Last season: The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks started 2014 with a flurry of success, earning victories over No. 3 Southeast Louisiana and No. 20 Tennessee State on their way to a 4-2 start that also included a dazzling comeback bid (21 points in fourth quarter) against Football Bowl Subdivision Kansas that fell just short. However, injuries hindered their season, which ended with the Redhawks losing five of their final six games.
2015: Returning starters: six on offense, seven on defense, three specialists.
Predicted OVC finish (media poll): fifth
Key returners:
- First team All-OVC WR Paul McRoberts (44 rec/711 receiving/9 TDs in 7 games [broken foot])
- Second team All-OVC RB DeMichael Jackson (734 rushing/5 TDs, 18 rec/161 receiving/2 TDs in 5 starts [broken hand])
- LB Roper Garrett (96 Tk/8.5 TFLs/3.0 sacks/5 forced fumbles in only 9 starts [broken leg])
- SS Eriq Moore (65 Tk/3 INTs/2 forced fumbles/3 fumbles recovered)
- DT Travis Sanders (19 Tk/8 TFLs/3.0 sacks/1 forced fumble/1 fumble recovered in 6 starts [back])
- OGs Garret Baker and Traven Mable, C Jake McCandless (only returning offensive player to start all 12 games)
- DL Marlon Hampton (47 Tk/3 TFLs/2.0 sacks/1 forced fumble)
- WR Peter Lloyd (48 rec/633 receiving/3 TDs in 10 games [broken leg])
- WR Adrian Davis (28 rec/307 receiving/4 TDs)
- LB Hunter Bledsoe (65 Tk/4.5 TFLs/1 fumble recovered)
- First team All-OVC K Ryan McCrum (18-23 FGs/4 of 50+/long of 55)
Offensive outlook: The weapons are in place for this offense. Running back Jackson is a dynamic dual threat in the backfield, while McRoberts, Lloyd and Davis may compose one of the most talented receiving corps in the Ohio Valley Conference. Three of last season’s five offensive line starters return to the trenches in Cape Girardeau. The main question facing this offense is going to be the quarterback. In contrast to many of the other OVC quarterback competitions looming in August, this one doesn’t have an inherent frontrunner – one of the five quarterbacks on SEMO’s roster to have attempted a collegiate pass, Alex Niznak, has thrown only 12 times at SEMO. His main competition will be Junior Tay Bender from Nebraska. Bender shined in the spring game, rushing for 89 yards and a touchdown, in addition to throwing for 62 yards. If Bender, Nizak or one of the other quarterbacks can prove to be a viable replacement for Kyle Snider, a healthy SEMO offense will be a nightmare for opposing defenses.
Defensive outlook: In 2014, five of the original 11 starters did not finish the season due to injury. The foremost of these now healthy players, linebacker Roper Garrett, returns in 2015 to atone for an incomplete campaign that was on pace to possibly earn him All-America honors. Garrett leads a defensive front of hungry players that needs Travis Sanders and the rest of the defensive line to stay healthy and produce at an even higher level than they did last season. The return of Defensive End Selwyn Carrol (2 sacks, 2 TFLs in 2 starts) from a broken foot will help to bolster the defensive line. Marlon Hampton, Terrance Hill and Jon Slania also return significant starting experience to the front seven. In the secondary, David Coley will become a full-time starter at corner. Overall, this defense has a good amount of experience and should show improvement from 2014.
Special teams outlook: Heading into 2015, Cape Girardeau is home to one of the top collections of specialists in the OVC, if not the entire nation. Kicker McCrum is a preseason All-American, and punter Alex Knight was second in the league in punting last season. Factor in the return of long snapper Wade Wright and you have a unit that will be putting on a show in 2015. Keep an eye on these guys.
Bottom line: This Redhawk squad should compete in the OVC if they can stay healthy and the quarterback situation has a favorable resolution.