Southeast Missouri State football team gets set for OVC showdown with Eastern Illinois

It's safe to say that Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz, his staff and players remember last year's meeting with Eastern Illinois.

The Redhawks' 52-13 loss at home a year ago was their most lopsided loss of Matukewicz's first season at the helm.

"Well, we made it all about Eastern Illinois, and we turned it over five times. They outhit us, and they just took it to us pretty good," Matukewicz said. "The focus will be on us. Our plan to win is the same each and every week, but there's little details in there that we really make a focus on. And as a head coach, I talk about all week, and that's play smart, play physical and turnover ratio. That's my three things this week, my three keys to victory."

Matukewicz and EIU coach Kim Dameron both noted the physicality of the other's teams as a key to the game as well as the turnover margin.

The Redhawks are third in the Ohio Valley Conference with a plus-5 turnover margin while EIU is last at negative-4.

Southeast Missouri State's Paul McRoberts completes a 44-yard pass from Dante Vandeven to the Murray State 8 before scoring a touchdown on the next play during the third quarter Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 at Houck Stadium. (Fred Lynch)

The Panthers have lost four fumbles and thrown six interceptions. They've had two picks and recovered four fumbles through their first four games.

EIU is 1-3 on the season with lopsided losses to Western Illinois and Northwestern and a 3-point overtime loss to Illinois State.

The Panthers are coming off a 40-16 victory against Austin Peay in their OVC opener.

"They're much better than their record. I think when you look at their players, they've got really good players," Matukewicz said. "It starts with the quarterback (Jalen Whitlow), and they've got two tailbacks (Devin Church and Shepard Little) that can really do it. They've got a guy that's No. 2 in the league in tackles (in Seth McDonald), so they've just got good players."

EIU has won nine of the last 11 meetings with Southeast, including the last three. The Redhawks won in 2010 and 2011, and Matukewicz can sense some excitement from his players to get another shot at the Panthers.

"I think this program has taken some losses to Eastern Illinois over the years, and I think our players are starting to believe that the talent level is raising. The effort's raising, and things are maybe getting a little closer," Matukewicz said. "And I think they're excited just to see how close that is."

Dameron, who also is in his second season in the conference, said he thinks the Redhawks, who are 2-3 and 1-0 in conference, have possibly "come further faster" than any team in the OVC.

"I think a lot of him, and I think he does a good job. He's a defensive coach, and I think we try to run our programs very similar," Matukewicz said about Dameron. "It's hard for us to tell because we're so locked in to what we've got to do, you don't really realize. You're never looking back to see where you came from."

The Redhawks will be without sophomore receiver Adrian Davis and sophomore nose tackle Joshua Wilson. Both starters tore their ACL against Murray State.

Backup quarterback Tay Bender will miss his second straight game and could be out 4-6 weeks with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder.

Left tackle Alex Snyder is day to day with a back injury.

"We're pretty banged up just as a team," Matukewicz said. "It's that grind of the season and we've just really got to do a good job of taking care of our bodies and hydrating and sleeping, trying to get our bodies ready for Saturday."

Series history

Eastern Illinois leads the series 16-6.

Last meeting

Eastern Illinois won 52-13 last season in Cape Girardeau.

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By the numbers

-4 -- Eastern Illinois ranks last in the OVC with a turnover margin of negative-4. The Redhawks have a plus-5 turnover margin, which is tied for third-best in the conference. The Panthers have lost four fumbles, and quarterback Jalen Whitlow has thrown six interceptions on the season.

50 -- The Panthers have scored at least 50 points in the last two meetings with Southeast. They scored 52 in a rout of the Redhawks last season and won 55-33 two seasons ago. EIU currently averages 19 points per game but has scored a combined 71 points in its last two games after being shutout by Northwestern and held to five in its season-opener vs. Western Illinois.

171.8 -- EIU running back Devin Church is averaging 171.8 all-purpose yards per game, which ranks first in the OVC and seventh nationally. Church, a transfer from Illinois, has compiled 282 yards rushing, 103 yards receiving and 302 yards on kickoff returns. He's averaging 20.1 yards per kickoff return.

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Stat leaders

Eastern Illinois

Passing: Jalen Whitlow 652 yards

Receiving: Isaiah Nelson 238 yards, Anthony Taylor 116 yards, Devin Church 103 yards

Rushing: Church 282 yards, Shepard Little 147 yards, Whitlow 129 yards

Tackles: Seth McDonald 46, Vince Speller 29, Anthony Goodman, Bradley Dewberry, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Dino Fanti 26

Southeast

Passing: Dante Vandeven 440 yards, Tay Bender 298 yards

Receiving: Paul McRoberts 378 yards, Adrian Davis 89 yards, Peter Lloyd 75 yards

Rushing: Tremane McCullough 522 yards, DeMichael Jackson 265 yards, Tay Bender 179 yards

Tackles: Roper Garrett 50, Chad Meredith 35, Eriq Moore 34

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Eastern Illinois head coach Kim Dameron makes a point during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Minnesota in Minneapolis Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014. Minnesota won 42-20. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

Opposing coach's view: "We're looking forward now to I think maybe a team that's come further faster than any in the league in SEMO coming in here this week. You watch them on film, they're physical on both sides of the ball, and they're running it, they're throwing it, they're doing a good job offensively and defensively they're doing a good job of being physical and turning people over."

