Southeast Missouri State football team finds motivation from Pink Up initiative

When Southeast Missouri State junior Darrius Darden-Box blocked a Tennessee Tech punt return, he was excited for the spark he provided for his team but also was glad he'd been able to perform well in honor of someone who had died after a battle with cancer just a week and a half before.

Darden-Box's No. 6 jersey had "M. Webb" where his last name would usually be in honor of Michelle Webb.

The Redhawks' pink jerseys were auctioned off to raise money to provide mammograms for area women who could not otherwise afford them as part of Saint Francis Medical Center's Pink Up Cape initiative.

The players received a card prior to the game with information about the person whose name would be on their back during the Pink Up game.

Darden-Box met with two of Webb's best friends after the game and found out Webb had known his aunt from Nashville, Tennessee.

"It was very emotional actually," Darden-Box said. "... It just makes you feel like you know that person, like you're playing for that person, like they're like family."

Senior receiver Paul McRoberts' No. 1 jersey had "Schott" on the back for Carl "Punkin" Schott, who died in 2005.

McRoberts got excited when asked to share Schott's story that he'd learned before the game and a smile came across his face as he said, "He was just like me."

"He just wanted to see everybody do the best they can, and he was all for everybody else and helping people," McRoberts said. "As soon as I read that, I was like, 'This sounds like me,' and I kind of was honored and just blessed to wear his name on the back of my jersey today."

More than $21,000 was raised from the jersey auction.

"I know some people just saw it as a sign of, 'Oh, they're wearing pink. That's cute,'" McRoberts said. "But I took it to the heart, and my whole team took it to the heart. We wanted that victory. We said we aren't losing in the pink jerseys."

Quarterback unknown

The Redhawks weren't sure who the Golden Eagles were going to send out onto the field at quarterback.

They'd watched film for backup quarterback Colby Brown, who left last week's game with an injury, and No. 3 QB Ty Jobe heading into the game since usual starter Jared Davis was doubtful to play with a hand injury.

When the Golden Eagles offense stepped on the field for their first drive 1 minute, 14 seconds into the game, it was their top receiver, Brock McCoin, who was under center.

"Once we saw he was going to be the quarterback, nothing changed," safety Eriq Moore said. "We knew it was probably going to be a lot of run plays in there for him, probably run a little option a little bit, and they did. Once we settled in, I think we took care of it pretty well."

McCoin picked up back-to-back first downs on TTU's first two plays with runs of 25 and 10 yards before a sack and an incomplete pass made the Golden Eagles settle for a field goal.

The Golden Eagles scored on 1-yard runs by Dorian Carter with 2:47 left in the first and 13:12 remaining in the game under McCoin's command.

He entered the game with a team-high 747 yards receiving and four touchdowns on 61 catches and minus-5 yards rushing on two carries.

He rushed for 96 yards on 27 carries and completed 13 of 27 passes for 192 yards. He set up the Golden Eagles' first touchdown, which gave them a 10-7 lead at the end of the first with a 47-yard completion to the 1. He threw two interceptions.

Tennessee Tech quarterback Brock McCoin is sacked by Southeast Missouri State's Stephon Williams during the third quarter Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015 at Houck Stadium. (Fred Lynch)

"Hats off to Tennessee Tech's McCoin," Southeast coach Tom Matukewicz said. "That guy is really, really quick and did a lot of good things. If he didn't make us miss so much, man, they wouldn't have been able to do a whole lot. And he really didn't throw the ball that bad."

TTU entered the game last in the Ohio Valley Conference in sacks allowed with 28.

The Redhawks defense, which Matukewicz thought did "an amazing job," sacked McCoin seven times.

Sophomore linebacker Chad Meredith led Southeast with 2 1/2 sacks. Terrance Hill, Selwyn Carrol, Roper Garrett and Lawrence Hills each had one sack apiece while John Popovich, who is tied for sixth with 2 1/2 sacks on the season, was credited with half a sack.

Linebacker Brad Ivey led the team with nine tackles while Hill had eight and Meredith had seven.

"Our front seven, they were phenomenal," Moore said. "They were in the backfield play after play."

Southeast's defense could be without Garrett, the team's leading tackler, for the first half of its next game against Austin Peay.

Garrett was ejected from the game early in the fourth quarter after being called for targeting.

Matukewicz said he didn't see the play.

"We'll watch the film and see if it's a legitimate penalty," Matukewicz said. "If it is, we're freaking going to run everybody and try to get it fixed."

Better on offense

The Redhawks compiled 360 yards of offense -- 235 on the ground and 125 through the air -- against TTU.

They were 5 of 12 on third-down conversions and 2 of 3 in the red zone.

"I think offensively it was OK. A little disappointed," Matukewicz said. "I feel like we have better players than what our offense is producing right now, so they need to play better and we need to coach them better, and that's going to be the message on Sunday is offensively we've got to get it going."

QB Dante Vandeven completed 11 of 21 passes with McRoberts his top target with 56 yards on four catches.

Southeast Missouri State's Tremane McCullough celebrates with Redhawks fans after his 81-yard touchdown run against Tennessee Tech during the first quarter Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015 at Houck Stadium. Officials called a penalty on McCullough for unsportsmanlike conduct by making contact with fans. (Fred Lynch)

Tremane McCullough had a game-high 138 yards rushing on 17 carries, including an 81-yard touchdown.

McCullough was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct after the touchdown.

"Tremane McCullough scores and he goes and high-fives the people in the end zone and they threw the flag and I was like, 'Hey, was that excessive celebration?'" Matukewicz said.

He was told the penalty was called because players are not allowed to high-five fans.

"That's not Tremane McCullough's fault," Matukewicz said. "That's Coach Tuke's fault. I didn't tell him that. I didn't know."