Southeast Missouri State football team picked to finish sixth in OVC

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz isn't leery of a sophomore slump for his Redhawks in his second year at the helm of the team.

He isn't sure they'll have a breakout season either.

"I expect our team to be in that [conference] race," Matukewicz said in an interview at the Ohio Valley Conference football media day on Monday. "The places I've been and the turnarounds I've been [a part of], it's usually about Year 3, and we're in Year 2. But I feel like after going through the league one year, there wasn't anybody I felt like just lined up and took it to us. I feel like we can compete in every game, so I'm going to judge our coaches and players in November -- are we in that race? Because I feel like we should be, and time will tell."

Matukewicz, senior wide receiver Paul McRoberts and junior kicker Ryan McCrum traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, for the annual event, where it was announced that Southeast was predicted to finish sixth in the conference standings by OVC coaches and sports information directors.

Southeast, which was picked to finish fifth in a poll that was released Friday voted on by the media, finished sixth in the OVC a year ago after being picked to finish eighth in the nine-team league.

"I think it matters," Matukewicz said of the prediction. "I think it tells you public opinion, which affects recruiting. It affects a lot more than just your players and winning and losing. I think people feel that we're moving onward and upward, and so I think that's indicative of what last year looked like. Now, we've still got to write that script for this year and see if we can't move that meter even farther next year."

While the players have been going through conditioning as a team since the beginning of June, they'll officially report for fall camp and begin practice on Aug. 5.

Matukewicz, who is limited to eight hours a week with his players right now, has said more than once that while he's happy with his team's offseason work, he won't know much about how the Redhawks will perform on the field until practice begins.

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"I work really hard for 11 opportunities," Matukewicz said, referring to the number of games on his team's schedule. "A lot of the parts of my job I don't necessarily enjoy. I enjoy coaching. That's why I do what I do. And so that time of year is just around the corner. I feel like the community, the region and even the university has an anticipation for the season that it hasn't seen in a really long time. That's fun to be a part of, and I love the players. Anytime I can spend all my day with those guys, it's going to be a good day."

Southeast Missouri State kicker Ryan McCrum addresses reporters at OVC media day Monday in Nashville, Tennessee. (Southeast sports information)

McRoberts credited Matukewicz with building that excitement in his interview with the OVC.

"Last year under Coach Tuke and the staff was amazing," McRoberts said. "I've never seen any coaches come into a school and bring so much life and energy and the community around it so fast. It was drastic, and I really loved it. I love everything about our staff and coach, and I think that they can take it to the top this next year coming up. I wouldn't trade them. Love them to death."

Southeast finished 5-7 overall last year and was 3-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

"I think we're going to have a much better year than we did last year," McCrum said. "Our coaches are really pushing us this year, whether it be in the weight room or on the field. The summer workouts -- conditioning is incredibly hard compared to last year, I feel like. From what I've seen so far, we're going to do a lot better."

When asked about goals for the upcoming season, McCrum was the only member of the Southeast contingent to mention the postseason.

"My goal, to start off, would be to miss one less kick than last year," he said. "I missed five last year, and I want to make it at least four or less this year. For the team, I know we always want to win that OVC championship and make it to the playoffs and see how far we can go."

Four Redhawks named Preseason All-OVC

Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Paul McRoberts waits to answer a question at OVC media day in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday. (Southeast sports information)

McRoberts and McCrum were named to the Preseason All-OVC team along with senior running back DeMichael Jackson and junior linebacker Roper Garrett.

The total of four players on the list was twice as many as the last three years combined for the Redhawks, which Matukewicz said was a sign of respect for his players.

"That's why you talk about with the team the most important thing is winning, and accolades follow that," he said. "You don't get them ahead of time. You get them afterwards. I think people realize we do have some good players. You know, you're not going to beat two top-ranked teams without good players or without good coaches. I think people feel like this is a team to reckon with."

Games highlighted

Matukewicz said the Redhawks' season opener at Mizzou on Sept. 5 is "great for the players, but it doesn't mean anything to me."

Instead, he's focused on getting redemption for two of the worst losses his team took last season.

"SIU's a big one," he said. "It's close. It's our home opener Sept. 12. We were not very well coached in that game last year, so I want to try to get that bad taste off my mouth."

The Salukis beat Southeast 50-23 last season in a game that featured four lost fumbles and 12 penalties by the Redhawks.

Matukewicz also mentioned his team's OVC opener at home against Murray State on Oct. 3. The Racers' only OVC win last season came against the Redhawks in double overtime.

"I feel like we let that game go a little bit last year, and that's going to get us started in the OVC race. Those two games right there I certainly have circled," Matukewicz said.

Matukewicz enters this season with a better knowledge of the OVC and the belief that his team can compete with the best the league has to offer. He pointed out that he's coached against some of the best Football Championship Subdivision teams in the country, including Eastern Washington, Montana, North Dakota State and Western Kentucky during its national championship season, and he doesn't see a roadblock like that in the OVC.

"I know what a good FCS football team looks like," Matukewicz said. "When I go through the conference ... there wasn't anybody that just flat whipped us where you're not sure if you'll ever get there. I didn't ever feel like that. I think some teams have some marquee players, but I feel like we can recruit at that level."

Pink Up football

Matukewicz revealed the addition of a Pink Up Cape event to his team's schedule this season.

"On Oct. 31 against Tennessee Tech we're going to have a whole pink outfit -- pants and top -- where we're going to auction off the right to put a name on the back of it," he said.

The players will receive a postcard with information about the person whose name they're wearing before the game.

"They'll go play in their honor for the name on the back," Matukewicz said. "At the end of the game, they'll get to meet those people. You can't do something like that and not have your life changed, and so that's a special day for us. At the end of the day we're hoping to raise quite a bit of money for cancer research."