Indians embrace new status

A breakthrough season thrilled Southeast Missouri State University's long-suffering football fans and made Houck Stadium the place to be on Saturdays last fall.

But Tim Billings -- the Indians' fourth-year coach who spearheaded the turnaround -- is eager for the Indians to back up last year's 8-4 record and No. 23 national ranking with another strong season.

"What we did last year was really good, and hopefully it means our program is in store for even bigger and better things," Billings said. "But this year is really important for us because we don't want to be just one-year wonders."

Billings said nobody but his players and coaches really expected his Indians to be good last year.

"Now people expect us to be good, so that's more pressure. But I think it's a good kind of pressure, and I think our kids will handle it well," he said.

All eyes certainly are on the Indians this year. With 19 returning starters from a squad that went 4-2 and finished third in the Ohio Valley Conference, the league's coaches have picked Southeast to win its first OVC title.

And the Indians have shown up in virtually every preseason national poll, being ranked as high as 16th by one publication.

"I think the exposure is great for our program," Billings said. "And I think it will give our players added confidence."

But, Billings said, his team still has to prove everything on the field. "People will forget about that exposure real quick if we don't do well," he said.

Despite a relatively young roster that features only seven seniors projected to open the season as starters, Billings has no reason to believe that the Indians will return to their pre-2002 form that featured seven straight losing seasons and six consecutive years of no more than four victories.

"I think all our players and coaches are really focused and ready to have another good season," he said.

The Indians agree.

"We know everybody is going to be shooting for us this year," said defensive end Ryan Roth, "but I think that's just going to be even more motivation for us to do better."

Linebacker Ricky Farmer says the team certainly has higher expectations. "We've come so far the last few years, and we want to show that last year was not a fluke," Farmer said.

Offensively, the loss of All-American wide receiver Willie Ponder to the NFL will hurt, but the Indians return nine regulars.

With record-setting quarterback Jack Tomco throwing for more than 3,100 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, and Corey Kinsey rushing for more than 1,000 yards, the Indians averaged nearly 450 yards and 35 points per game to rank seventh nationally in both categories.

"I think our offense can do just as good or better than last year," Tomco said. "Actually, I think we'll do better."

Defensively, Southeast improved last year and moved up to near the middle of the OVC pack, but Billings said the Indians need to slice considerably more from their per-game averages of allowing just over 387 yards and 29 points per game.

With 10 returning starters, he thinks they will.

"I think for us to really get to that next level, our defense has to get up near the top of the OVC," Billings said. "But I think they're getting to be a lot better. We were still so young there last year. I look for a lot of improvement."

While the Indians are the preseason pick to win their first OVC championship, they were a narrow choice in the coaches' poll over Murray State, which shared last year's title with Eastern Illinois. Billings expects a tough battle for the crown in the new-look conference, which has nine teams after adding Alabama schools Samford and Jacksonville State.

"I think this is the toughest the league has been since I've been here," Billings said. "I can see four or five teams winning it."

Billings knows that the team's nonconference schedule -- Southeast plays Division I-A teams Ohio and Arkansas State, along with regional rivals Southern Illinois and Southwest Missouri and has no Division II opponents -- will make it tough for the Indians to match last year's win total.

"I don't know what our record will be, but we'll be a better football team," Billings said. "We've gotten better every year, and with the kids we have, we should be even better next year."

Billings said his goal is to be in the upper echelon of the conference every year with a shot at winning.

"We've put ourselves in a position to win the conference championship, and that's all you can ask," he said. "No telling if we'll win eight games or more, but the good thing is we'll have an opportunity to win eight or more. In the past, we didn't even have that opportunity."

mmishow@semissourian.com

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