Southeast football team hangs with the big boys in opener

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Tony Samuel's first four Southeast Missouri State football teams played their annual "money" game against top squads from BCS conferences.

Those all proved to be monumental mismatches, with the Redhawks' closest loss being 52-3 against Missouri in 2008.

There was no monumental mismatch in Thursday night's season opener that saw Southeast receive $275,000 from Ball State, a Mid-American Conference member coming off a 2-10 campaign.

The Division I-AA Redhawks, 2-9 last year, made Division I-A Ball State sweat before the host Cardinals pulled away from a 7-7 halftime tie to win 27-10.

"I felt we came out with a point to prove, that we're not a team to overlook," senior linebacker Justin Woodlief said. "It's a game we can build on, a lot better than the Cincinnati game [a 70-3 loss last year to the nationally ranked Bearcats]."

Southeast Missouri State's Andrew Adams hits Ball State quarterback Kelly Page during Thursday's game at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Ind. (CHRIS BERGIN ~ The Star Press (Muncie, Ind.))

Added Samuel, Southeast's fifth-year coach: "I liked the way we competed. I thought we came ready to play. We had our opportunities, we just didn't have a good third quarter."

Ball State, which lost to Division I-AA New Hampshire and did not win a home game last year, turned the tide with a 17-0 third-quarter advantage that featured 10 points after Southeast miscues.

"I liked the way we came out and battled, but playing a I-A team like that, you have to limit your mistakes," junior quarterback Matt Scheible said.

After pinning Southeast deep and forcing a punt on the opening possession of the second half, the Cardinals drove 51 yards for a touchdown that made it 14-7.

Southeast fumbled on the first play of the ensuing possession and Ball State answered with a 39-yard touchdown drive to go ahead 21-7.

Justin Woodlief

The Redhawks' third possession of the half ended with a blocked punt that set up Ball State at the Southeast 24-yard line. A field goal with 48 seconds left in the third quarter made it 24-7.

"The third quarter was really our undoing," Samuel said. "It's still a game of turnovers. We had the fumble and the blocked punt and all of a sudden it's 17 points. But we battled."

Southeast made it 24-10 on sophomore Drew Geldbach's 53-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. Ball State answered that with a field goal with six minutes left to account for the final margin.

"We just have to finish. It's a four-quarter game, not two quarters," senior tailback Henry Harris said. "We had some bad mistakes."

Both teams started strong offensively, scoring touchdowns on their first possessions of the game.

Southeast answered Ball State's 63-yard drive with a 73-yarder that ended with a tackle-breaking 11-yard run by senior fullback Mike Jones.

Harris caught two passes for 21 yards and added 14 yards on two carries during the Redhawks' TD march that saw Scheible complete all four of his passes for 33 yards.

"I liked the way we answered their touchdown," Samuel said.

Defenses dominated the rest of the half before the Cardinals grabbed control in the third quarter.

"I'm disappointed we didn't get a win," Samuel said. "We had our chances."