Preseason Release | OVC Media Guide | OVC Online Press Box
Southeast Missouri, the defending OVC Champions, was picked to finish fourth in the OVC this season.
Last year the Redhawks surprised everyone, compiling a 7-1 OVC record on its way to its first OVC Championship and first playoff berth at any level of football in its 104-year existence. Southeast achieved its highest-ever national ranking at the FCS level (7th) and would go on to lose at eventual national champion Eastern Washington in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
This season sixth-year head coach Tony Samuel, who won the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year award last season, will have to replace running back Henry Harris (the OVC Offensive Player of the Year in 2010) and three first-team All-OVC selections on the offensive line, but does return 40 letterwinners from last season including five defensive starters.
Among the returning offensive starters is senior quarterback Matt Scheible who was the first-team All-OVC pick at quarterback last year after completing 59.9 percent of his passes for 1,246 yards and eight touchdowns (against only three interceptions) and rushing for 884 yards and seven more scores. His 73.7 rushing yards/game ranked third in the OVC. Scheible keyed an offensive attack that was fifth nationally in turnover margin (+1.08/game), first in least interceptions thrown (3) and first in sacks allowed (0.50/game). Defensively the team returns junior defensive back Tylor Brock who ranked 16th nationally in interceptions/game (0.50) last season, picking off six total passes.
BELOW VIDEOS
Head Coach Tony Samuel
QB Matt Scheible
DB Bryan Blanfort