Southeast Missouri (1-2) vs. #3/4 Southeastern Louisiana (2-1)

Game Information
Date: Saturday, Sept. 20
Redhawk Walk: 4 p.m., CT
Kickoff: 6 p.m., CT
Site: Missouri National Guard Field/Houck Stadium (10,000)
Surface: FieldTurf
Series History: Southeastern Louisiana leads, 1-0
Forecast: Partly Cloudy, 85 degrees
Head Coaches: Tom Matukewicz (2-2 overall; 1-2 at Southeast; 0-0 OVC). Ron Roberts (65-26 overall; 18-10 at SLU).

Media Coverage
Radio: ESPN 92.9 FM; Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean, Rick Wieser, Todd Bonacki)
Video: OVC Digital Network (Todd Richards, Lawrence Brookins)
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
Twitter Updates: @GoSoutheast | @SEMOFootball
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri

Redhawks Return Home to Host #3 Southeastern Louisiana
Southeast Missouri (1-2) returns home to host No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana (2-1) during its Family Weekend Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., CT, at Missouri National Guard Field/Houck Stadium.

Supporting Sexual Assault Awareness
Southeast will wear teal ribbons on its football helmets Saturday to support sexual assault awareness. The Redhawk football team is partnering with the Southeast Missouri State University violence protection program in an effort to raise awareness on campus. In addition to wearing these special ribbon stickers on their helmets Saturday, the Redhawks will wear t-shirts to help further promote sexual assault awareness on Sept. 25.

Follow the Redhawks
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on the radio at ESPN 92.9 FM and Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Sean, Rick Wieser and Todd Bonacki will call the action at Houck Stadium. Fans can watch online for free at the OVC Digital Network. Live stats can be accessed online at GoSoutheast.com.

Series History
Southeast meets Southeastern Louisiana for the second time Saturday. The Lions return the trip to Cape Girardeau on the backend of a home-and-home series this season. The Redhawks lost to SLU, 45-7, in the first game of the series on Aug. 29, 2013.

Another Ranked Foe
No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana marks the second-straight ranked opponent Southeast faces. The Redhawks last squared off against a ranked non-conference foe at home in 2011 (L, 38-10, vs. #17 Southern Illinois).

Highly Ranked
Southeast faces a top-five Football Championship Subdivision opponent for the second-straight season. The Redhawks are 1-6 all-time against top-five FCS foes. No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana is the highest ranked opponent to visit Houck Stadium since then-No. 1 Southern Illinois came to Cape Girardeau on Nov. 21, 2009. The Redhawks only win over a top-five FCS opponent came during their Ohio Valley Conference championship season in 2010. That year, they upset then-No. 5 Southern Illinois in Carbondale. Southeast has never beaten a team this highly ranked at home.

Do I Know You?
Tyler Hennes, who spent three seasons at Southeast, is now an assistant coach at Southeastern Louisiana. Hennes was the Redhawks quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator during his final year at Southeast in 2013. Prior to his stint with the Redhawks, Hennes was on Ron Roberts' staff at Delta State.

Against the Southland
The Redhawks are 7-10-1 all-time against Southland Conference opponents, having previously played Southeastern Louisiana (0-1), Central Arkansas (7-7-1) and Sam Houston State (0-2).  Last season's game against the Lions was Southeast's first vs. a Southland Conference opponent in 19 years.

Southeast vs. Ranked FCS Opponents
No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana is the second of five ranked Football Championship Subdivision opponents Southeast faces this season. The Redhawks lost to then-No. 14 Southern Illinois, 50-23, in their first meeting against a ranked team on Sept. 13. Southeast is 2-17 against ranked FCS teams since 2004. Its last win against a ranked FCS program was when the Redhawks beat then-No. 5 SIU, 24-21, in Carbondale (Sept. 18, 2010). Southeast's last win over a ranked opponent at home was on Oct. 25, 2008 (27-20, vs. #19 Tennessee State). The Redhawks are looking to snap an eight-game losing streak against ranked FCS opponents.

McCrum Named OVC Specialist of the Week
Southeast kicker Ryan McCrum was named Ohio Valley Conference Specialist of the Week on Sept. 14. A native of St. Charles, Mo., McCrum scored 11 of Southeast's 23 points at No. 14 Southern Illinois (Sept. 13). He made a perfect 3-of-3 field goals and two PATs. McCrum established a new career-long with a 43-yard field goal on two occasions against the Salukis. His other field goal was from 38 yards out in the second quarter. McCrum also kicked off six times for 360 yards, averaging 60 yards per kick. He was a unanimous pick for the first OVC Specialist of the Week award in his career. He joined Eastern Kentucky running back Dy'Shawn Mobley (Offensive, Newcomer) and Tennessee State cornerback De'Ante Saunders (Defensive) as this week's honorees.

Much Improved
What a difference a year has made in the special teams department for Southeast. After ranking last in the Ohio Valley Conference in field goals (5-of-13, .385) and PAT kicking (25-of-34, .735) in 2013, the Redhawks currently lead the league in each of those categories this season. Southeast has not missed a field goal or PAT in its first three games, going 3-of-3 in field goals and 17-of-17 in extra points. Ryan McCrum, who made only two field goals and eight PATs all of last season, has already surpassed those marks with three FGs and 13 PATs this year. McCrum also made a career-long 43-yard field goal twice at No. 14 Southern Illinois (Sept. 13). He is one of 16 kickers atop the Football Championship Subdivision ranks with a perfect 1.000 field goal percentage.

