Redhawks lament slow start

KANSAS 34, SEMO 28

Box score

KEEGAN RATINGS

McDonald’s play in secondary highlights KU’s opener

Southeast Missouri senior quarterback Kyle Snyder was thrilled the Redhawks connected on three fourth-quarter touchdown passes and outscored Big 12 foe Kansas University by 18 points in the second half of Saturday’s nonconference football clash at Memorial Stadium.

Yet he was dismayed an early hole ultimately doomed the Redhawks in a narrow 34-28 loss to the Jayhawks.

“Kansas is a great team. We approached it like that this week. It sucks that … I wish we had more time up on the board,” Snyder said after completing 12 of 27 passes for 269 yards, three TDs and three interceptions.

“From a starting standpoint, we can do much better as a team. In the second half, the passing game started coming together a little bit,” added Snyder, who directed Southeast Missouri to a 77-0 victory over Missouri Baptist last Thursday in the Redhawks’ season opener.

He hit Paul McRoberts six times for 173 yards and two fourth-quarter scores. McRoberts’ 173 yards were the most by a Southeast Missouri receiver since Miles Edwards had 208 versus Southwest Baptist on Aug. 28, 2008.

“Obviously, I’m proud of our team for continuing to fight. Most average teams … the way we started that thing would lay down, just get our check and move on,” Southeast Missouri coach Tom Matukewicz said, alluding to the Redhawks’ 24-0 opening deficit. “I appreciate the fight in them. I cannot believe we’re in a football game with three turnovers and 174 yards of penalties.

“Those are not talent based things. Those are decisions and stuff that I’m embarrassed about. I’m not embarrassed in the team and the fight they have.”

The reason for the slow start?

“We pressed a little,” Matukewicz said. “I think as coaches we were probably trying to make the perfect call instead of letting our players play. I think our players were so tight that we weren’t free to make plays. Once we got settled down, shut them out in the second quarter, play by play got back in the game and made it interesting at the end. They finally breathed a little bit and stopped worrying about KU or stopped worrying, ‘That’s a Big 12 football game.'”

Southeast Missouri barely lost the statistical battle, 421 yards to KU’s 457.

“That’s life. This is life,” Matukewicz said. “Sometimes you are having a bad day. What are you going to do, just lay down, or are you going to fight?” he added, banging his hand on a table in the visitor’s media room. “Get up and turn it. That’s what we did.”