us," Samuel said. "Two of those final three are conference games, so if we're in the running, playing in front of our home fans could be a big help to us."

The Redhawks and Salukis will kick off at 1 p.m. Nov. 21.

"I like that we're playing SIU again," Samuel said. "The history of this rivalry makes it a big deal."