SALUKIS PUT 34-7THUMPING ON SE IN SEASON FINALE

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois University football team had lost seven straight games entering Saturday's season-ending contest.

But the ailing Salukis were able to find the perfect tonic for their woes -- Southeast Missouri State University's Indians.

In a game that somewhat mercifully signaled the end of the 1998 campaign for each squad, the Salukis rolled past the Indians 34-7 in front of about 2,500 fans at McAndrew Stadium.

Both teams finished the year with 3-8 records. While SIU at least was able to snap its losing streak, Southeast wound up dropping its final five games.

"It's an embarrassing way to end (the season)," said Southeast head coach John Mumford. "We did nothing to help ourselves. We had way too many opportunities.

"We haven't played that bad in a while. We played bad. I guess I didn't get them prepared enough."

As has been the case in most games this year, the Indians had plenty of opportunities -- but squandered most of them.

Southeast drove inside SIU's 30-yard line five times without scoring. The Indians lost two fumbles, had a pass intercepted, had a field-goal attempt blocked and never got off another field-goal try because of a bobbled snap.

SIU's brilliant junior tailback, Karlton Carpenter, sliced through Southeast's defense for 206 yards on 25 carries and he scored three touchdowns.

Carpenter, already SIU's career rushing leader, ended the season with 1,892 yards.

"He's the best I've seen in a while," said Mumford. "But our defense has always had a way of taking care of it. We couldn't today."

Kent Skornia completed 14 of 25 passes for 159 yards as the Salukis wound up with a whopping 486 yards of total offense, including 327 yards on the ground.

Southeast had 355 yards of offense. Riki Smith led the rushers with 63 yards on nine carries. Bobby Brune, who completed his first eight passes, wound up 13 of 21 for 174 yards. Dante Bryant led the receivers with five catches for 85 yards.

While the Indians' botched several opportunities throughout the game, a few plays were particularly crucial.

Two Karpenter touchdown runs of four yards each early in the second quarter put the Salukis ahead 14-0, but Brune hit Bryant with a 20-yard TD pass to slice the deficit to 14-7.

SIU put together a drive late in the half that appeared to be stalled with a third-and-25 from the Southeast 28.

Skornia lofted a pass into the end zone for Cornell Craig, who was blanketed by Southeast defenders Isaac Powell and Fred Hambrick. Powell and Hambrick were both in front of Craig and each appeared to be in a position to either intercept the pass or knock it down.

But the ball deflected off the hands of the two Indians as Powell and Hambrick appeared to collide. The ball was tipped directly to Craig for a gift-wrapped touchdown just 20 seconds before the intermission, putting the Salukis ahead 21-7.

Then early in the third quarter, the Indians drove from their 1-yard line to the SIU 3, where they had a first-and-goal. But Southeast fumbled and the Salukis recovered.

SIU then marched 98 yards, culminated by Carpenter's 43-yard touchdown dash early in the fourth quarter that effectively sealed the verdict. Bryan Nolbertowicz added a 20-yard TD romp midway through the final period to complete the scoring.