-- Kim Dameron, Eastern Illinois coach

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Scouting the opponent

Eastern Illinois quarterback Jalen Whitlow looks to a pass against Northwestern during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, in Evanston, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The Panthers, who tied for third in last season's OVC standings, were second in the conference in turnover margin at the end of last season.

One of the biggest surprises for the team this year, according to Journal-Gazzete/Times-Courier reporter Justin Rust, is its struggle with turnovers through the first four games this season.

"(Quarterback Jalen) Whitlow set the mark for most consecutive passes without an interception in EIU history last season but has five interceptions this season and three touchdowns," Rust said in an email. "The team has been sloppy with turnovers and penalties this season and are not as disciplined as one would think from a team returning so many starters."

The Panthers are last in turnover margin in the conference and are the second-most penalized team, averaging 69.8 yards of penalties per game.

Whitlow, a transfer from Kentucky who was a second-team all-OVC selection last year, threw 163 straight passes without an interception last season.

So far this year, he's completed 58 of 113 passes for 652 yards while rushing for 129 yards on 57 carries.

"Last week was a good week for Jalen Whitlow," Rust said. "For the first time this season, he really read the defense well of when he should run and where to get big chunks of yards.

"Whitlow is starting to find his rhythm, but he needs to be more consistent in the passing game. His accuracy isn't as sharp as last season, but part of that can be due to a whole new group of wide receivers."

The Panthers had to replace first-team all-conference receiver Adam Drake, who had 93 catches for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

Whitlow's top target this year has been Isaiah Nelson, who has 13 catches for 238 yards and a touchdown.

"Isaiah Nelson has developed well, but the rest of the wide receivers haven't separated themselves yet, and they need to in order to succeed against tough teams," Rust said.

Running back Devin Church has 282 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 49 carries. He's caught 12 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. He's also returned 15 kickoffs for an average of 20.1 yards.

His backup, Shepard Little, has 147 yards rushing and a touchdown on 35 carries and has 5 catches for 68 yards.

"Running back Devin Church is one of the most dangerous all-around players in the OVC," Rust said. "The Illinois transfer has read blocks and holes very well on kickoff returns, and it seems only a matter of time before he breaks one for a score. He is the starting running back now and gets around the edge fast, and it has turned into 4, 5, 6 yards a pop. He is also patient and reads his blocks well. He can also be split out as a wideout and has turned into a dangerous weapon in the passing game, especially on screens."

"Shepard Little has made it a two-headed attack at running back and is more of an inside the tackles runner," Rust added. "He gained 90-plus yards last game after dealing with injuries in the first two contests. They have also utilized him on screen passes, and he has done well with them."

The Panthers are second to last in rushing defense, giving up an average of 226.2 yards rushing per game and 10 touchdowns, but have the top pass defense, allowing 146.5 yards and three touchdowns.

Rust said defensive tackle Dino Fanti, one of four panthers with 26 tackles, is key to the defense's success. He has 4 1/2 tackles for loss, a sack, five QB hurries and a forced and recovered fumble.

"His disruption up front is the key to the whole defensive scheme," Rust said.

Linebacker Seth McDonald is second in the conference in tackles with 46. He has three tackles for loss, a forced fumble and recovered fumble and an interception.

"Linebacker Seth McDonald has been named the OVC defensive player of the week twice and does a great job of cleaning up from Fanti and Williams," Rust said. "He is the most consistent tackler and is in the right spots every time. He is also good in the passing game and reads the quarterbacks well."

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OVC Schedule

Thursday

• Tennessee Tech at #17 Eastern Kentucky, 6 p.m.

Saturday

• Southeast at Eastern Illinois, 1 p.m.
• Tennessee State at UT Martin, 2:30 p.m.
• Austin Peay at Murray State, 3 p.m.

Both the Governors and Racers enter Saturday's contest 0-2 in OVC action. Austin Peay's only win last season was a 20-13 defeat of the Racers. That win snapped an 18-game losing streak and was the team's first win since 2012. The Govs are 0-5 on the season and have lost their last 10 games dating back to last season. They also have a 34-game road losing streak that began in 2010 that they'll try to snap in Murray, Kentucky.