Southeast Missouri State football team faces nation's top offense

~ Eastern Illinois leads the country in yardage per game and averages 46.8 points

The high-powered Eastern Illinois football team will hold its homecoming Saturday and the Panthers are promoting the game as a chance to break O'Brien Field record for attendance of 12,600.

Southeast Missouri State likely will need one of its best performances of the past few years to keep the Panthers from having a massive celebration.

But at least the Redhawks are entering the 1:30 p.m. kickoff in Charleston, Ill., in about as strong a frame of mind as possible.

Southeast is coming off its first win of the season, 37-34 in triple-overtime over visiting Murray State that improved the Redhawks' record to 1-5 overall and 1-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play.

"Eastern Illinois is a tough team, but getting that win is a great way to go into it," sophomore quarterback Scott Lathrop said.

The Redhawks can use any advantage possible in trying to knock off defending OVC champion EIU (5-1, 2-0), the country's third-ranked FCS squad that features one of the nation's top offenses.

"They're a very good football team," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said. "They're a big-play offense. ... You've got to keep that kind of offense off the field."

EIU has not scored fewer than 39 points all season despite playing two FBS programs. The Panthers beat one of them -- San Diego State -- and nearly took down undefeated, 23rd-ranked Northern Illinois before losing 43-39.

The Panthers lead the nation in total offense with an average of 584 yards per game while ranking high nationally in most of the other major statistical offensive categories, including scoring at 46.8 points per contest.

"They're scoring an awful lot of points in a hurry," Samuel said.

EIU's offense is directed by All-American senior Jimmy Garoppolo, one of the nation's premier quarterbacks on any level and a likely NFL draft pick.

"He's pretty good," Samuel said with a smile.

Samuel has witnessed the strong-armed, 6-foot-3, 222-pound Garoppolo's progression over the past four years.

Garoppolo was thrown into the fire as a true freshman in 2010 for a struggling EIU squad that was in the midst of the first of consecutive 2-9 seasons that marked the end of legendary coach Bob Spoo's career in Charleston, Ill.

Garoppolo's second collegiate start came against Southeast that year, a season that saw the Redhawks garner their only OVC title and only playoff berth on any level.

The Redhawks intercepted Garoppolo four times, returning one for a touchdown, during a 28-13 victory that marked Southeast's first win in Charleston since 1957.

Garoppolo hasn't been out of the lineup since as those early struggles are a distant memory.

"I remember when he was a freshman, he couldn't get those reads in, he was confused. We've watched him develop," said Samuel, whose squad also beat the Panthers in 2011 in Cape Girardeau before losing to EIU 39-20 last year in Charleston despite leading 20-16 in the third quarter.

Garoppolo is the OVC career leader in passing yards (10,465) and touchdown passes (93), breaking former EIU star and current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's record in the latter category.

Garoppolo leads the nation this season in passing yards with 2,359 and touchdown passes with 28 while throwing just four interceptions. He has completed 65.9 percent (172 of 261) of his passes.

"The guy is a four-year starter. When you've got that many reps, seen that many plays, sooner or later the light bulb goes on and he's driving the car without you. He can drive the car without mom and dad sitting in the front seat," EIU second-year coach Dino Babers said with a laugh.

Garoppolo has plenty of weapons, led by senior wide receiver Erik Lora, the OVC's career leader in receptions with 266. He ranks third nationally this year with 57 receptions and is second nationally with 797 receiving yards. He has scored 12 TDs.

EIU has five players with at least 18 receptions, including three with at least 27.

The Panthers also have a solid ground game, led by junior Taylor Duncan (505 yards, 4.5 ypc) and sophomore Shepard Little (431 yards, 6.8 ypc).

"They spread it around," Samuel said.

The Panthers also had one of the nation's top offenses last year, but one of their big improvements this season has come on defense.

EIU allowed an average of 36.2 points per game in 2012 but has sliced that to 22.8 ppg this year, second-best in the OVC.

"Their defense is complementing their offense very well," Samuel said.

Despite all of EIU's apparent advantages entering the game, Babers said Southeast's showing against Murray State will help keep the Panthers from getting too far ahead of themselves.

"Them getting the win last week was a blessing because now it's a lot easier for me to show my team ... they're capable of beating you just like they beat them [Murray State]," Babers said. "All we've got is a giant bull's-eye on our chest."