Southeast Missouri State football team looks for revenge vs. Southeastern Louisiana

The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Southeast Missouri State football team.

The Redhawks host Southeastern Louisiana, ranked No. 3 and No. 4 in the two major national polls, at 6 p.m. Saturday at Houck Stadium in their final nonconference game of the regular season.

The Redhawks (1-2) have spent the past week focusing less on the Lions (2-1) and more on the issue that's doomed them in their last two games.

"Our problem the last two games has been discipline, so we're trying to get everything sound and perfect everything," Southeast junior receiver Paul McRoberts said. "We've just been focused a little more on ourselves than our opponent. We've still been studying up, trying to get better, but mainly getting better with ourselves before we can try to play anybody else. We've been beating ourselves lately."

The Redhawks have had double-digit penalties and four turnovers in each of their last two games, getting outscored a combined 45-3 in the first quarter.

Matukewicz and company were disappointed with the Redhawks' performances the past two weeks, and practices have been more physical and with immediate consequences if not executed properly.

"When there's an issue we just get on the sideline and run," Matukewicz said. "We kind of stopped talking about things. They know what the expectations are. Now if those expectations aren't met we're going to try to turn the heat up a little bit to reinforce exactly what it is we want."

Matukewicz believes his players have responded well to the adjustments.

"I think they're a little angry," Matukewicz said. "There were three fights [Wednesday]. Not full-fledged fights, but pushing and some things like that, and I think that's a sign of a football team that's got their back in the corner a little bit and that's disappointed in what we put out there last week. It's a great opportunity for us to come out and respond well."

SLU returns 15 all-conference players from last season's team that finished 11-3 and went undefeated in winning the Southland Conference title, including the league's Player of the Year in senior quarterback Bryan Bennett.

The Oregon transfer threw for 3,165 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior, and led the team with 1,046 rushing yards and a school-record 16 touchdowns.

He had 106 yards rushing (8.8 ypc) and three touchdowns in the Lions' 45-7 defeat of Southeast in its season opener in Hammond, Louisiana, last season. He was 9 of 15 for 169 yards.

He's SLU's leading rusher through its first three games with 153 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries. He's completed 40 of 75 passes for 748 yards and five touchdowns, and has thrown four interceptions.

"He's a guy that runs like he's 160 (pounds), but he's 215," Matukewicz said. "He's got a really talented, live arm. And what's dangerous about him is he'll drop back there, go through his reads, and if it's not there that's when everybody needs to hold their breath because now he can -- just like Kyle -- escape, extend plays or just take off running. Last year he had a lot of scramble yards against us and it was kind of his coming out party."

Junior running back Kody Sutton is the team's second-leading rusher with 87 yards on 26 carries, but has yet to score.

Senior receiver Devante Scott has a team-best 219 yards receiving and one touchdown on 11 catches. The Lions return top receiver Jeff Smiley, a junior with 133 yards receiving on eight catches. Junior Xavier Roberson has 104 yards on eight catches.

Roberson also was named the College Football Performance Awards FCS Kick Returner of the Year last season. He's averaging 32.83 yards on kickoff returns this season. He's compiled 197 yards on six returns, including a 79-yard return in a 35-20 loss to Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Tulane.

Matukewicz said the Lions' defense will challenge the Redhawks, noting that his players will have to adapt throughout the game because they haven't seen the type of pressure and man defense SLU plays.

SLU senior linebacker Isiah Corbett and senior safety Tyler Stoddard lead the team with 23 tackles each. Corbett was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after intercepting two passes against Tulane.

SLU coach Ron Roberts noted during the conference's weekly teleconference Tuesday that Southeast senior quarterback Kyle Snyder has "got some escape dimension" and is able to make things happen with his feet. He also called McRoberts a "big-time player" that will cause the Lions' defense problems.

"He seems to be a real tough competitor because he really battled in that Kansas game," Roberts added about Snyder. "I noticed that when he made some plays in crunch time, and when they were down bringing them back."

The Lions committed 15 penalties for 142 yards against Tulane.

"We had a lot of self-inflicted wounds," Roberts said. "It killed drives, got us in bad field position. Really we hadn't played like that in 10 or 11 ball games."

Senior cornerback Reggie Jennings is confident he and his teammates will continue to improve from their penalty and turnover-filled losses the past two weeks.

"We've taken a couple steps back some days, but we're going to keep progressing every day," Jennings said. "I've definitely seen a change in the team. We're more focused and more disciplined."

While the Redhawks are looking to snap a two-game losing streak, Matukewicz is more concerned with the details of the game rather than the end result.

"Whether you win or lose is not a great indicator of how you played," Matukewicz said. "We just want to play sound and solid and feel like we took a lot of stuff off the film from the penalties, the missed assignments, and obviously the takeaways."