Indians finish with win

It was great to get a win in our final game last Saturday night. It was particularly gratifying to see the seniors who contributed so much to our program enjoy going out with a win.

Bobby Brune had a good night throwing the football and was able to move past his dad, Greg, into fifth place on the all-time passing list at Southeast. That is something he will remember all his life. I know he was happy that his whole family was on hand to see his final game.

We established a number of offensive records during the season but one of the biggest feats to me was the fact that Curtis Cooper rushed for over 1,000 yards while playing on a passing team. Curtis didn't set a record, but his 1,198 yards rushing this season is second to only Kelvin "Earthquake" Anderson's 1,371 yards in 1993.

Cooper is currently ranked sixth in the nation in all-purpose running with 193.4 yards per game and ranks 19th nationally in punt returns and 24th nationally in kickoff returns. He had a great senior season.

There were seven new team records this season and four new individual records. Redshirt freshman Jeromy McDowell had three records, with the freshman passing record of 2,051 yards and the single-game record for passing and total offense with 391 yards against SIU. It was quite a season for a freshman who battled injuries. He has a very bright future at Southeast.

Willie Ponder established a new record for TD receptions in a season with 11 and became only the second receiver in Southeast history to gain over 1,000 yards. He will be a big weapon for us again next season.

The records are a tribute to our players and coaches. The year the offense had wouldn't have been possible without the offensive line that really developed as the season went along. The offensive line has the opportunity to be one of our strengths next season.

Coaches have a saying that offense sells tickets and defense wins championships. We've done a good job selling tickets, but we need to develop our defense and win a championship. We made tremendous progress in the Ohio Valley Conference this season although our record doesn't show it as we went 4-7 overall. We came up just short in a number of games and it is simply time to get the job done and start winning those close games.

We have to get stronger and I feel confident we will with our new strength coach Paul Helsel, who is doing an outstanding job for all the teams and coaches at Southeast. I really feel that late in the season our team got worn down and overpowered by stronger teams. We have to develop the strength of our team and that work is beginning in the weight room this week.

We also need another good recruiting class. Our main needs are at defensive safety, where we lose a number of players, and in the defensive line, where you always need more players.

We aren't that far away, but we have our work cut out for us. I am dedicated to getting the job done here at Southeast and I know our coaches are dedicated to the task.

Our fans have been great again this season. The support has been outstanding and appreciated. I think we are developing a game day atmosphere that everyone can be proud of. Thank you for your support.

We'll see you again next year.

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