Southeast Missouri State football team searching for consistency vs. nationally-ranked Eastern Kentucky

It's easy for the coaches and players of the Southeast Missouri State football team to see what characteristic has led to losses midway through the season.

Coach Tom Matukewicz knows the inconsistency of his squad is what has left the Redhawks 2-4 and 1-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

The second-year coach, whose team hosts nationally-ranked Eastern Kentucky at 1 p.m. Saturday for the Redhawks' homecoming game at Houck Stadium, knows his players thoughts when he tells them they're inconsistent are "but what does that mean, coach? How do I get consistent?"

So he's set out this week to show them.

"We're inconsistent. It's not that we always start slow. Come out at Indiana State and it was fast," Matukewicz said. "The reason we do that is that we don't have the kind of focus in the moment that we need. We had several missed assignments [against Eastern Illinois] that when they got over to the sideline you say, 'Hey, why didn't you do this?' [They say], 'I know I needed to do that. I just blew it,' and so that tells you they don't have the kind of focus you need to have in the moment. And that's the next step we need to take.

Southeast Missouri State quarterback Dante Vandeven hands off to Tremane McCullough against Eastern Illinois during the second quarter Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015 in Charleston, Illinois. (Fred Lynch)

"I think we have proven to play hard, and playing hard will sneak up on [Southern Illinois] and beat Murray [State] and come close to some of these good teams, but if we play hard this weekend, we won't win. If that's it, we won't win. We have to play better. That's the message."

Matukewicz took his players through certain situations. He used sophomore linebacker Chad Meredith as an example on punt team and asked him what call he heard and what was going through his head as he walked the line of scrimmage.

Breaking down each situation in that manner was necessary, Matukewicz said, "because that's one thing this team doesn't really know is how to win yet, and so we just talked about what should be going through your mind, what's the worst thing that can happen to you in certain situations and it's just preparation in those moments."

Southeast is coming off a 33-28 loss to Eastern Illinois. The Redhawks trailed by as many as 20 points midway through the third quarter before having a chance to win with a Hail Mary that fell incomplete at the end of the game.

EKU moved up five spots to No. 15 in this week's FCS Coaches poll and is up three spots to No. 14 in the STATS FCS poll following its 48-17 win over Tennessee Tech on Oct. 8.

The Colonels are 3-2 and one of three remaining OVC teams that are undefeated at 2-0.

"They don't have any glaring holes," Matukewicz said. "They're just really good on all phases. They're just really well coached and have good players."

One of Matukewicz's biggest concerns is that EKU is plus-4 in turnover margin. The Colonels have only turned the ball over six times this season -- one fumble and five interceptions -- while forcing five fumbles and five interceptions.

Starting quarterback Bennie Coney hadn't thrown an interception until last week when he was picked off twice by the Golden Eagles.

He also threw for 351 yards and five touchdowns, completing 32 of 46 passes, and was not sacked in the win.

"He's probably the most improved player. They've done a good job with him," Matukewicz said about Coney. "He turned it over a little bit a season ago, and he hasn't [hardly] at all this year. He's dialed in. ... I just think [throwing the ball] is something they've been working on, and it's starting to show itself."

The Colonels also boast the defending OVC offensive player of the year in running back Dy'Shawn Mobley.

Mobley was hampered by a hamstring injury early in the season but seems to be on the upswing after rushing for 115 yards against TTU.

Matukewicz likened the 6-foot, 225-pound senior's style to that of the EIU running backs.

"I think they are all 1A [Football Bowl Subdivision] type backs, and so we've got to do a great job of not letting them loose," Matukewicz said. "That was one thing we focused on [in practice] was no big plays on defense. We gave seven plays over 20 yards (against EIU). A lot of them were missed assignments, but also there was a couple tackling things, so we've got to just really work on that."

Series history

Eastern Kentucky leads the series 22-3.

Last meeting

Eastern Kentucky won 33-21 last season in Richmond, Kentucky.

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By the numbers

2 -- Southeast receiver Paul McRoberts needs two receiving touchdowns to break the school's career record. McRoberts, who ranks 12th nationally in receiving TDs and receiving yards, has five touchdowns this season and has 25 receiving TDs in his career. Former NFL player Willie Ponder, who was an assistant on last year's Southeast coaching staff, holds the record for most receiving touchdowns. He recorded 26 in his two-year career from 2001-02. McRoberts surpassed 2,000 receiving yards in his career against Eastern Illinois. He sits at fourth in Southeast history with 2,005 yards. Ponder holds the record for career receiving yards at 2,543.

6 -- Eastern Kentucky's six turnovers are the fewest of any team in the OVC. The Colonels lost one fumble two weeks ago at Football Bowl Subdivision foe Kentucky. They've thrown five interceptions -- two in their 52-10 season-opening win over Valparaiso and three in their lopsided win over TTU last week. Starting QB Bennie Coney completed 144 consecutive passes before his first interception vs. the Golden Eagles.

16 -- The Colonels lead the conference and are tied for 10th in the country with 16 sacks. Ohio State transfer Noah Spence, a linebacker, is No. 1 in the OVC and fifth nationally with 5.5 sacks on the season. Southeast is second in the conference with 15 sacks. EKU has allowed the second fewest sacks (five) of any team in the OVC. Redhawks quarterbacks have been sacked eight times this season but only once in the last three games.

