UTM takes optimistic approach amid long OVC skid

Sam McCorkle says his University of Tennessee-Martin football team has made significant strides since last season -- even if Saturday's game at Eastern Kentucky didn't reflect that.

The Skyhawks opened their Ohio Valley Conference schedule with a 58-3 drubbing by the powerful Colonels. But McCorkle will look for a better showing today when the Skyhawks (2-4, 0-1) host surging Southeast Missouri State University (4-2, 1-0).

"Eastern Kentucky has got an awful good football team and we didn't play real well," McCorkle said. "But overall I have been pleased this year. I feel like we have improved. The thing is, we have to learn to play with a lot of intensity every week."

There are those who believe turning around UTM's perennially woeful football program is hopeless and that the underfunded Skyhawks would be better served by dropping out of Division I-AA, at least on the scholarship level.

The Skyhaws have suffered 37 straight OVC losses -- many of them similar to the Eastern Kentucky rout -- and have not won more than two games in a season since 1995. They entered this year with a 6-60 overall record over the past six seasons and their only two victories in 2002 have been over Division II teams.

McCorkle, in his third season at UTM, acknowledges how bleak the situation appears. But he insists there is some hope.

"I think it's possible to turn the program around, but some things have to be done for us to be competitive," McCorkle said. "To my knowledge, everybody in our league plays with 63 scholarships, but we're about 13 or 14 short. Until we get the numbers, we're going to have a hard time competing."

An indication that perhaps the program has the potential to turn around just might be a new $2 million football building that will be dedicated at halftime today. McCorkle said the building, which will feature coaches' offices, meeting rooms, locker rooms and training rooms, should help recruiting.

As for the rest of this season, McCorkle is hopeful the Skyhawks can finally break their lengthy OVC losing streak.

The fact UTM gave Southeast all it could handle last year -- the Indians trailed 30-24 after three quarters before pulling out a 45-30 home victory -- should at least give the Skyhawks a bit of confidence today.

"Certainly SEMO is a team we've moved the ball on well the last two years," McCorkle said. "But we try to go into every game we play thinking we've got a chance to win."

But McCorkle realizes this Southeast team appears to be a far cry from Tim Billings' first two squads that had trouble with the Skyhawks.

"I think Tim has done a great job with that program," McCorkle said. "They're playing the way you're supposed to play the game."

Billings, Southeast's third-year coach, said UTM is considerably better than it was last year. Throw in that the Skyhawks run a seldom-seem option offense and they played the Indians so tough last year -- and Billings doesn't look for an easy time.

"They're a lot better than they have been, and I think when they play us they truly believe they can beat us," Billings said.

A win today would give the Indians a 2-0 OVC start for the first time since they joined the league in 1991 and give them five victories in a season for the first time since 1995 -- with five games still remaining.

"All that would be great, but we can't think it's going to happen by just showing up," Billings said. "Tennessee-Martin is a team we can't afford to overlook and I don't think we will."Noteworthy

* Southeast senior wide receiver Willie Ponder leads the nation's Division I-AA players in total receiving yards with 686.

Ponder, who has 45 catches and seven touchdowns, leads the OVC in all receiving categories. He is also seventh nationally in receptions per game and ninth in receiving yards per game.

* The OVC has adopted a one-game suspension imposed by Tennessee State on linebacker Jermaine Beale for a dangerous and unsporting act during the Tigers' 49-25 loss at Southeast last Saturday.

While not a participant on the field during the play in question, Beale closelined Southeast's Prince Anderson, who had been pushed into the TSU sideline.

Beale, who did not receive a penalty on the play, will be suspended for TSU's game today at Alabama A&M.

mmishow@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 132