Southeast Missouri State football team searching for another big win vs. Indiana State

When the Southeast Missouri State football team takes the field for its game against nationally-ranked Indiana State on Saturday, it will be a day shy of a year since the Redhawks beat their first ranked opponent under Coach Tom Matukewicz.

Last season's last-second upset of then-No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana, the highest ranked opponent Southeast had toppled in program history, came on Sept. 20 and on the heels of a lopsided loss to regional rival Southern Illinois.

The Redhawks' first meeting with a ranked opponent this season comes following a last-second win against the Salukis, and Matukewicz noticed a difference in his players after the Week 2 victory.

"I feel like our team is starting to come together," Matukewicz said. "When you taste victory, I think you buy in a little deeper and you start listening a little more and do the little extra things it takes to be successful, and so that's what we're hoping we'll capitalize on is the momentum from the win and just a complete buy-in from the team."

Kickoff is set for 2:05 p.m. from Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The Sycamores, No. 23 in the STATS FCS poll and No. 25 in the FCS Coaches poll, and Redhawks, who received nine votes in the STATS poll, both enter the game 1-1 and meet for the first time since 2008.

The Sycamores won their season opener 52-17 over Butler and lost 38-14 to Purdue last week.

While the Redhawks are coming off their 27-24 win, Matukewicz laughed and said, "I've got a pretty good list for you," when asked about what his team needs to improve on.

"No. 1 is special teams. I was embarrassed last Saturday as our specialists should be," Matukewicz said. "We missed three field goals, we didn't do a good job punting, we snap a ball before we're ready, we played a punt possession with 10 people on the field.

Southeast Missouri State's Eriq Moore, left, and John Popovich celebrate after Moore's 42-yard touchdown run after he recovered a fumble by Southern Illinois' Connor Iwema during the first quarter Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015 at Houck Stadium. (Fred Lynch)

"I just feel like the team's a lot like me. I've been able to outwork my own stupidity, and that's kind of our team right now. We end up outworking some really poor decisions we make and that's not going to be possible once the margin of winning and losing gets smaller."

The Redhawks' defense forced seven SIU turnovers and made some stops when needed late in the game but continued to give up big pass plays.

The offense has only committed one turnover this season but also scored just once.

Punter Alex Knight has punted 17 times in two games, averaging 47.4 yards per punt, which is third nationally. Kicker Ryan McCrum has made 3 of 6 field goal attempts.

Matukewicz is obviously displeased with the offensive production and said after Tuesday's practice that the team needs "to find out if we've got a championship quarterback," against ISU.

Junior transfer QB Tay Bender has completed 28 of 51 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 96 yards on 31 carries.

Senior receiver Paul McRoberts leads the Redhawks with eight catches for 91 yards and a touchdown while senior running back DeMichael Jackson has rushed for 243 yards on 48 carries.

The Sycamores, in their third season under coach Mike Sanford, went 8-6 last season and reached the FCS playoffs for the first time since 1984. They beat Eastern Kentucky in the first round for their first playoff win since 1983.

Sophomore Matt Adam replaced second-team all-Missouri Valley Conference quarterback Mike Perish this season. The Sycamores also return top receiver Gary Owens and linebacker Connor Underwood.

"I always first look at the coaching and it's really, really good," Matukewicz said of the Sycamores. "Two, they have good players. I've got a lot of respect for their quarterback. He makes a lot of plays. His completion ratio may not be top 10 in America, but he makes a lot of plays with his feet. They've got some good skill there. Defensively, just really talented and so it's going to be a good test.

"What I told the team is, 'We've got two games before we need to be ready.' This thing's about the OVC and we need to take that next step in playing well. Whether we win or lose the game isn't what is important. It's that we take that next step and we're consistent on special teams, we're freaking moving the ball on offense and scoring points, and defensively eliminating the big plays. That last step is the hardest step to take."

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By the numbers

2 -- Southeast did something it had never done before when the Redhawks defeated two ranked Football Championship Subdivision teams last season. Southeast defeated then-No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana and No. 20 Tennessee State last season. ISU is the first ranked FCS team Southeast faces this year and enters Saturday's contest ranked No. 23 in the STATS FCS poll and No. 25 in the FCS Coaches poll.

3.5 -- The Redhawks rank second in the FCS with a 3.5 turnover margin. They forced seven Southern Illinois turnovers on Saturday and had an interception in the season opener at Football Bowl Subdivision Missouri. Southeast's lone turnover was a fumble in Game 1.

26 -- Southeast running back DeMichael Jackson needs just 26 yards to reach 2,000 career yards rushing. The senior leads the Redhawks and is second in the Ohio Valley Conference and fourth nationally with 243 yards on 48 carries through two games. He's coming off a career-high, 186-yard rushing performance against Southern Illinois.

