BILLINGS DOWNPLAYS QB REMOVAL

Southeast Missouri State University football coach Tim Billings said the in-your-face lecture he had for quarterback Rashad West during the third quarter Saturday night was not really a big deal at all.

Billings said he felt that West, who missed last week's game against Illinois State with a sprained ankle, was favoring the foot for most of Saturday's home contest against Western Kentucky.

When Billings decided to replace West with backup Bobby Brune for a series in the latter stages of the third quarter, West apparently became upset and the 10,222 fans at Houck Stadium could clearly see the Southeast coach intensely lecturing his signal caller on the sideline.

"It wasn't a big deal at all," said Billings after the game, which ended with Southeast losing 38-14. "Rashad was just disappointed. He wanted to be in the football game.

"I felt like Rashad couldn't move like he needed to. He was favoring that foot, and I wanted to do what was best for the team. He's such a competitor, and I'm glad he is. He's fine. It was no big deal."

Brune played another series in the fourth quarter before West came back into the game, then Brune finished out the contest after the Hilltoppers had blown things open.

Despite not being nearly as effective as he normally is running with the football, West did score one of Southeast's two touchdowns on a 4-yard run, and he completed 15 of 26 passes for 171 yards, with one late interception that came after things had already been decided.

Brune was 4-for-7 for 50 yards, and he also tossed a meaningless interception in the closing moments of the game.