Quincy hopes to keep game close vs. SE

Quincy University football coach Bill Terlisner is realistic about what most people expect to be a lopsided Southeast Missouri State University victory in tonight's season finale at Houck Stadium.

"Our goals for the game are to make it as respectable as we can, to play with them and give SEMO a good game," Terlisner said. "Realistically, we can't match up with them athlete for athlete. But if we come out and play hard, hopefully we can give them a game for a little bit."

All signs certainly point to a major rout for the Division I-AA Indians, even though they are 3-7 and have lost four straight games.

The Division II Hawks are 2-7 and have been throttled in most of their contests by teams that are several notches below the level of the squads Southeast has, for the most part, competed well against all year.

For example: Quincy lost 45-12 to a Missouri-Rolla team that is near the bottom of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Hawks lost 35-28 to a Kentucky Wesleyan squad that was routed by 40 points by Ohio Valley Conference doormat Tennessee-Martin.

All told, the Hawks have been outscored 284-138 and they have been outgained in yardage by an average of 391 to 241 per contest.

Still, Terlisner said he firmly believes his young team has made solid progress this year despite what he calls "limited funding" compared to other Division II programs.

"I was the interim coach last year and got the job about a week before the season started," said Terlisner, whose squad went 1-9 in 2000. "So this is my first recruiting class and we're kind of banged up, but I'm really happy with them. I think we're making progress.

"We're not fully funded, mainly with scholarships, and we play a tough schedule, which makes it tough. But we've actually been pretty competitive in lot of games. Our goal is to keep getting better and better every year and build on any little success we're having.

The Hawks, who average 153 yards passing per game, throw the ball quite a bit, much like Southeast. Quarterback Shane DeSherlia is completing just 44 percent of his attempts, but he has compiled 957 yards and eight touchdowns.

Six Hawks have caught at least 13 passes, led by Chris DeWitt with 31. The leading rusher is Clyde Howard with 382 yards.

"We've been in five wides and no backs, four wides and one back," Terlisner said. "We'll definitely air it out."

Terlisner, who said he is extremely impressed by Southeast's talent level compared to what Quincy is used to seeing, insists that his team is in a no-lose situation tonight.

"We're treating it as something really exciting for us, to play a I-AA school in that type of stadium with the crowd and on that turf," he said. "We look at it as a great experience for our players. I've told my kids all week that we'll probably be playing in front of the biggest crowd in Quincy athletics history.

"It might not sound like much, but the score will roll across the ticker on ESPN. A lot of schools our size don't get that opportunity. Something like this can help us in recruiting. We're looking at it as a win-win situation."

As for Southeast, coach Tim Billings said the Indians need a big victory tonight in order to start building some momentum for their offseason program and next year. And he insists his squad will not take Quincy lightly.

"Hopefully we'll outmatch Quincy. I don't know, but we're not taking these guys lightly," Billings said. "I really want to set the tone for the offseason and next fall. I want us to really play well and execute for four quarters. That could be a great jump-start for next year."

Cape Girardeau Central High School graduate J.P. Limbaugh is a freshman wide receiver for Quincy who is being redshirted this year, but Terlisner said Limbaugh will make the trip and be in uniform tonight, although he won't play.

"We're real happy with J.P.," Terlisner said.