INDIANS WANT DEPARTING WIN FOR SENIORS

Southeast Missouri State University football coach John Mumford would dearly love for his seniors to close out their college careers with a victory.

In order to do that, the Indians must defeat Southern Illinois Saturday when both squads end disappointing seasons with a 12:30 p.m. kickoff at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale.

"For our seniors to go out on a winning note is huge," said Mumford during his weekly media conference Monday. "I know it's really big for me as far as getting these guys a win to end their careers.

"We lose a lot of key seniors and all of these guys have made major contributions, whether they've been four-year players or two-year players."

The Indians list 18 seniors on their roster -- including two who are out with injuries -- and most of those have been among Southeast's top performers this season, with 11 of them starters.

Senior offensive starters are guards James Williams and Jessie Eaton, tackle Carlos DeJesus, tight end Mitch Fryer, wide receiver Dante Bryant and tailback Corey Williams.

Fryer, who has started for much of his four years at Southeast, has 70 career receptions, including 21 this season to rank third on the squad.

Bryant leads the Indians with 41 receptions and he has 109 for his career.

Williams, despite missing virtually all of three games with an injury, leads the Indians with 639 yards rushing and he is first in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring with 12 touchdowns.

"James, Jessie and Carlos have been really key linemen for us," said Mumford. "Mitch has had a great career, Dante has been our go-to receiver and you can't say enough about Corey. He's a real warrior."

Defensively, starters are tackle Troy Baglio, end Marcus McLellan, linebackers Kevin Meachem and Gabe Jenkins and cornerback Fred Hambrick.

Baglio, a four-year starter, is one of the OVC's premier defensive linemen. He and McLellan have spearheaded the Indians' front line this year, each with three sacks despite each being bothered by injuries.

Meachem has turned into one of the OVC's top linebackers and he's having a monster season with a league-best 98 tackles. He leads the Indians with seven sacks.

Jenkins, a local product out of Cape Central High, has been solid and is the team's fifth-leading tackler.

Hambrick, a three-year starter, has eight career interceptions, including five last season.

"Troy has really been a warrior up front and Marcus has been a big-play guy," Mumford said. "Kevin has turned into a great player, Gabe has been really solid and Freddie has made a lot of big plays."

Most of the other seniors have also been key contributors, including linebackers Terrance Sterling and Octavio Campos, wide receivers Jeff Shaw and Mike Cunniff and defensive end Eric David.

Sterling, like Jenkins a Cape Central product, has battled back from injuries the last couple of years and has been solid this season. Shaw began the year as the Indians' starting quarterback before being moved to receiver.

Two more seniors, fullback Britt Mirgaux and wide receiver Marcus McKinley, will not play Saturday because of injuries. Mirgaux, a Scott City product who has missed virtually the entire season, was Southeast's leading rusher the past two years.

"All 18 of them have been a real credit to our program," said Mumford. "They've really contributed on the field and they'll go on to get their degrees and have good careers outside of football."

The 3-7 Indians are headed for their fourth straight losing season, so the seniors certainly haven't had much team success during their careers.

"I've told them that they deserve a lot more in terms of wins and losses," Mumford said. "But they've held their heads high. All are team players and all have been a pleasure to coach."

* SIU, under second-year coach Jan Quarless, is 2-8 and the Salukis have lost seven straight games.

Despite their struggles, the Salukis have all kinds of offensive weapons, led by sensational tailback Karlton Carpenter, one of the nation's leading rushers.

Carpenter, SIU's career rushing leader, has gained 1,686 yards and scored 14 touchdowns this year.

Quarterback Kent Skornia, a former transfer from Missouri, is 143-for-261 for 1,764 yards.

Wide receiver Cornell Craig has caught 58 passes for 853 yards and nine TDs.

* Southeast junior linebacker Jermemy Atwell recovered his fourth fumble of the season during Saturday' loss at Eastern Kentucky, moving him into the OVC lead in that category.

While Meachem leads the Indians and the OVC in tackles with 98, former Jackson standout John Smith is third on the squad with 63 tackles from his safety position. Jenkins is fifth with 46 tackles.

* The OVC title will be decided Saturday when Murray State plays host to surprising Tennessee State. Both squads are 5-1 in the league.