Southeast's first games provide little insight

So what have we learned about Tony Samuel's inaugural Southeast Missouri State football team after the opening two games of the season?

Not much, really, except that the Redhawks are 2-0 for the first time since 2002 and they have been able to do what they were supposed to, which is beat inferior squads.

But beginning Saturday, we'll start to learn a lot more. That's when the Redhawks kick off Ohio Valley Conference play by making the long trip to Alabama for a date with league power Jacksonville State.

For the Redhawks, the preseason is basically over. Now it's time to see if they can run with the big dogs.

I'm as anxious as anybody to find out if they'll be able to.

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Jacksonville State was one of the few OVC teams that was impressive during the opening weekend of play as, for the second straight season, the Gamecocks narrowly missed out on upsetting powerhouse Furman.

Last year, Furman threw a touchdown pass on the game's final play to stun the host Gamecocks. This season, host Furman scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left to pull out a 17-13 victory.

Jacksonville State had an open date this week to get ready for Southeast.

I really thought defending conference champion Eastern Illinois and preseason league favorite Eastern Kentucky would give what are considered relatively mediocre Division I-A squads runs for their money last weekend.

But Eastern Illinois allowed 519 yards of total offense -- including 345 on the ground -- in a 42-17 loss at Illinois, and Eastern Kentucky fell 31-0 at Cincinnati.

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While the OVC went 0-4 against Division I-A teams last weekend and suffered another loss Saturday, when Samford fell at Georgia Tech, several Division I-AA squads showed that it's not out of the question to pull off upsets in "money" games.

Three I-AA teams beat I-A opponents on the opening weekend of the college football season.

Montana State pulled off the biggest victory by stunning Colorado 19-10. Also, Portland State beat new Mexico 17-6 and Richmond shut out Duke 13-0.

Then Saturday, another I-A fell to a I-AA as New Hampshire thumped Northwestern 34-17.

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I know that Mississippi's program is down right now and Missouri was expected to beat the Rebels on Saturday.

But the Tigers were impressive in romping 34-7 as they improved to 2-0.

Does that mean Mizzou is headed for a big season?

Not necessarily, but it will be interesting to follow the Tigers fare the rest of the way because the relatively weak Big 12 North Division again appears to be up for grabs.

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My apologies to Southeast men's basketball player Herbert Terry, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound transfer forward from Ball State.

One of my snippets in last week's column was about Terry -- except I butchered his name and referred to him as Hubert Perry. Where I got that from I'll never know.

It's not the first mistake I've made over the years -- far from it -- and take it to the bank that it won't be the last.

I will, however, try to keep them to a minimum.

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Still on the subject of Southeast men's basketball, first-year coach Scott Edgar is inviting all Redhawks fans to the Show Me Center at 4 p.m. Friday to watch his team go through individual skill workouts.

While official practice doesn't begin until Oct. 15, the NCAA allows teams to hold individual workouts for up to two hours per week per player, with no more than four players allowed to be together at the same time.

Beginning Friday, the entire squad can be together at the same time, but the limit is still two hours per week per player.

Edgar said this will be a good opportunity for fans to not only see what the Redhawks are up to but also to get a look at the new players in the program.

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And one more Southeast hoop note:

Xavier Delph, the ultra-quick guard from Notre Dame High School who graduated this year and is attending Southeast, has been working out with the Redhawks. Word has is that Delph just might be invited to join the Southeast team as a walk-on.

Stay tuned for more on that one.

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It's good to see that former Southeast football standout Willie Ponder was not out of work long after the New York Giants released him last weekend.

Ponder, among the NFL's premier kick returners in 2004 and 2005, quickly hooked up with the Seattle Seahawks as he begins his fourth NFL season. Also a reserve wide receiver, Ponder was drafted in the sixth round in 2003.

Starting his third NFL campaign is another ex-Southeast star, offensive lineman Eugene Amano, who is with the Tennessee Titans. Amano has primarily been a backup the last two years, although he has made two starts. He was drafted in the seventh round in 2004.

The third former Southeast standout in the NFL, offensive lineman Dan Connolly, will begin his second professional season on injured reserve with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He recently had surgery for a finger injury suffered in training camp. Connolly was a backup in 2005 after making the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent.

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The second annual Hal Hempen Memorial Golf Outing will be held Sept. 23 at 11 a.m. at Indian Hills Golf Course in Mount Vernon, Ill.

Hempen, who played baseball at Southeast in 1986 and 1987, died last year in a golf course accident involving lightning. He ranks second on Southeast's career saves list with 10 and is second on the program's single-season save list with eight.

Entry to the golf tournament, a four-person scramble, is $80 per person. That fee includes lunch, drinks, skins, and a polo shirt. There will be cash prizes in all flights, along with closest to the hole, longest drive and longest putt prizes.

Proceeds from the outing will continue to go to the Illinois Special Olympics and the Ted Nugent Sunrize Safari Handicap Youth Hunt.

For more information, call (618) 765-2703 or (618) 765-2516.

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How about the kind of season Ryan Howard, the St. Louis native and former Missouri State star, continues to put together.

Howard, the Phillies' slugging first baseman, entered play Saturday with 56 home runs and 138 RBIs. Both figures lead the majors.

Howard is certainly one of the top MVP candidates, along with the Cardinals' Albert Pujols.

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I generally don't put much stock into the NFL's preseason, but there is no doubt the Rams' first-teamers did not look overly impressive.

Today, when the Rams host the Broncos in the regular-season opener, we'll begin to see whether a lackluster exhibition campaign carries over into the games that actually count.

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Was there really any doubt that Tiger Woods was going to prevail in the final round of the recent PGA Championship?

I can't imagine that there would have been, considering Woods' reputation as the ultimate golf closer. He's now 12-0 in majors when he is at least tied for the 54-hole lead.

Pretty amazing stuff -- except when you consider that Woods is probably going to wind up as the greatest player the sport has ever seen.

Perhaps just as remarkable, Woods went on to win five straight tournaments, which is almost unheard of.

But that's why he's Tiger Woods.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.