Weather grounds Indians' air game

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Saturday afternoon's game between Eastern Illinois and visiting Southeast Missouri State University had a surreal feel to it that evoked memories of classic, old-time football often seen on ESPN's "NFL Films" series.

The squads played the entire contest in a total downpour and, since heavy rain had also fallen most of the day leading up to the game, the grass field at O'Brien Stadium became a quagmire just minutes after the opening kickoff. Most uniforms were caked in mud only moments into the action.

Throw in heavy winds that gusted approximately 35 miles per hour for virtually the entire game and things were certainly not conducive to either team lighting up the scoreboard -- and especially not to Southeast operating its wide-open, high-powered passing offense very efficiently.

"The conditions made it tough on us, no question about it," said Southeast coach Tim Billings after his squad's 12-0 loss. "It was raining so hard, we couldn't even hold on to the football. If it had just been raining some, I think we might have been all right."

Southeast still tried to throw the ball plenty, but it was extremely difficult for the Indians' normally elusive receivers to gain much yardage after the catch even when they were able to hold on to the ball and even when quarterback Jeromy McDowell was able to grip it well enough to fire accurately. The Indians totaled just 47 yards on their 14 completions, coming in 29 attempts. Their longest completion went for six yards.

Meanwhile, EIU chose to power the ball on the ground behind its strong offensive line -- a strategy that obviously worked extremely well. The Panthers did not attempt a pass the entire game. EIU rushed for a whopping 313 yards, led by J.R. Taylor's 241.

Asked if he had ever gone against a team that did not pass even once, Billings said, "At Oklahoma (as an assistant in the 1980s when the Sooners used the wishbone), I was on a team that didn't attempt one pass. But I've never played against a team that did that."

Southeast used two quarterbacks Saturday. McDowell, the starter, played the majority of the game but Bobby Brune also saw action periodically, mainly when the Indians were trying to run the ball. McDowell attempted all of Southeast's passes.

The Indians had 156 total yards, 109 on the ground. Tailback Curtis Cooper rushed for 99 yards on 19 carries.

Willie Ponder, the OVC's leading receiver, caught five passes, but for just 14 yards. Cooper had three receptions for 11 yards while true freshman tight end Ray Goodson out of Jackson High School caught two passes for five yards.

Senior wide receiver Andy Dunaway out of Cape Central made his first start of the season Saturday and he caught his first pass of the campaign, good for four yards.

The college football career of Southeast senior quarterback Rashad West is officially over after West had knee surgery Friday.

West, who shared starting duties with Brune for most of the 1999 and 2000 seasons, suffered a knee injury during a pickup basketball game over the summer. He tried to continue playing football but was visibly hampered and saw only brief action in one contest this year.

With West now out, the No. 3 quarterback role goes to Ben Arnold, a redshirt freshman from Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Arnold is a transfer from the University of Missouri, where he did not see any action.