Indians keep eyes focused on winning campaign

Southeast Missouri State University's football team has no margin for error remaining as it shoots for the program's first winning season since 1994.

The Indians (3-5 overall, 1-3 Ohio Valley Conference) must sweep their final three games, beginning Saturday at Tennessee Tech (3-3, 1-2).

After Saturday, the Indians will have two games left -- both at home -- against Eastern Kentucky Nov. 3 and Division II Quincy Nov. 10.

Southeast coach Tim Billings said his team's goal is still to finish with a winning record.

"Every game is crucial," said Billings at his weekly media conference Monday. "We'd like to see if we can go 6-5. Last week, we wanted to go 7-4."

Southeast's hopes of finishing above .500 for the first time since the '94 squad went 7-5 took a serious blow over the weekend when Murray State prevailed 45-35 at Houck Stadium. The Indians led 21-14 at halftime but saw the Racers score 21 third-quarter points to take control.

"I thought we played solid in the first half, but I was really disappointed in the third quarter and some of the fourth," Billings said. "For a quarter and a half, I thought I was back to last year. The third quarter was the only time this year I've really been disappointed in our football team."

Billings said it continues to frustrate him that the Indians don't have a better record even though they are obviously so much improved over his first Southeast team last year. But his frustration often lessens when he remembers just how young the squad is.

"No question, we're better than last year. Our games have proven that out. But at some point we have to start winning these close games," he said. "I look at our good young athletes and want them to play like seniors right now. But they're not seniors.

"I still think we have a good football team. But I have to realize we're young."

In addition to needing a victory Saturday to keep alive their shot at a winning season, the Indians' hopes of improving on last year's next-to-last finish in the OVC could very well hinge on the Tennessee Tech game.

Southeast is in sixth place in the seven-team league, but only a half-game behind Tech, which is tied with Murray State. If the Indians don't beat Tech, they would need to upset Eastern Kentucky in order to finish higher than sixth.

"If we don't play well, we can finish in the same position as last year, with a better football team," he said. "That would be discouraging."

Brune climbs charts

Senior quarterback Bobby Brune, a starter for much of his Southeast career but the backup to redshirt freshman Jeromy McDowell this year, needs 98 yards passing to move into fifth place on the school's all-time list.

Brune is in sixth place with 3,838 yards. He trails Jim Eustice, who passed for 3,935 yards from 1988-89. Brune is also just 271 yards behind the fourth all-time passer in school history -- his father, Greg Brune, who compiled 4,109 yards from 1965-67.

Billings has said that he plans to use both McDowell and Brune in games the rest of the season, which could give the Cape Girardeau Central High School product at least a chance to move past his dad.

No. 3 on the all-time passing yardage list is Bobby Brune's uncle, Lance Brune, who threw for 4,808 yards from 1970-73. The Indians' career leader is Jackson High School graduate Jason Liley, who totaled 6,179 yards from 1989-92.

Upon further review

When the season began, Southeast's non-conference schedule looked like a real bear. But not any more.

The Indians' first four non-league opponents are a combined 4-22. Division I-A Eastern Michigan is 1-5, with the only win coming against Southeast (16-12). The Eagles, who have lost to mediocre I-AA Indiana State, rank as one of the worst -- if not the absolute worst -- I-A squads in the nation.

Southwest Missouri, which beat Southeast 31-28, is 2-5. SIU, which lost to Southeast 24-5, is 1-5. And Illinois State, which the Indians beat 38-33, is 0-7.

Division II Quincy, the Indians' final non-conference opponent, is 2-5.Huge OVC game

The biggest game of the OVC schedule to date will take place Saturday as Eastern Illinois hosts Tennessee State.

Eastern Illinois, ranked ninth nationally in Division I-AA, is 3-0 in the league and 5-1 overall. No. 13 Tennessee State is 2-0 in the league and 6-0 overall.

The only other squad with a realistic shot at the OVC title is Eastern Kentucky, which is 3-1 in conference play.