COACH'S CORNER: SE BOUNCES BACK AGAINST AUSTIN PEAY

Our road trip to Austin Peay last weekend proved to be a successful one as we defeated the Governors 31-0.

Our squad bounced back very well from an embarrassing loss to Middle Tennessee, put in a good week of practice and carried it over to the game field.

We started the week with a two-hour scrimmage on Monday. The practice was a 100 times more inspiring than our MTSU performance.

Our squad showed a lot of pride in bouncing back against Austin Peay. It was important that we played that way for our offense to continue to improve and so our defense could re-established itself.

We led 7-0 at halftime as Dante Bryant caught a pass and turned it into an 80-yard score with help from a touchdown block by tight end Mitch Fryer.

Ronnie Smith got us going early in the second half with his third defensive touchdown of the year on an interception.

As with all of our players, it's great to see them have success. Ronnie is a senior who has endured a great deal and remained a "team player" through his actions and playmaking. He will graduate in May with a double major in industrial technology.

Defensively, we stopped Austin Peay again and our offense took over. The offensive line owned the trenches as Aaron Layne, Britt Mirgaux and Corey Williams all had great days rushing. Layne rushed for 127 yards and had two big runs.

Dante Bryant had a very complete game. He made the big play receiving and also dominated the Austin Peay secondary with his blocking.

Justin Martini directed the team well. Jeff Shaw did not play due to a deep bruise to his lower back. Mitch Fryer had a good game at tight end.

Our defensive front played well, led by Marcus McClellan, Angel Rubio and Troy Baglio. John Smith made solid open-field tackles from his safety position.

We were able to play several players who serve primarily on the scout team. J.C. Kime, Andy Helle, Scott Vieluf, Mike Cunniff and Jamie Frisella, who kicked his first college extra point, all saw action. These young men are all total team players. It was good to get them on the field.

We are now home for our final three games, beginning with Eastern Kentucky this Saturday. After viewing the Colonels on film, they are still talented and well coached. Their three losses are all to top-10 teams. They have mowed through their OVC opponents.

We have a great week of practice in our preparation. The key to the game for our team will be patience, poise, positive yards and pride. EKU is in our way for a winning season. Our outlook must be determined and positive and we must play as a tight-knit family to defeat the Colonels. With three losses, their backs are to the wall for the playoffs and it's our turn to play the spoiler.

We look forward to returning home to a great crowd this weekend. Our fans have been great through some tough games. We appreciate their sticking with us. Don't let the crisp weather deter you from coming. Grab the blankets and whatever else is necessary to stay warm and help us in our game with EKU!

John Mumford is the head football coach at Southeast Missouri State University