Southeast Missouri State football team closes season at home against UT Martin

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz has yet to see his team play well in all four quarters of a game.

The Redhawks' last chance to do so has arrived as they host UT Martin in their season finale on Saturday.

"We've had spurts where it's been really, really good, and then spurts where it's been pretty bad, so that's our challenge and see if we can turn that corner," Matukewicz said.

Kickoff from Houck Stadium is set for 1 p.m. Twelve Southeast seniors -- Paul McRoberts, Alex Niznak, Lewis Washington, Traven Mable, Jon Slania, David Coley, Josh Freeman, Ryan Evans, Wade Wright, Lawrence Hills, Austin Black and Peter Lloyd -- will be honored before the game.

The Redhawks had a two-game winning streak snapped last weekend by Ohio Valley Conference champion and top-ranked Jacksonville State. Southeast is 4-6 on the season and 3-3 in the OVC.

Southeast Missouri State's Tremane McCullough carries after a handoff from Dante Vandeven against Eastern Kentucky during the first quarter Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 at Houck Stadium. (Fred Lynch)

Although a win would put Southeast above .500 in conference play for just the second time in the last 12 years, Matukewicz is more concerned about the team's overall performance heading into the offseason.

"This is a tough game. It's a really good football team, and we need to continue to improve," Matukewicz said. "I think that if we play well and we've shown improvements in all three phases and we lose the game, we'll still feel good. If we don't play well and we lose the game, we're not going to feel very good. If we win the game and we turned it over a bunch and we gave up big plays, we're not going to feel very good either.

"The focus has to be on preparation. We need a game to where we play well all four quarters."

The Skyhawks are 6-4 and 5-2 in the OVC. UTM is still trying to boost its resume with a possibility of making the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs on the line.

Matukewicz compared UTM to Murray State. The Racers rank No. 1 in the conference averaging 351.0 yards passing per game while the Skyhawks are second at 306.4 yards.

Matukewicz said his team can't be concerned with how many yards it allows but rather third-down and red-zone defense.

The Skyhawks are first in the conference in third-down conversions, converting 47.5 percent on third down. They're also first in red-zone offense, scoring 85.7 percent of the time with 30 TDs and 12 field goals.

"People get all fired up about yards. You just have to create turnovers, and you've got to play great situational defense," Matukewicz said. "When it's third down and it's third-and-8, we've got to get off the field. If we're in the red zone, everything tightens up, and we've got to make them kick field goals."

In Southeast's 27-10 victory against Murray State, the Racers compiled 363 yards passing and 535 yards of total offense but were 3 of 15 on third down and 2 of 5 in the red zone.

The Skyhawks have quarterback Jarod Neal at the helm. Neal completed 20 of 37 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns in Southeast's 31-27 win at UTM last season.

"Offensively they're just really explosive," Matukewicz said. "They're led by a fifth-year senior at quarterback that is like having a coach out there. He looks and sees how you're lined up and he checks the play -- does a great job. They're balanced. Even though they have thrown the ball quite a bit they can still run it. ... Offensively third down and red zone they're great."

UTM has allowed an average of 34.5 points per game this season, but only 28.0 in conference games. Nationally-ranked Ole Miss put up 76 in the season opener, and Arkansas had 63 against them.

"Defensively they just challenge everything," Matukewicz said. "A lot of real, real tight windows, so we've got to make some big plays there. We've got to be able to penetrate that first level of defense, and if you can, you can create a lot of big plays."

Series history

The series is tied 15-15

Last meeting

Southeast defeated UT Martin 31-27 last season in Martin, Tennessee.

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By the numbers

1 -- Southeast and UT Martin rank first in the OVC in sacks and sacks allowed, respectively. The Redhawks have recorded 29 sacks on the season to lead the conference. They've had 14 sacks in the past three games. UT Martin has allowed the fewest sacks this season with eight. Skyhawks QB Jarod Neal has been sacked twice in each of their last two games.

-10 -- The Skyhawks are last in the conference in turnover margin at minus-10. UTM has forced just 11 turnovers on the season while the Skyhawks have lost seven fumbles and had 14 passes intercepted. Southeast's plus-11 turnover margin is by far the best in the OVC. The Redhawks have forced 19 turovers while losing just three fumbles and having five passes intercepted.

12 -- UTM senior receiver Rod Wright leads the league with 12 touchdown catches. Wright, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound receiver, has 936 yards receiving on 60 catches this year, averaging 15.6 ypc. Wright's compiled four 100-plus yard receiving games this season.

