COACH'S CORNER: SEMO FELL JUST SHORT VS. MTSU

The 1998 Southeast Missouri State homecoming brought many alumni and present members of the university together in a variety of functions.

Our game with Middle Tennessee State was competitive and entertaining but ended in a disappointing 21-19 loss.

There are many positive efforts and performances that could not compensate for the three to five plays that, in magnitude, determined the outcome of the game.

It was the same broken record and same results that have plagued our football team this season. Great effort coupled with a momentary lapse for a play or two that decided the game.

This is a group of fine young men who are coachable and have stayed together through tough times. Every team makes a critical mistake or two and we have just not been able to overcome them in several of our games, which has caused us to have a few extremely narrow defeats.

Defensively, we shut down the number one running back in the Ohio Valley Conference as we held Torin Kirtsey to 44 yards rushing. We also took away MTSU's screen game, except for their second offensive play.

Kevin Meachem continues to play very well as he is the leading tackler in the OVC. Joel Becker had a good game as he has developed into a very good defensive end.

Offensively, we ran the ball effectively for 260 yards as our line was very physical and Corey Williams rushed for 185 yards. Our receivers caught the ball very well and, led by seniors Dante Bryant and Jeff Shaw, blocked even better.

We look forward to playing Eastern Kentucky Saturday in Richmond, Ky. The Colonels have suffered several losses this year, which is uncharacteristic. EKU is always a great venue to play in, with an extremely exciting college football atmosphere.

The Colonels have already lost three OVC games and four games overall, which is very unusual since they have traditionally had one of the top Division I-AA programs in the country.

Part of EKU's problems probably have something to do with some of the injuries they have suffered but part also probably has to do with the parity in the OVC this year.

The conference has proven to be extremely balanced, with many teams capable of knocking off some of the so-called powers of the league.

Tennessee State, picked to finish sixth, is tied for first. The Tigers have really been on a roll. They have always had a lot of talent but have really put it all together so far this year. The Tigers and Murray State are both 4-1 in league play and they'll have a big showdown in two weeks.

Eastern Illinois is 3-1 and right behind the two co-leaders while MTSU is 4-2 and also still in the race.

EKU is 2-3 and just ahead of us and Tennessee Tech, who are both 2-4. So a victory over the Colonels would move us up in the conference standings.

In order to defeat the Colonels, we must continue to play hard and shore up execution in those three to five plays that determine the outcome of the game.

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