McRoberts Scores Again
Wide receiver Paul McRoberts caught a touchdown pass for the third-straight game when he made a 19-yard reception with 42 seconds left in the second quarter at No. 14 Southern
Illinois (Sept. 13). McRoberts ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference with 91.7 receiving yards per game and four receiving TDs this season. He has caught a TD pass in eight of his last 10 starts at Southeast. McRoberts is tied for third in school history with 15 career receiving touchdowns. He ranks third in the nation with four receiving touchdowns behind Eastern Washington's Kendrick Bourne (5) and Murray State's Janawski Davis (5) this season.

Serving a Purpose
Wide receiver and return specialist Spencer Davis is inching closer to Southeast's career all-purpose yardage record. Davis went over 4,000 all-purpose yards at Kansas (Sept. 6). He presently stands with 4,103 and is 71 yards away from surpassing Kelvin Anderson (4,173 yds, 1992-94) for the new mark.

Top of the OVC
Quarterback Kyle Snyder leads the Ohio Valley Conference in passing average (223.7 ypg), total offense (262.7 ypg), passing TDs (6), passing yards (671), passing yards per completion (17.7 ypc) and points responsible for (48). Snyder threw for over 200 yards when he completed 16-of-29 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown at then-No. 14 Southern Illinois (Sept. 13). The week before that, he completed 12-of-27 passes for a career-high 269 yards and three touchdowns at Kansas (Sept. 6).

McFerren Runs Well
Fifth-year senior Lennies McFerren made his first start of the season for the injured DeMichael Jackson at Southern Illinois (Sept. 13). McFerren led Southeast with 80 yards on 16 carries and averaged five yards per rush against the Salukis. He also finished as the team's top rusher with 47 yards on six attempts. McFerren averaged nearly eight yards (7.8) per carry against the Jayhawks.

Doubling Up
Southeast's defense has had a double-digit tackler in every game this season. Linebacker Wisler Ymonice registered 10 at Southern Illinois (Sept. 13), and Roper Garrett had 14 at Kansas (Sept. 6) and 10 vs. Missouri Baptist (Aug. 28). Garrett is tied for first in the Ohio Valley Conference in tackles with 31 stops (10.3 tpg) this season.

Redhawks Fifth in FCS in Scoring
Southeast is fifth in the Football Championship Subdivision and second in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring with an average of 42.7 points per game. The Redhawks are outscoring their opponents, 128-84, and have scored their most points (45) in the second quarter this year. Southeast trails its opponents in the first quarter (45-24) only through three games.

Touchdown for the Defense!
The Redhawks scored a defensive touchdown for the second time this season when Tim Hamm-Bey picked off Mark Iannotti's pass and ran 56 yards to the end zone at No. 14 Southern Illinois (Sept. 13). For Hamm-Bey, it was the first time he returned an interception for a touchdown in his career. Two weeks earlier, true freshman nose tackle Joshua Wilson scored Southeast's first defensive touchdown of the season when he recovered a fumble in the end zone vs. Missouri Baptist (Aug. 28).  

Turnovers Doom Redhawks at SIU
Southeast had five turnovers in its latest 50-23 loss at No. 14 Southern Illinois (Sept. 13). The Redhawks lost four fumbles, including two on their first four plays, and had an interception. The four fumbles lost tied Southeast's most in a game during its NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision era. Southeast last had four fumbles lost against Mars Hill College on Sept. 8, 2012. Those five turnovers led to 28 points for SIU.

Penalties Invasive
In addition to limiting turnovers, the Redhawks will look to cut down their number of penalties this week against nationally-ranked Southeastern Louisiana. Southeast is averaging 11 penalties per game through three contests this season. The Redhawks were penalized 14 times at Kansas (Sept. 6) and 12 times at Southern Illinois (Sept. 13). Southeast is averaging 82.7 yards in penalties, second-most in the Ohio Valley Conference behind Tennessee State (89.7).

First Quarter Slip
Southeast has been outscored a combined, 45-3, in the first quarter over its last two games. The Redhawks fell behind Kansas, 24-0, and Southern Illinois, 21-3, in the first 15 minutes. Despite its slow starts as of late, Southeast is still second in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring offense with 42.7 points per game.

About Southeastern Louisiana
No. 3/4 Southeastern Louisiana visits Cape Girardeau for the first time in 2014. The Lions are presently 2-1 on the season after suffering their first loss to Tulane last week. The defending Southland Conference champion, SLU has 15 returning all-conference selections. Reigning Southland Player of the Year and quarterback Bryan Bennett was one of nine first-team preseason all-conference picks this year. Bennett has thrown for 748 yards and five touchdowns, and rushed for 153 yards and another three TDs this season. He was intercepted four times, as well. The Lions are second in the nation in kick returns with 32.8 yards per return. SLU advanced to the NCAA Division I Championship quarterfinals a year ago.