SEMO football can't get over hump

SEMO isn't a bad football team, even though the Redhawks 2-5 overall record and 1-3 OVC mark might suggest otherwise.

What the 2012 Redhawks are is a decent squad that simply can't get over the proverbial hump.

The Redhawks have lost three straight games, all in OVC play, most recently Saturday's 27-17 homecoming defeat to Tennessee-Martin.

That 10-point setback represents the closest margin during SEMO's current skid, which seems to indicate the Redhawks haven't really been all that competitive during those contests.

But that couldn't be further from the truth. SEMO has been within one score during the fourth quarter against, in order, Jacksonville State, Tennessee State and Tennessee-Martin before that trio eventually pulled away.

And that's not even counting all the chances the Redhawks had earlier in the games against three of the OVC's best teams.

If the Redhawks had just made a few more plays, their overall and conference records could easily be flipped right now. Of course, you can probably say that about a lot of squads across the country.

I'm not making excuses for the Redhawks, I'm just stating facts.

But sports is a bottom-line proposition, with teams judged based on wins and loss. Right now the bottom line doesn't favor SEMO.