SE FOOTBALL TAKES BRUTAL COURSE; INDIANS SCHEDULE AN EVEN TOUGHER SLATE FOR 1999 SEASON

Southeast Missouri State University's football Indians will have their work cut out for them if they hope to improve on last year's 3-8 record.

The Indians' 1999 schedule was officially released Tuesday and to say it is difficult would be an understatement.

In addition to their seven Ohio Valley Conference games, the Indians' four non-league contests are against Gateway Conference foes. The Gateway is considered perhaps the premier Division I-AA league in the nation.

"It's probably the toughest (schedule) we've faced," said Southeast coach John Mumford, whose squad will have six home games. "It's formidable to say the least. There's really not a break and each game has some history behind it."

The Indians will open the season Sept. 2 -- a Thursday -- by hosting regional rival Southern Illinois in a night game at Houck Stadium. The Salukis thumped Southeast in the 1998 finale.

"In essence we're playing SIU back to back," Mumford said. "We finished up the season last year with a disappointing game against them and it's a chance for us to redeem ourselves right off the bat.

"I think having the opener on Thursday night is good. The last time we played SIU on Thursday here we had a really good crowd."

Then comes three straight road games, at Illinois State Sept. 11, at Murray State Sept. 18 and at Western Kentucky Sept. 25.

Illinois State of the Gateway Conference made the I-AA playoffs last season. Murray State is a perennial OVC power while Western Kentucky -- another strong I-AA program -- joins the OVC this year.

"Illinois State is a playoff team, everybody knows how good Murray State is and Western Kentucky really strengthens the OVC," said Mumford.

Southeast will return home for two straight OVC games, an Oct. 2 family weekend contest against perennial power Eastern Kentucky and an Oct. 9 homecoming matchup with Tennessee Tech.

Then it's two more Gateway Conference opponents as the Indians visit Indiana State Oct. 16 and host Southwest Missouri State Oct. 23.

"Southwest really put it to us over there late last year and Indiana State (which beat Southeast in a close game in Cape Girardeau early last season) came on strong at the end of the season and destroyed Murray State," Mumford said.

The Indians will close out the season with three OVC games. They visit Tennessee-Martin Oct. 30, host Eastern Illinois Nov. 6 and then, after an open date, host Tennessee State Nov. 20.

Southeast posted victories in 1998 over only two of the teams on its 1999 schedule. The Indians routed Tennessee-Martin at home and edged Tennessee Tech on the road.

The Indians did not play Illinois State and Western Kentucky last season but lost to the other seven teams on this year's schedule.

* Southeast is winding down its spring workouts this week, with the Indians' annual spring intrasquad game set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Houck Stadium.

The controlled scrimmage, which will pit the number one offense vs. the number one defense and the number two units against each other, is open to the public at no charge.

SEMO Football

1999 Schedule

(Home games in capital letters)

Sept. 2 -- SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, 6 p.m.

Sept. 11 -- at Illinois State, 6 p.m.

Sept. 18 -- at Murray State, TBD

Sept. 25 -- at Western Kentucky, 7 p.m.

Oct. 2 -- EASTERN KENTUCKY, 6 p.m.

Oct. 9 -- TENNESSEE TECH, 1 p.m.

Oct. 16 -- at Indiana State, 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 23 -- SOUTHWEST MISSOURI, 1 p.m.

Oct. 30 -- at Tennessee-Martin, 1 p.m.

Nov. 6 -- EASTERN ILLINOIS, 1 p.m.

Nov. 20 -- TENNESSEE STATE, 1 p.m.