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Stat leaders

Indiana State

Passing: Matt Adam 358 yards, Zach Kline 31

Receiving: Gary Owens 173, Robert Tonyan 74, Kelvin Cook 56

Rushing: LeMonte Booker 157, Matt Adam 126, Roland Genesy 81

Tackles: Lonnell Brown 16, Tsali Lough 13, Connor Underwood 11

Southeast

Passing: Tay Bender 215 yards

Receiving: Paul McRoberts 91, Lewis Washington 28, Tremane McCullough 28

Rushing: DeMichael Jackson 243, Tay Bender 96, Tremane McCullough 22

Tackles: Roper Garrett 18, Ryan Moore 15, David Coley 12

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Indiana State head coach Mike Sanford watches the clock during the first half of an NCAA college football game against North Dakota State in Terre Haute, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Brent Smith)

Opposing coach's view: "Part of our plan to win is to not turn the ball over and to get turnovers on defense, so to me it's obviously we can't worry about them. We have to be aware of what they are but we have to protect the football and we have to get turnovers on defense."

-- Mike Sanford, ISU coach

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Scouting the opponent:

Indiana State's LeMonte Booker with a carry against Purdue during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, in West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue defeated ISU 38-14. (John Terhune /Journal & Courier via AP)

ISU took a hit injury-wise in its first two games of the season.

Most notably, all-conference safety Mark Sewall, who had four interceptions and 114 tackles last season, is out with a broken ankle, and starting running back LeMonte Booker is a game-time decision with a sprained knee.

Backup running back Dimitri Taylor and starting linebacker Jordan Jackson are both out for the season while three defensive players are questionable for Saturday's game with concussions, and an offensive lineman is questionable with a foot injury.

Booker, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound junior, leads the Sycamores with 162 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 17 carries. He has a season-long run of 76 yards.

"The injury wasn't as bad as feared as he had no ligament tear," Terre Haute Tribune-Star sports editor Todd Golden said in an email. "Honestly, I'd be surprised if he played much, given lack of practice time, but we'll see.

"When healthy, Booker has speed around the edge and can move bodies between the tackles."

Quarterback Matt Adam has rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown and completed 27 of 53 passes for 358 yards and four touchdowns. The 6-1, 225-pound sophomore has thrown three interceptions.

"He's been adept at running out of trouble in the pocket, but that's also a bad sign in that there's been plenty of trouble in the pocket, particularly against a physical Purdue team a week ago," Golden said. "Where Adam hasn't been as comfortable is throwing the ball and having a pocket presence in terms of when to take off and when to stay in there and throw the ball. His accuracy has been so-so. It's pretty typical of a player who's only had three career starts."

Adam's top target is 5-9, 195-pound receiver Gary Owens, who earned MFVC all-newcomer and honorable mention all-conference honors last season. He has nine catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns.

"He has good speed, but his receiver instincts -- from his route-running to his ability to out-fox corners -- are excellent," Golden said. "He's made Matt Adam look good on a few passes already."

Golden said the defense had plenty of depth to start the season, returning all but one starter before the injuries.

Senior linebacker Connor Underwood, a first-team Sports Network All-American and second-team Associated Press All-American, has 11 tackles and a sack this season. He had 94 tackles, 25 for loss, 13 1/2 sacks and three forced fumbles last season.

"The undeniable lynch pin is outside linebacker Connor Underwood," Golden said. "He's ISU's all-time leader in sacks and tackles for loss. A classic pass rusher, he might be the best defensive player ISU has ever had."

Junior defensive backs Lonnell Brown and Tsali Lough lead ISU with 16 and 13 tackles, respectively.

"ISU plays a 3-4 base but uses a lot of nickel packages and lines up Underwood in a down position in pass rushing downs, which makes it more like a 4-3 defense," Golden said.

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Series history

Southeast leads the series 4-3

Last meeting

Southeast won 24-21 on Sept. 27, 2008, in Terre Haute, Indiana

OVC schedule

Saturday, September 19

Tennessee State at #1 Jacksonville State, 1 p.m.

The Tigers (2-0) face the top-ranked Gamecocks (1-1) in the first Ohio Valley Conference game of the season. JSU is ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history and is the first OVC school since 1999 after its near upset of nationally-ranked Football Bowl Subdivision foe Auburn on Saturday. The Gamecocks have won five of the last six meetings between the two teams, including a 27-20 victory last season.

Austin Peay at Vanderbilt, 3 p.m.

Mercer at Tennessee Tech, 6 p.m.

Murray State at Western Michigan, 6 p.m.

#5 Illinois State at Eastern Illinois, 7 p.m.