Southeast Missouri State football team tries to earn respect

Aretha Franklin's "Respect" blared through the speakers at the end of the Southeast Missouri State football team's practices before their game against Kansas on Saturday.

First-year coach Tom Matukewicz said his players were probably tired of hearing it, but that respect is what the program wants to gain.

After the Redhawks' 34-28 loss to the Jayhawks at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, the players and coaches had mixed feelings about the level of respect they earned after nearly coming back to pull off the upset against the Big 12 foe.

"From my standpoint, like I have a lot of respect for our football team for attitude and effort, but we're going to continue to lose close games until we play smart," Matukewicz said. "Like, we've lost every close football game that I've seen, except for Murray [State] last year because they were worse than we were.

"That's what happens -- you turn the ball over, you get penalties and you wonder why you're getting beat. Those aren't talent-based decisions. Those come down to focus and preparation. We've got to try to take that off the film, but it just got better and better and better and better, and so you feel like that will happen this week."

Southeast racked up 174 yards of penalties and senior quarterback Kyle Snyder threw three interceptions in the loss.

But the Redhawks faced a 24-0 deficit after the first quarter before outscoring the Jayhawks 28-10 in the final 45 minutes of the game, and the charge that they made to knock off Kansas is something that will likely open the eyes of other opponents.

"I mean, I think teams will look at us in a different perspective," Snyder said. "I mean, like we were talking about, I just think we shot our foot on a lot of penalties. Some of them [I played a part in], some are others, but that's just something we've got to work on. But like I said, I think these teams will look at us in a different perspective and we've just got to go out every week and show that."

Southeast junior wide receiver Paul McRoberts said the Redhawks were able to earn the respect only after they were disrespected by a lack of effort from the Jayhawks after the first quarter.

"I feel like we earned respect toward the end, but it was kind of disrespect," McRoberts said. "I feel like they laid it down because they thought they were the better team and we've got to take advantage of that. Some people feel like they didn't lay down and we just came back, and that's great, but we just have to learn from these mistakes. We fought and kept fighting. I feel like they gave up a little bit and sure enough we start coming back. They're going to have to respect that. They can't do nothing about it."