Next opponent adjusting to a high Division I-A level

After a tough loss in another game we could have won, we are preparing to play a Division I-A team, Middle Tennessee State, on Saturday. This is a money game, but because it has been under contract for a long time, we really aren't getting a big check. We are helping the athletic department and the university in these tough financial times.

Middle Tennessee also has been playing for money with their first three games on the road against Southeastern Conference teams, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky. They are 0-3, but they have built up a financial base to keep their football program moving at a high level. Middle Tennessee has really made a strong commitment to the football program and has made a successful move from I-AA and the Ohio Valley Conference to I-A and the Sun Belt Conference. Last year the Blue Raiders were 8-3 and won the Sun Belt championship.

Middle is a lot like Marshall, and they play at a much higher level then our earlier I-A opponent, Eastern Michigan. Middle Tennessee has great facilities including a new 30,000-seat stadium. They weren't even at the top of the OVC when they made the move a few years ago, but they made the commitment and they have developed a very good program.

The last two weeks we have played our opponents right to the wire before losing, and I am tired of being close. We need to make plays that enable us to win. This week we are really working on the basics like tackling and taking care of the ball. The little mistakes are getting us beat. We are playing hard, and 90 percent of the time we are playing well, but we just haven't been making the plays we need to win. You have to have that deep-down belief that you can find a way to win. It is a mind set that is hard to change after years of losing, but we are making progress.

This week our goal is to concentrate on what we are doing and make sure we are doing those things to the best of our ability. We aren't really that concerned about Middle Tennessee. We know they have an excellent football team and much better depth that we have, but if we continue to improve we can be in the game and have an opportunity to pull the upset.

We have a good game plan, and we must eliminate the mistakes and make the big plays. We want to be better than we were last week and the week before.

Our players have had a great attitude in practice this week. They look at the game tapes and realize that the mistakes are keeping us from winning, and they are dedicated to eliminating those mistakes.

We have key injuries in the secondary, but when the backups are called on they have to step up and get the job done. Our OVC season begins the next week, and we want to go into the OVC season healthy and with momentum. The best way to stay healthy is to play hard.

They expect a big crowd on Saturday, but they have plenty of tickets for sale. Why not enjoy a weekend in Nashville and be at our game Saturday night? Don't forget:We will be back at Houck Stadium on Oct. 5 to go against Tennessee State in the OVC opener.

Tim Billings is the football coach at Southeast Missouri State University