Southeast Missouri State on Saturday night faces an in-state rival reeling just about as bad as it is.

Missouri State fell to 0-2 Saturday with {SPORTS0401 its 57-13 loss to Oklahoma State} in a performance that was probably less impressive than SEMO's 52-3 loss to No. 6 Missouri.

First of all, Missouri is one of the top-ranked teams in the country, coming off a stellar season.

Second, Southeast had 199 yards of offense in the first half of that game; Missouri State had 196 for the game at Oklahoma State.

SEMO will enter Saturday's game with a 1-2 record that is not a whole lot better than 0-3 considering the overtime win against Southwest Baptist to start the season.

Missouri State also opened the season with a Division II team, but lost 35-27 to Washburn, a nationally ranked team that is coached by Craig Schurig, who was a candidate for the Southeast job when it was open a couple years ago.

The Bears have played a tougher schedule than SEMO, and their offense seems to be effective on the ground (Kingjack Washington has 150 yards this season, racking up 50 in the first half at Oklahoma State.)

At least the matchup will be interesting, and another chance for Southeast to show it has improved its program after getting shellacked last year in Springfield.

Murray State doings

The Ohio Valley Conference sent out a release Tuesday that said Murray State coach Matt Griffin would be suspended for Saturday's game at Western Kentucky because of comments he made about the officiating in the Racers' 42-23 loss to Illinois State.

Haven't seen those comments but Griffin also was animated in talking about his team's offense in this story in the Murray Ledger:

"There's going to be an angry Irish guy watching film with the offensive staff in the morning and that's that. There will be no more of this crap. I've had it. ...

"I'm mortified at how bad we were offensively. The minute we'd get something going, we'd shoot ourselves in the foot. We weren't very sound, and that all falls on me."

Linebacker Nathan Williams was honored nationally for having 23 tackles in the game.