COACH'S VIEW: INDIANS NEED COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM

We're looking forward to a very exciting day Saturday. It is homecoming with a big parade Saturday morning and then we renew our area and Ohio Valley Conference rivalry with Murray State at 1 p.m.

Our football team worked hard during our off-week to get better in every area. We went back to the basics of blocking and tackling and our players responded. I think they will be ready to give a big effort on Saturday and hopefully we will be improved.

For us to continue to improve and build the type of winning football program we all want, the community also has to become involved. We need a large and enthusiastic crowd on Saturday. It is homecoming with a chance to see old friends and watch an exciting game of football against one of our arch rivals.

To build a winning program we need everybody's help. The coaches and players are working hard to improve as a football team. Our administrators and boosters are working hard to provide us with the tools we need to develop a winning program. Now we need to get more of the community involved by attending our games.

Whether you are building a business or a winning football program, you have to make an investment. We need more people to make that investment. It doesn't have to be a financial donation, it can be an investment of time or just coming to our games. We need your support in our final two home games, Saturday against Murray State and Oct. 28 against Tennessee-Martin.

We aren't where we want to be with a 2-4 record, but we have five games left to show how much improvement we can make. It all starts with these last two home games because the final three games of the season are on the road. We need to gather some momentum and an enthusiastic crowd at the games will certainly help our team.

It is your opportunity to show our administration and our players that you want a winning football program at Southeast.

Murray State will be a formidable foe Saturday. The Racers lead the series 28-5-1 and we haven't beaten them since 1992.

This is a new era and it would be great to get a win over one of the top football programs in the OVC during the 1990s.

Murray State has the OVC's top passer in Stewart Childress. He is only a freshman but has been impressive with over 1,700 yards passing and 12 touchdowns in Murray's first seven games.

It should be an old-fashioned shootout with a great college football atmosphere. We hope you enjoy all the homecoming festivities and we hope you will be at Houck Stadium for the game.

Our basketball team got the excitement started last season with a couple of wins over Murray State. It is time for the football team to continue the trend by beating the Racers!.

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