Oct. 20, 2001

Final Stats

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Murray State Racers used 24 unanswered points to start the second half to turn a 21-14 deficit into a 38-21 advantage and spoil the Southeast Missouri State Homecoming festivities in a game they won 45-35.

Despite the loss, Southeast got a record offensive passing attack, setting school records for both team passing completions and attempts in a game. As a team the Southeast quarterbacks completed 32 passes on 56 attempts. The 32 completions broke an 11 year-old Southeast record set against Pittsburg State on September 29, 1990. The 56 attempts broke the school record set twice, most recently against Southwest Missouri State last season.

The Southeast Indians (3-5 overall, 1-3 OVC) got off to a great start when cornerback Demar Winston intercepted a Murray State (3-3, 1-2) pass in the backfield and rumbled 57-yards to put Southeast up 7-0 less than three minutes into the ballgame. The rest of the first half matched two even teams. Murray State tied the game on an 18-yard strike from quarterback Stewart Childress to Michael Slater. Southeast responded when junior receiver Willie Ponder hauled in the first of three touchdowns passes by Jeromy McDowell. Ponder's 37-yard touchdown put the Indians up 14-7. Childress and Slater would hook up again late in the second quarter to even the score. But right before halftime McDowell threw his second touchdown pass of the game to running back Curtis Cooper, a 61-yard strike that saw Cooper make several miraculous moves to find the endzone and put Southeast up 21-14 at the break.

Although it looked like Southeast had all the momentum going into the second frame, the Racers came out of the locker room on fire. Running back Garner Byars ran in touchdowns of 11 and five yards to erase the Murray deficit and put the Racers into the lead. Then Childress found Slater on a 55-yard strike, the third time on the day for the duo, to widen the Murray lead to 35-21 at the end of three quarters.

Murray opened the fourth frame marching down the field and eating up 5:55 off the clock before Shane Andrus kicked a 32-yard field goal to push the Murray lead to its zenith at 38-21.

Although the Southeast hopes looked dashed, the team did not give up as McDowell drove the Indians down the field in eight plays, cumulating with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Tarik Simpson. Southeast then forced a Murray punt and looked to be back in the ballgame before Mandrell McGregory intercepted a McDowell pass and ran it 25-yards into the endzone to cap the ballgame.

Southeast would recover the onside kick and score on a one-yard Bobby Brune sneak, but the score was too little, too late for the Indians.

For Southeast, McDowell was 26-43 for 303 yards and three touchdowns. In the process he broke the 31-year old Southeast freshman record for passing yards in a season, previously held by Lance Brune, the uncle of Southeast backup quarterback Bobby Brune. McDowell and Brune spread the ball around to a total of eight receivers, with Ponder leading the way with 10 catches for 110 yards.

For Murray, Stewart Childress completed 20-30 passes for 239 yards and three scores. Byars rushed for 115 yards and two scores on 31 carries.