COACH'S VIEW: FAILURE TO MAKE PLAYS COST SEMO FOOTBALL VS. TENNESSEE TECH

We need to make plays. After watching tape of our game at Tennessee Tech on Saturday, it is evident that we didn't play that bad. In fact, we showed improvement both offensively and defensively, but we didn't make plays when we needed to.

On offense, we moved the ball up and down the field but we couldn't make the plays to score a touchdown. When we did make a play for a score, we had mistakes that led to penalties that kept us from getting the touchdown.

On defense, we allowed Tennessee Tech only 262 yards in total offense, but we didn't make the big play that could have turned the game around. We stopped them drive after drive, but we missed opportunities for at least three interceptions that could have made a difference. We had players in their backfield all afternoon, but we didn't always make the tackle once we got there.

Tennessee Tech did make plays. They recovered a fumble deep in our territory to set up their first touchdown and they returned an intercepted pass for a touchdown.

We were really hurt right before the half when we had a touchdown called back by a penalty. That forced us to try a 25-yard field goal that was good, but was taken away by another penalty. Then we missed a longer field goal.

The score was 14-3 at the time. The TD would have made it 14-10 or the field goal would have made it 14-6 and we would have had great momentum going into the second half. Instead, the mistakes cost us.

It is great to have an off week this week because we can use the practice time to get better in a lot of areas. You never know how an off week will affect a team. If you are on a roll, you hate to see the idle Saturday, but when you've lost three straight like we have, it comes at an opportune time.

This week will also give us a chance to heal up a lot of lingering injuries.

Congratulations to freshman linebacker Ricky Farmer, who was named the Teamlink/ CFAA Division I-AA National Newcomer of the Week. Ricky played his first collegiate football game on Saturday and led us in tackles with 19.

In what has been a down year to date, I think it is noteworthy that we have had two players receive national honors. Punter and kicker Jason Witczak was named National Special Teams Player of the Week after the Illinois State game.

There are positive things happening in our program!

We will do a lot of work on the basics at practice this week and then we will give the players Friday and Saturday off before we begin preparations for Murray State on Sunday.

It is great to have a natural rivalry like Murray State for our homecoming game. I remember the great excitement created by our basketball team last year when they ended Murray State's long home winning streak and when they beat the Racers for the OVC Tournament championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

We want to keep that kind of excitement when we meet the Racers at Houck Stadium. Homecoming is always a special week and we hope everyone remembers what a great crowd we had for the Western Kentucky game.

College football is a lot of fun and we hope you'll mark down Oct. 21 for a great homecoming game against Murray State. It will be exciting!

Tim Billings is the head football coach at Southeast Missouri State University