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Stat leaders

Eastern Kentucky

Passing: Bennie Coney 1,027 yards, Kyle Romano 156 yards, Tyler Swafford 28 yards

Receiving: Arien Beasley 180 yards, Joel Brown 175 yards, Devin Borders 165 yards

Rushing: Dy'Shawn Mobley 227 yards, Ethan Thomas 205 yards, Adam Lane 141 yards

Tackles: Tyrell Curry 24, Noah Spence 24, Trey Thomas 22

Southeast

Passing: Dante Vandeven 657 yards, Tay Bender 298 yards

Receiving: Paul McRoberts 510 yards, Adrian Davis 89 yards, Tremane McCullough 87 yards

Rushing: Tremane McCullough 587 yards, DeMichael Jackson 287 yards, Tay Bender 234 yards

Tackles: Roper Garrett 58, Chad Meredith 40, Eriq Moore 35

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Eastern Kentucky coach Dean Hood, right, questions a penalty against his team in their NCAA college football game against Louisville in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. Louisville beat Eastern Kentucky 44-7. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

Opposing coach's view

"They had a tough game at Missouri but other than that, I haven't seen them take any steps back. They've got one-possession games ... last play of the game. I mean, they've been right there with everybody. They beat Murray by two or three scores. Take the Missouri game out of it, and they're playing Missouri Valley Conference teams and either beating them or taking them [to the final possession] and playing close games. One-possession game against Eastern Illinois, and they've got the ball the last play of the game to go and win the ballgame. They've been consistent the whole year. They've been playing well the whole year. Credit to Coach Tuke and their players -- they've had a ton of guys get hurt and had to have a ton of guys come and step up, and they've done a tremendous job with that."

-- Dean Hood, Eastern Kentucky coach

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Scouting the opponent

Eastern Kentucky quarterback Bennie Coney throws to a receiver during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Kentucky, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky won the game in overtime 34-27. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)

The past few weeks haven't been the smoothest for the Colonels.

Joey Kraemer, a redshirt freshman defensive end who had transferred from Texas-El Paso prior to the season, died in a car accident on Sept. 27.

Six days later EKU faced Kentucky, leading the FBS team by as many as 14 midway through the final quarter before losing 34-27 in overtime.

Five days after that, the Colonels had to move their home game against TTU to Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky, due to a security threat on campus.

"The players have been remarkably resilient considering all they (have) been through the past couple of weeks," Richmond Register reporter Nathan Hutchison said in an email. "They've kind of adopted the slogan 'Embrace the new normal. Nothing is normal.'"

The No. 14/15 Colonels bring that "new normal" and the second best offense and defense in the OVC to Cape Girardeau.

EKU averages 35.6 points per game, led by QB Bennie Coney, who has completed 95 of 152 passes for 1,027 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Five Colonels have more than 100 yards receiving. Arien Beasley leads the team with 180 yards on 12 catches. Devin Borders has a team-high three receiving TDs.

Dy'Shawn Mobley has rushed for 227 yards on 59 carries with a TD. Adam Lane has 141 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 26 carries.

"Coney split time at quarterback last season, but he has really stepped up into the role of starter and taken control of the offense. He ... manages an offense that has tons of weapons," Hutchison said. "Mobley is probably still not 100 percent after a hamstring injury, but he appears just about ready to have a big breakout performance. The Colonels had 14 players with at least one catch last week in the win, with Devin Borders being the biggest threat. In addition to Mobley, the Colonels have Florida transfer Adam Lane in the backfield."

Ohio State transfer Noah Spence is tied for a team-high 24 tackles, including 8 1/2 for loss and five QB hurries, for a defense that ranks second in the OVC with 21.8 points and 301.6 yards allowed per game.

"In the game against Kentucky, he was without a doubt the best player of the field," Hutchison said of Spence. "With the former First-Team All-Big Ten performer on the defense line, EKU can get pressure on the quarterback on almost every play without having to blitz using linebackers, corners or safeties. He has at least one sack in every game, despite playing the past three weeks with a broken hand. Another transfer, Da'Vonte Derricott, has been a big force at linebacker, and Stanley Absanon is a big-play threat in the secondary."

Absanon also serves as the Colonels' return-man and is No. 1 in the OVC, averaging 26.3 yards per kick return. He has a season-long 62-yard return.

"Absanon has the ability to pick up big yards any time he touches the ball, even though he has yet to get into the end zone on a return (he's had two TDs on returns called back)," Hutchison said.

Punter Keith Wrzusczczak is second only to Southeast's Alex Knight with an average punt of 43.4 yards, and kicker Lucas Williams has made 6 of 7 field goal attempts with his only miss being a block by Kentucky.

Borders, a redshirt junior, has blocked two kicks this year to bring his career total to 12 and one step closer to the FCS record of 17 blocks.

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OVC Schedule

Saturday

• #15 Eastern Kentucky at Southeast, 1 p.m.
• UT Martin at Austin Peay, 4 p.m.
• #1 Jacksonville State at Tennessee Tech, 6 p.m.

Defending OVC champion JSU (4-1, 2-0 OVC) travels to Cookeville, Tennessee, to face the Golden Eagles (2-4, 1-2 OVC) in their Blackout Game. The Gamecocks, who remained atop the STATS FCS Top 25 and third in the FCS Coaches poll after a bye week, have won the last three meetings with TTU and won 49-3 last season. It's the second consecutive ranked opponent for the Golden Eagles, who lost 48-17 to Eastern Kentucky last Saturday.

• Eastern Illinois at Tennessee State, 6 p.m.