TRIBE KNOCKS OFF ISU

After last week's unbelievable win over Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri State University football fans must have been wondering what the Indians could do for an encore.

They found out Saturday night -- and 8,125 of them who made for an enthusiastic, noisy gathering at Houck Stadium couldn't have been happier.

Playing their first home game of the season, the Indians followed up one of the biggest comebacks in NCAA Division I-AA history with one of their biggest wins in school history as they stunned Illinois State 28-25.

As the final second expired from the clock to secure the victory, numerous Southeast supporters stormed the field to congratulate the Indians. And the fans stayed and lingered for a long time after the triumph over the nation's 12th-ranked I-AA team.

Tim Billings, Southeast's first-year head coach, has only been involved with the Indians' program for three games, two of them wins. But he ventured to guess just what kind of victory Saturday's was.

"I would think, no question, it has to be one of the biggest wins for the school," he said. "They (the Indians) just willed to win. They wouldn't let us lose."

Said linebacker Corey Mathis, who helped spearhead a bend-but-don't-break Southeast defensive effort that gave up plenty of yards but got tough when it counted, "It's a great feeling, winning this game and seeing all these people out here. I think we came together as a team tonight."

In beating ISU, which fell to 1-2, the Indians avenged last year's embarrassing 55-7 loss to the Redbirds. And they knocked off a squad that advanced to the I-AA semifinals last year and would no doubt be ranked a lot higher in the national poll had it not been for a loss to I-A Northern Illinois last week.

"If they don't lose to a I-A team, they're probably ranked about No. 3 ( in the nation)," Billings said.

If you looked simply at the final statistics, it would be hard to imagine the Indians pulling off the huge upset. ISU piled up 445 yards of offense -- including 239 on the ground -- and held the Indians to 167 total yards. The Redbirds held the ball for 35 minutes and 46 seconds compared to 22:14 for the Tribe.

But Southeast used three big plays -- two defensive touchdowns and a fake punt for a score -- and that aforementioned bend-but-don't-break defense to squeeze out the victory.

"The defense did it today," said Billings. "Coach (defensive coordinator Mike) Phillips made some great defensive calls."

Phillips deflected all the credit to his players, saying, "These kids won this game, not us coaches. We have a lot of speed on defense and also a lot of heart. The whole team has a lot of heart."

After ISU scored on the game's opening drive to go ahead 7-0, the Indians used a defensive touchdown to tie things. Cornerback Isaac Huddleston intercepted a pass that was tipped by a receiver and raced 46 yards down the sideline to score with 8:46 left in the first quarter. The first of Nick Reggio's four conversion kicks knotted things at 7-7.

Southeast got its only real offensive touchdown in the closing seconds of the first period when quarterback Bobby Brune scored on a 5-yard run to cap a 54-yard, eight-play drive, making it 14-7.

The second quarter was scoreless, leaving the Indians with a 14-7 halftime lead. Then, early in the third period, came one of the biggest plays of the game.

Facing a fourth-and-11 from their own 45-yard line, the Indians lined up to punt. In that situation, nobody in the stadium -- and certainly not anybody on the ISU sideline -- expected a fake.

But a fake is what Billings -- who has referred to himself as a riverboat gambler when it comes to taking chances -- called for. Curtis Cooper, the up-man on the punt, took a direct snap and had clear sailing for at least a first down. He juked one defender and then had clear sailing to the end zone on a 55-yard touchdown that made it 21-7 just 2:20 into the final half.

"I really didn't think it was a gamble," said Billings. "I felt like it would work."

Midway through the third quarter, a punt play hurt Southeast when a snap went way over Jason Witczak's head and all the kicker could do was scoop up the ball in the end zone and run out of the back of the end zone for an ISU safety, making it 21-9.

ISU pulled to within 21-16 with 4:46 left in the third quarter as Willie Watts scored on a tackle-breaking 34-yard run. All of a sudden, the game was on.

Then came another of Southeast's major plays. With under nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, ISU was driving for what looked like a go-ahead score.

But, facing a third down deep in Indian territory, quarterback Kevin Glenn was hammered by Mathis and the ball popped loose. It appeared that Glenn's arm might have been coming forward, which would have meant an incomplete pass, but the play was ruled a fumble and defensive end Rodney Woodall scooped up the ball and had clear sailing to the end zone on an 80-yard scamper. All of a sudden it was 28-16 Indians with 8:29 remaining.

"We had a blitz on and Corey got to the quarterback," said Woodall. "I was there at the right time and I had a lot of green in front of me."

Once again, ISU came back as Glenn hit Steve Kostro with a 52-yard TD pass, making it 28-23 with 7:19 still left to play.

When ISU got the ball back again at the Southeast 40 with 5:27 left after a nice punt return, it looked again like the Indians were in trouble. But, once again, the Tribe's defense came to the rescue.

ISU drove inside the 10 and faced a fourth down at the six. A Glenn pass went incomplete, but Andre Clarke was called for interference in the end zone, giving the Redbirds a first-and-goal at the 2 with 2:35 remaining.

One running play moved the ball inside the 1, where an ISU go-ahead touchdown seemed a virtual certainty, considering the success the Redbirds had had all night dominating with their ground game.

But Glenn either missed a handoff or a running back went the wrong way, and the quarterback was nailed for a 7-yard loss by Mathis and Joe Williams, making it third-and-goal from the 8. Two incomplete passes into the end zone followed, so the Indians took over at the 8 with 1:12 left.

ISU was down to two timeouts. After two running plays lost three yards, an incompletion stopped the clock with just over 50 seconds left, then Southeast took an intentional safety, making it 28-25 with 46 seconds remaining.

Witczak, who had a big night punting --he averaged 42 yards on 10 kicks -- got off a nice free kick, and after a decent return, the Redbirds had the ball at their own 42 with 41 seconds left.

The Redbirds made one first down, but a desperation fourth-down pass from near midfield was intercepted by Huddleston, who was tackled as time expired.

And then the Indians -- along with many of the big crowd on hand -- were able to celebrate.

"We had a great crowd tonight, and they made a lot of noise and really supported us," said Billings. "That's what we're looking for the rest of the season. We hope they'll come back, and there will be even more of them."