June 16, 2003

Cape Girardeau, Mo. - The Street & Smith's 2003 College Football National Preview has picked Southeast Missouri State University to win the Ohio Valley Conference football title for the first time ever.

Southeast is picked to win the title with Tennessee Tech second, Murray State third and Eastern Kentucky fourth.

C.L. Brown of the Louisville Courier-Journal writing for Street & Smith's said, "Southeast Missouri, which has had just one winning season since joining the league in 1991, has all the tools in place to win its first OVC title."

The Indians, 8-4 in 2002, return nine starters on both offense and defense.

Street & Smith's picks Southeast quarterback Jack Tomco as the top offensive player in the OVC. Tomco, who passed for a school record 3,132 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, will be challenged as the Southeast starter by Arizona State transfer Andrew Goodenough and 2001 OVC Freshman of the Year, Jeromy McDowell, who missed all but one game last season with a knee injury.

"It is great to be recognized nationally as having the potential for a good football team, but we have to prove it on the field," said Southeast coach Tim Billings. "We have a proven offense that just needs to be fine tuned and we have a maturing defense that should continue its vast improvement. Everyone is excited about the upcoming season."

Southeast opens the season at I-A Ohio University on August 28. The home opener at Houck Stadium will be Saturday, Sept. 6, 6 p.m., vs. Southern Illinois.