Sept 22, 2001

NORMAL, Ill. (AP) - Curtis Cooper returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown with 3:30 left Saturday as Southeast Missouri State rallied from 14 points behind in the fourth quarter to stun Illinois State 38-33.

Illinois State (0-3) led 30-16 after three quarters, and the Redbirds were still ahead 33-23 with 11:29 left on Stephen Carroll's 28-yard field goal.

Southeast Missouri's Derek Kutz kicked a 43-yard field goal to make it 33-26 with 3:49 to go.

Ilinois State was forced to punt and Southeast (2-2) then pulled off a game-turning trick play as wide receiver Adrian Sanders passed to fellow wideout Willie Ponder on an 80-yard TD play with 5:47 left.

That cut the Illinois State lead to 33-32, and the Redbirds then blocked the extra point.

But Southeast Missouri's defense held again, forcing a punt, and Cooper took off on his game-winning return.

Ponder caught seven passes for 175 yards. Sanders had six catches for 83 yards, including a 25-yard scoring pass from Bobby Brune six seconds into the final quarter.

Willie Watts rushed for 135 yards on 37 carries for Illinois State.

Southeast starting quarterback Jeromy McDowell left the game with a knee injury, the severity of which will not be known until later in the week.