SE tramples Samford

Another offensive show and a solid defensive performance put the finishing touches on Southeast Missouri State University's best football season since 1969.

The Indians rocked Samford for 34 first-half points and piled up a school-record 648 yards of offense during a 48-24 victory in front of 4,375 fans at Houck Stadium Saturday night.

Southeast ended its third year under coach Tim Billings with three straight victories and an 8-4 record for its first winning season since 1994 and the program's best mark since the 1969 squad went 8-2.

Billings is still holding out hopes of a longshot bid to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, so the Indians will practice a few times this week. But either way, he figures Saturday's showing was a fitting way to end the regular season.

"Definitely, to not only go out and win the game but to play the way we did," Billings said. "It's a a great way to springboard us into next year. If we're done for the year, we ended it right."

The season was particularly gratifying for the Indians' 11 seniors, including a few who have been in the program for four years and have endured all the losing that took place prior to this season. Among those is James Jennette, one of the Ohio Valley Conference's top defensive tackles.

"I've been through all the hard times, and now the good times," a smiling Jennette said. "It's all paid off, and I feel like we've set the stage for a lot of good things for the future of this program."

Record-setting senior wide receiver Willie Ponder has been in the program just two years after transferring in from junior college but he has been as responsible as anybody for the Indians' turnaround.

Against Samford (4-6), Ponder caught 11 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. With 87 receptions this year, he shattered the previous school record of 77 and he earlier this year broke school and OVC marks for single-season receiving yardage. He has 1,453 yards. His 15 touchdown receptions this year are also Southeast and OVC records, while his 25 career TD receptions are another school mark.

"This year has been great and I'm so proud of the whole team," Ponder said. "I know I did a lot of good things this year, but it wouldn't have been possible without my teammates. And all those younger guys, they've got a lot to look forward to next year and in the future."

Junior quarterback Jack Tomco, a junior-college transfer in his first season in the program, had already set school records for single-season passing yardage and touchdown passes. Saturday, he completed 20 of 28 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns, although he was intercepted three times.

Tomco finished the year with 3,132 yards passing and 29 touchdowns, the latter the second-best performance in OVC history, trailing only current Eastern Illinois quarterback Tony Romo, who has 31 TD passes this year.

Sophomore tailback Corey Kinsey rushed for 101 yards on 24 carries and scored a touchdown. He finished the season with 1,067 yards to compile just the sixth 1,000-yard rushing season ever at Southeast. He ranks third all-time.

Junior wide receiver Tarik Simpson caught three passes for 117 yards and a touchdown while sophomore tight end Ray Goodson out of Jackson High School and freshman wide out Jamel Oliver both caught TD passes. Senior tailback Keiki Misipeka added a rushing touchdown as he finished with 13 TDs in his only season at Southeast after transferring from Hawaii.

"It feels great to win eight games," Goodson said. "We thought we could turn it around here and I think we've got a great future."

Even backup quarterback Jeff East, a redshirt freshman seeing his first action in several weeks, got in on the act as he threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Ponder to close out the Indians' scoring. East passed for 95 yards.

"I felt like we could move the ball on them and put some points up, but I didn't know if we could break the school record (for total offense). I didn't even know what it was," Billings said with a laugh.

Southeast's defense, which struggled at times this year, turned in a solid performance for the second straight week even though Samford finished with 392 yards of offense. The Bulldogs' only second-half touchdown came late against mostly reserves as Southeast led 34-17 at halftime and 48-17 early in the fourth quarter.

"We gave them two big plays in the first half, but besides that we played well on defense," Billings said.

Freshman defensive back Anthony Lumpkin intercepted a pass that led to a touchdown and sophomore defensive end Cal Jillson recovered a fumble that led to another TD. Senior defensive back Demar Winston, who has battled through an injury-plagued season, fittingly provided Southeast's third and final turnover of the night with a late end-zone interception.

"The seniors are a big reason we're where we are," Billings said. "Hopefully the younger kids can take it from here."

Sophomore place-kicker Derek Kutz from St. Vincent High School hit on all six of his extra-point attempts and booted two field goals of 23 yards. His 50 PATs are a school record.