Southeast Missouri State football player Peiffer named OVC defensive player of the week after 18-tackle performance

Southeast Missouri State junior linebacker Blake Peiffer was named the Ohio Valley Conference defensive player of the week Sunday. The honor marks the first for Peiffer.

Peiffer, a Jackson High School graduate, had 19 tackles in Saturday's 22-21 loss to Jacksonville State. The 19 tackles tied a single-game OVC high this year and marked the 10th-highest total in the Football Championship Subdivision this season.

Peiffer leads the OVC and ranks second in the nation with 13.6 tackles per game. He has recorded 10 or more tackles in eight consecutive games.

Peiffer has 136 tackles, tied for sixth place on the program's single-season list. He needs 15 tackles in the final game, at home against Murray State, to break Southeast assistant coach Nick Stauffer's record of 150 tackles in 2008.

-- From staff reports