Tomco has another record game in Indians' 50-35 win

MARTIN, Tenn. -- Jack Tomco's golden right arm continues to make a dent in Southeast Missouri State University's football record book.

One week after tying a school record with four touchdown passes against Tennessee State, Tomco broke that mark along with several others in the Indians 50-35 win over Tennessee-Martin 50-35 Saturday.

Tomco, a junior-college transfer, completed 29 of 39 passes for 429 yards and five touchdowns. He set Southeast single-game records for touchdown passes, passing yards, total yards (429) and completions while tying the school's single-season mark for TD passes with 17.

As has been his custom this season, Tomco downplayed his individual performance and chose to focus on the team.

"It always feels good when you win, but there are a lot of things I could have done better. I missed some guys out there," he said. "But we have so many weapons. If these teams want to double Willie (Ponder), we've got Tarik (Simpson). And today Bill (Coleman) really stepped up, and Ray (Goodson) did a good job.

"And the offensive line is doing incredible. I didn't even get touched today. I haven't hardly been touched all year."

With a little prodding, Tomco admitted that the records "make me happy, because I feel I've worked pretty hard. But we all have to keep working hard."

Just minutes after disposing of UTM, Tomco and his teammates were licking their chops at the prospect of playing defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Eastern Illinois Saturday on homecoming with the OVC lead on the line.

"That's going to be fun," Tomco said. "We know it's going to be the biggest football game in Cape in a long time and we're hoping everybody gets behind us."

Disciplinary measures

Southeast sophomore tailback Corey Kinsey, the OVC's third-leading rusher with 586 yards, suited up but did not play Saturday because of a one-game suspension for violating unspecified team policy, Billings said.

Sophomore linebacker O.J. Turner also violated unspecified team policy and sat out the first half, although he did play in the second half.

"It was a different team policy, so we played O.J. some," Billings said. "But both will be back full go for the next game."

Without Kinsey, senior Iven Brown -- who has been hampered by injuries throughout his Southeast career -- started in the backfield along with Keiki Misipeka and rushed for 85 yards, surpassing his total for the entire season.

"It felt good to play," Brown said. "I was a little nervous at first, but it was real fun."

mmishow@semissourian.com

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