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Stat leaders

Jacksonville State

Passing: Jarod Neal 2,953 yards, Troy Cook 109, Najee Ray 2

Receiving: Rod Wright 935, Caylon Weathers 647, William Tanner 637

Rushing: Trent Garland 536, Ladevin Fair 284, Najee Ray 232

Tackles: Marquis Clemons 69, Terrious Triplett 57, Damani Taylor 53

Southeast

Passing: Dante Vandeven 1,342 yards, Tay Bender 311, Alex Niznak 10

Receiving: Paul McRoberts 813, Tremane McCullough 230, Peter Lloyd 131

Rushing: Tremane McCullough 1,005, DeMichael Jackson 265, Dante Vandeven 261

Tackles: Roper Garrett 92, Chad Meredith 65, Eriq Moore 53

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Tennessee-Martin coach Jason Simpson reacts during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014. Mississippi State won 45-16. (AP Photo/Jim Lytle)

Opposing coach's view

"We've got a tough opponent this week. Coach Tuke, I mean, you can see the improvement to their football team. They've got probably the best pro prospect at receiver, an exceptionally fast running back, an outstanding young quarterback, good schemes on both sides of the ball. And they beat us last year at our place, so we've got to get ourselves ready to go and try to get that sixth win in the conference."

-- Jason Simpson, UT Martin coach

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Scouting the opponent

Tennessee-Martin's Jarod Neal (13) passes the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Arkansas, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Samantha Baker)

UT Martin coach Jason Simpson is hopeful that if his team beats Southeast on Saturday, and Eastern Kentucky defeats Eastern Illinois to put all three at 6-2 in the OVC, then there's still a shot at getting an at-large FCS playoff bid.

The Skyhawks are optimistic they can get back to their winning ways after their five-game conference winning streak was snapped vs. EIU last week.

"They've been unranked all year, even after beating Eastern Kentucky, so I think everyone knows deep down how unlikely a playoff bid is," Jackson Sun reporter Craig Thomas said in an email. "Jason Simpson campaigned for them when he talked with us Monday, and I think that's because he senses even with a win over SEMO, his team is likely to be left out."

UTM's only two losses outside of conference play were a 76-3 rout by nationally-ranked Ole Miss in the season opener and a 63-28 loss at Arkansas on Oct. 31.

The Skyhawks' only other losses were a 48-41 defeat at OVC champion Jacksonville State in their conference opener and a 23-21 loss to EIU on Saturday.

"They've won or narrowly lost every game this year against FCS competition (one of their primary arguments for getting in), and I expect them to play well again at least believing there's a chance," Thomas said.

UTM's defense, which allows an average of 396.4 yards per game, held EIU to 276 yards.

The Panthers ran for 196 yards on 40 carries. QB Jalen Whitlow, who rushed for 142 yards on 13 carries, was 8 of 18 for 80 yards passing with two interceptions.

"Probably lost in the disappointment of their loss Saturday was the play of their defense," Thomas said. "They had trouble stopping EIU's option game with Jalen Whitlow early on, but they allowed only eight completions. Defense has been hit or miss the last few years, but I've been impressed with this group given the youth of its linebackers (especially considering presumed leader Nick Dance was lost to injury)."

Dance, an all-newcomer selection in the OVC last year, sustained a season-ending injury in the Skyhawks' second game this year.

UTM did return its quarterback to lead the offense, though. Neal took full control of the offense this year after splitting time with Dylan Favre last season.

"I think as a senior, Neal has benefited knowing he's the starter no matter what," Thomas said. "He has a strong arm, his offensive line has protected him well, and Caylon Weathers, Rod Wright and William Tanner have all had really excellent seasons at receiver."

Neal has completed 230 of 382 passes for 2,953 yards and 27 touchdowns. Wright is his top receiver with 60 catches for 936 yards and 12 TDs.

Weathers has 55 catches for 647 yards and seven touchdowns, and Tanner has 45 catches for 637 yards and five touchdowns.

Neal's also had 13 interceptions -- with four in each of the last two games against EKU and EIU -- but he's only been sacked eight times this season.

Thomas said Simpson believes the EKU game was "the offensive line's worst game this year."

"Against EIU, he led his receiver on one pick and then threw a really costly one at the 5-yard line for which there's no excuse," Thomas said of the interceptions. "The last two aren't as much on him, in my opinion. A defensive lineman deflected his release from behind on the third one. The last one came with two minutes left, his team trailing and about 80 yards to go, and he took a chance."

Trent Garland, a 5-foot-9, 200-pound RB, leads the Skyhawks' ground attack with 536 yards and seven rushing touchdowns on 123 carries.

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OVC Schedule

Saturday

• Murray State at #1 Jacksonville State, 1 p.m.
• #23 Eastern Kentucky at Eastern Illinois, 1 p.m.

The Colonels and Panthers meet with a possible playoff berth on the line. EIU is second in the OVC currently with a 6-1 record while EKU, and UT Martin, sit at 5-2.

• Tennessee State at Tennessee Tech, 2:30 p.m.