After years of futility, Southeast Missouri State University football coach Tim Billings hopes the Indians have finally learned how to win.
But even if they have, he knows there is still an important step left in order to truly turn the program around -- they have to learn how to handle winning.
Billings figures to get a clearer indication of where the Indians (4-2, 1-0 Ohio Valley Conference) stand in that department this week as they prepare to face perennial OVC doormat Tennessee-Martin (2-4, 0-1). The squads square off at 2 p.m. Saturday in Martin, Tenn.
In order to be a truly strong football program, Billings believes, a team must come to play every week and not only in what are perceived to be big games. UTM has lost 37 straight OVC games and is just 7-64 overall in the last seven years.
"Winning is fun. I'm finally enjoying myself, but I don't know if these kids know how to handle winning yet," Billings said during his weekly media conference Monday. "This is a learning process. First you have to learn how to win. Hopefully we have. The second step is learning how to handle winning. It's a new environment for this football team.
"In order to be a good football team, you have to play well every week."
While a 24-14 upset of Division I-A Middle Tennessee two weeks ago and a 49-25 rout of Tennessee State in Saturday's OVC opener are considered big wins for the Indians, Billings said this week's contest at UTM is just as important. He's sure to remind his players many times over the next few days to not overlook the Skyhawks.
"You always worry about those things. That's our job as coaches, to make sure that doesn't happen" Billings said. "These are the games you worry the most about."
Billings believes last year's game against UTM will help convince his players to take the Skyhawks seriously. Southeast trailed 30-24 entering the fourth quarter before rallying for a 45-30 win at Houck Stadium.
"All we have to do is look at the score and remember what happened last year," Billings said. "I know the coaches do."
If the Indians are able to beat the Skyhawks -- they will be heavy favorites, although Billings said UTM is considerably better than in the past -- then Southeast will be 2-0 in the OVC for the first time since joining the league in 1991 and will have won five games in a season for the first time since 1995.
A victory Saturday would also set up a huge Southeast homecoming game against defending OVC champion Eastern Illinois on Oct. 18.
But, cautioned Billings, the Indians can't afford to think about that this week. Their entire focus must be on the Skyhawks.
Tomco, Ponder shining
At the midway point of the season, junior quarterback Jack Tomco and senior wide receiver Willie Ponder are on pace to break several school records.
Tomco has completed an impressive 65.3 percent of his passes for 1,310 yards, with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He's on pace to break Jason Liley's single-season yardage record of 2,580 set by in 1990 and Greg Brune's touchdown record of 17 set in 1966.
Ponder, who leads the OVC in every receiving category and also ranks in the top 10 nationally, has 45 receptions for 686 yards and seven touchdowns. Ponder set the single-season touchdown receiving record last year with 11 while the single-season reception and yardage marks are held by Farron Haley (72 for 1,116 yards in 1989).
"They're both playing really well," Billings said.
When quarterback Jeromy McDowell, who performed well as a redshirt freshman last year, suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice following this year's opener, some people probably thought the Indians were in serious trouble. But junior-college transfer Tomco has erased those concerns in a big way.
"What I'm impressed with is how well Jack has picked up the offense," Billings said. "He just has really worked hard to get better. We knew he had the talent, the arm, but the way he's worked has been really impressive."Noteworthy
***Several Indians recorded career firsts against Tennessee State.
Senior safety Prince Anderson and redshirt freshman safety Kellin White had their first Southeast interceptions, sophomore defensive end Adam Jones recovered his first fumble and junior wide receiver Brandon Amick -- a walk-on from Scott City -- had his first reception, a 3-yarder late in the game.
***After beating Middle Tennessee, the Indians received the most votes of any team not in the Sports Network's Division I-AA top 25 poll, unofficially ranking them 26th.
But in the latest poll released Monday, the Indians somewhat curiously only received the third-most votes among those outside the top 25, meaning they dropped two spots despite routing Tennessee State. Southeast is unofficially 32nd in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
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