INDIANS FOLLOW FAMILIAR PLOT IN LOSS TO EIU

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Southeast Missouri State University's football game against Eastern Illinois here Saturday afternoon followed a pattern that has been familiar to the Indians this season.

The formula goes like this: Southeast battles a highly regarded, favored foe tough and is right in the contest through three quarters before fading badly and being blown out in the final period.

That happened again Saturday as EIU, ranked 21st nationally in NCAA Division I-AA, pulled away for a 38-9 Ohio Valley Conference victory in front of 3,196 fans at O'Brien Stadium.

The Panthers, who led just 17-9 late in the third quarter, improved to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in OVC play as they remained very much alive for an at-large bid to the I-AA playoffs. The Indians fell to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in the OVC.

"It's really discouraging," said Southeast coach Tim Billings. "At times we played well enough to win, but we can't make plays when we have to have them. It's been the story of our season in about three or four games.

"The sad thing is we had an opportunity to win the football game and we get beat by 29 points. It looks like they kicked us pretty bad, but we had an opportunity to beat an excellent, excellent team."

Just as in earlier losses to OVC champion Western Kentucky, Tennessee Tech and Murray State, the Indians were knocking on the door before finally wearing down.

Against EIU, some glaring missed opportunities by the Indians kept them from having any chance at pulling off a huge upset.

Offensively, during the first three quarters, when the game was still very much in the balance, the Indians had three drives inside the EIU 40-yard line and one inside the Panthers' 10 but failed to score on any of the possessions.

And defensively, the Panthers twice fumbled inside Southeast's 5-yard line during drives and the Indians had clear shots to recover both fumbles, which would have prevented points, but could not come up with the loose balls. EIU went on to score touchdowns both times.

"We can't make a play to turn the momentum around," Billings said. "We don't capitalize offensively, and defensively they put the ball on the ground twice and we can't get the fumble."

But Southeast's opportunities aside, when it came right down to it, EIU wound up dominating the final statistics as well as the scoreboard.

The Panthers, leading the OVC in total offense, piled up a whopping 549 yards, including 318 on the ground as running backs J.R. Taylor and Andre Raymond gained 147 and 146 yards, respectively. Taylor scored two touchdowns.

EIU quarterback Tony Romo, the OVC's passing efficiency leader, completed 13 of 19 attempts for 231 yards and two touchdowns.

The Panthers' five touchdown drives all were of at least 71 yards, with three going at least 83 yards.

Southeast finished with 319 yards of offense, 249 coming through the air. Quarterback Rashad West completed just 10 of 21 passes for 82 yards, with one interception, and he was the Indians' leading rusher with 54 yards on 13 carries.

West, who has been hobbled by a bum ankle much of the season, was replaced periodically throughout the game by Bobby Brune, who completed 13 of 18 passes for 167 yards and the Indians' lone TD, a 33-yard strike to Leslie Weaver.

Weaver was Southeast's leading receiver with eight catches for 95 yards. Jerl Huling added five receptions.

Southeast's Corey Chester had a big game, catching four passes for 82 yards and returning two kickoffs for 88 yards, including an electrifying 79-yarder.

Trailing 10-0, the Indians got on the scoreboard late in the opening quarter when Brune led a drive that culminated in a 38-yard field goal by Jason Witczak.

Early in the second period, the Indians appeared to be driving toward a tying touchdown but a West pass was intercepted at the EIU 8-yard line.

After EIU went up 17-3, the Indians appeared to gain plenty of momentum when they went 80 yards in the final minute of the first half, scoring with 14 seconds left when Brune found Weaver in the end zone from 33 yards out. Witczak missed an extra point for the first time this season, but Southeast found itself down just 17-9 at the break.

Receiving the kickoff to start the second half, the Indians drove to the EIU 33 but were stopped on downs.

"I thought that was a crucial, crucial series," said Billings. "We drove but bogged down and I think that set the tone for the rest of the game."

The Panthers went up 24-9 with a long drive late in the third period. Cooper returned the ensuing kickoff 79 yards to the EIU 11, but the Indians failed to score, which pretty much sealed their fate as EIU tacked on two fourth-quarter touchdowns to turn things into a rout.

"We didn't play our best early. We were a little sloppy," said EIU coach Bob Spoo, noting the Panthers' 15 penalties. "The offense just put together some drives and the defense rose up in some key situations."

As an added down note to the game for Southeast, standout freshman linebacker Ricky Farmer suffered a knee injury in the first quarter and Billings fears he may be lost for the final two games, although that won't be known for certain until early in the week.