Special teams key to victory

TERRA HAUTE, Ind. — While the Southeast Missouri State offense struggled in the first half Saturday afternoon, the kick return team kept the Redhawks from getting run out of Memorial Stadium.

Southeast returned two kicks after Indiana State's first-half touchdowns for a total of 141 yards, accounting for nearly four times as much yardage as the Redhawks' offense generated in 22 snaps.

Freshman Jacob McKinley's 85-yard return set up Southeast's lone first-half touchdown, and the Redhawks kicked into gear in the second half for a 24-21 victory.

McKinley's return was the longest for Southeast since Romae Rucker's return of the same distance in a Nov. 6, 2004, loss at Tennessee State. Rucker returned his for a touchdown.

"I kind of feel bad for Jacob. I wish he could have made those last couple guys miss," Southeast special teams coach Chris Norris said. "I know that was killing him, but it set up a score and changed the game for us."

The Redhawks had fallen behind 14-0 early in the second period when McKinley broke his run through the middle, nearly identical to the seam found by Eddie Calvin on a 56-yard return in the first quarter.

"They were pretty consistent to what we saw on film as far as where they were kicking and how they were covering it," Norris said. "If you look at the film on our returns this year, we've always been one or two guys from breaking them, and today we just ended up getting those two guys."

Almost.

McKinley was taken down on the 10-yard line, and Southeast scored five plays later when Houston Lillard reached over the pile near the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-inches.

McKinley came into the game 33rd in the nation and fifth among Ohio Valley Conference kick returners with an average of 24.5 yards per return on 11 kicks. His previous long — and Southeast's previous best this season — was 48 yards.

He finished Saturday with two returns for 91 yards, and he's getting spoiled by the team's return success.

Talking about what he sees on the field during a return, McKinley said, "Usually, it's our guys. We don't see much of the other color, and we only have to make one guy miss.

"I'm not happy about not scoring," he added, "but our offense scored the touchdown right after, so I'm not unhappy about it."

McKinley's return surpassed Calvin's return as the longest since Rucker's four years ago, including the entire span of the Tony Samuel coaching tenure, which has seen Southeast victimized by memorable kick returns for TDs in losses to Samford last year and Missouri State last week.

"We lost the kicking game last week, but I think we won it this week," Samuel said.

The Redhawks won it to the irritation of Indiana State coach Trent Miles.

"To me, you give up a 56-yard and an 85-yard run after you get momentum and you give it right back to them," Miles said. "Those kind of things kill you. You score, you kick off and they run it back 85 yards so 14-nothing turns into 14-7, and every play is critical.

"The second one changed the course of the game. What if we had kicked it off and done it the right way and stopped them? They weren't driving the length of the field in the first half. Our defense was doing a good job. If we don't give them a short field, who's to say they wouldn't have scored and all of a sudden, it's 14-0 and you have the ball. You can't give up 85 yards and 56 yards on two returns."

Those plays were the highlights of an otherwise mixed day for Southeast's special teams.

Doug Spada missed a field goal from 44 yards — after Calvin's long return — and hit from 35. He is 6-for-13 this season.

"On the one he missed, as soon as the ball took off, the wind took it," Norris said. "He didn't play the wind.

"He's just having some bad luck. We still know he's got the leg, his accuracy in practice has been good, so we still have confidence."

Spada punted four times for an average of 43.0 yards per kick, and another punt was partially blocked and traveled 18 yards.

The junior, who was an honorable mention All-American last year, had a long of 65, a short of 23 and booted one left-footed for 46 yards due to pressure up the middle.

"Kudos to soccer from my early years," Spada said. "Early on, I struggled and didn't give the team very good field position to work with."

Southeast unveiled its river formation that allowed Spada more options to move around before kicking. He punted from the back of the end zone against the wind at the end of the first period and ran to the right side as if faking before punting. But that boot, also 65 yards, was nullified because he passed the line of scrimmage. He punted 27 yards on the next kick.

"I thought I was going to be able to make it. I had about a good 10 or 15 yards to go, but their guys turned around," Spada said. "I would have made some yardage but there was a good possibility they might tackle me before I got the first down, so I just had to think quick and get the ball off."

Norris said more wrinkles are planned.

"When people figure out one aspect and they think they've got us, we've got to make sure we still have enough tricks hiding in our back pocket," he said. "We have three or four tricks left."

Norris said he likes being able to utilize Spada, who he said has become a student of the game.

"He is actually one of our better athletes overall, talking speed and strength," Norris said. "He understands field position more now. He asks a lot of questions, and I think it's showed in his play."

The coaches did have to tell Spada to back off on kickoffs. He had made a solo tackle and assisted on two others against Missouri State before the Bears broke off the 95-yard kick return for a score in the second half last week.

"He had miskicked the first one, so he wanted to go down and take care of it on the other kicks," Norris said. "We've got him settled down."

"I'm hanging back and playing safety now," Spada said.