Sept. 7, 2004

Southeast Missouri State at Bowling Green

Date: Sept. 11, 2004

Time: 5:00 p.m. (CDT)

Location: Doyt L. Perry Stadium, Bowling Green, Ohio (30,599)

Affiliations: Bowling Green, I-A, Mid-American Conference

Southeast Missouri, I-AA, Ohio Valley Conference

2003 Records: Bowling Green 11-3, Southeast Missouri 5-7

2004 Records: Bowling Green 0-1, Southeast Missouri 0-1

The Coaches: Tim Billings is 20-27 in his fifth season at Southeast Missouri

Gregg Brandon is 11-4 in his second season at Bowling Green

Radio: Southeast Radio Network anchored by K-103 FM in Cape Girardeau. Other network stations include KSIM in Sikeston and KWOC in Poplar Bluff. Erik Sean will do play-by-play with Ron Hines as the color analyst.

Internet: Southeast Radio Network broadcast can be heard over the internet at www.k103fm.com.

www.GoSoutheast.com

THE TEAMS: Both teams lost to nationally ranked opponents last week. Southeast Missouri lost to Southern Illinois, ranked number two in I-AA and Bowling Green lost to Oklahoma, ranked number two in I-A. Last season, the Falcons were 11-3 and won the Motor City Bowl with a victory over Northwestern of the Big 10. Bowling Green also beat Eastern Kentucky of the OVC, 63-13.

THE COACHES: Tim Billings, a former assistant at Marshall, Missouri and Oklahoma, is 20-27 in his fifth season at Southeast. He was the 2002 OVC Coach of the Year and the 2002 AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year. Gregg Brandon is 11-4 in his second season at Bowling Green.

THE SERIES: First Meeting

SOUTHEAST 0-MAC: In the last four years, Southeast is 0-4 vs. teams from the Mid-American Conference. The Indians have lost to Marshall, Eastern Michigan twice and Ohio. This year Southeast plays two MAC opponents in Bowling Green and Central Michigan.

SIMONHOFF HONORED BY OVC: Southeast sophomore punter David Simonhoff has been named the OVC Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 53.2 yards per punt against SIU. Three of his six punts were inside the 20. Simonhoff was second team all-OVC last season when he averaged 41 yards per punt.

Simonoff leads the OVC in punting and Southeast leads the league in net punting with 50.5 yards per game.

TURNER SECOND IN TACKLES: Senior linebacker O.J. Turner is second in the OVC in tackles after recording 10 tackles including one quarterback sack in the loss at SIU.

BOWLING GREEN PLAYER HONORED BY MAC: Falcon defensive back Keon Newson was named the Defensive Player of the Week in the MAC West after he forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown vs. Oklahoma. He also recorded a team-high 10 tackles.

INJURIES: Starting linebacker Brando Colar suffered an elbow injury in the SIU game and is doubtful, starting wide receiver and punt returner Scott NesSmith suffered a knee injury and is doubtful, starting cornerback Brennan Spain suffered a head injury and is probable. Marco Tipton, who received a medical redshirt last season, is doubtful with a hamstring injury. He did not play against SIU.

TEAM ELECTS CAPTAINS: The team has elected two captains. Senior kicker Derek Kutz and senior offensive tackle Dan Connolly will serve as co-captains.

GOODENOUGH IS THE QB: Senior Andrew Goodenough is the quarterback for Southeast after sharing the position last season. A transfer from Arizona State, Goodenough played in seven games last season completing 71-116 passes for 906 yards and three TD's with just four interceptions. In last year's final game against Jacksonville State for the OVC title, Goodenough passed for 407 yards and one TD in a losing cause.

In the season opener against SIU, Goodenough completed 21-35 passes for 183 yards with one interception. He ranks third in the OVC in passing yardage and fourth in total offense with 174 yards per game.

OLIVER PRODUCTIVE: Running back Jamel Oliver ranks second in the OVC in kickoff returns and all-purpose yards. He averaged 22.2 yards per kickoff return and averages 207 yards per game in all-purpose yardage.

SCAIFE IS BACK: Wide receiver and returner Antonio Scaife who was susupended for the SIU game will return to action against Bowling Green. He will start at wide receiver and will return punts and kickoffs.

TARDY TRANSCRIPTS: Three California junior college transfers are doubtful for the Bowling Green game because their official transcripts have not yet arrived at Southeast. The group includes defensive back Charles McCoy who chose Southeast over Nebraska and Southern California and running backs John Radney and Lawrence Letuli.

TOUCHDOWN 4 A CURE: Southeast co-captain and kicker Derek Kutz is heading up a campaign this fall called Touchdown 4 A Cure. Football team members are asking fans to pledge a dollar amount for each touchdown or field goal scored. Many of the players have had family members who have been affected by cancer and Touchdown 4 A Cure is their way of wanting to make a difference. The lmoney raised will go to the kids of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis.

Professional golfer Karen Stupples, the touring pro for Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau and the British Open Champion, who attended the Southeast football media day, was impressed by the cause and made a $1,000 donation.

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY: Damon Bradford, football defensive coordinator at Southeast Missouri State University, has been called to active duty with the Tennessee National Guard.

Bradford, who joined the Southeast staff prior to the start of spring drills, previously served as linebacker coach at Tennessee Tech.

A veteran of 13 years in the Army and National Guard, Bradford reported for active duty on June 20. He will be the executive officer (second in command) of Troop F, Second Squadron, 278 Armored Cavalry Regiment of the Tennessee National Guard. After he reports, Lt. Bradford went to school at Fort Knox, Ky. After his schooling is completed, he will join his troop at Camp Shelby, Mississippi and they will be deployed to Iraq.

Bradford's position at Southeast will be kept vacant until his tour of duty, that could be a year or longer, is completed.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: tight end Ray Goodson has been selected as a preseason All-American by three different publications. Dan Bieg and Derek Kutz have been honorable mention on at least one preseason All-America team.

INDIANS PICKED FOURTH IN OVC: After being the preseason choice to win the OVC last season, Southeast is picked fourth in this year's poll of league coaches and sports information directors. Eastern Kentucky is picked first, Jacksonville State second, Samford third and Southeast fourth.

PRESEASON ALL-OVC: Southeast had four players named preseason all-OVC. Kicker Derek Kutz, tight end Ray Goodson, offensive tackle Dan Connolly and offensive guard Dan Bieg were all preseason all-OVC.

TWO NFL DRAFT CHOICES IN TWO YEARS: Southeast has had NFL draft choices in each of the last two years. Willie Ponder, a consensus All-American at Southeast, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL draft by the New York Giants.

Ponder, the Southeast record holder for receiving yards in a season with 1,453 and career receiving yards record holder with 2,513 yards in 2001-2002, made the Giants team and is returning kickoffs and listed as number two at wide receiver for the Giants this season.

Eugene Amano, the 2003 Rimington Award winner as the top center in I-AA football, was drafted in the seventh round of the 2003 draft by the Tennessee Titans.

A four-year starter at Southeast, Amano has signed with the Titans and is currently number two on the Titan depth chart at center. Amano was a first-team All-America pick by the American Football Coaches Association

BILLINGS ON TELEVISION: Southeast Missouri Football with Tim Billings is televised weekly on UPN-The Beat. Todd Richards hosts the show that airs at 6:30 p.m. each Thursday.

Tim Billings RADIO SHOW: Tim Billings has a one-hour radio show each Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The show is broadcast live from Buffalo Wild Wings in Cape Girardeau on ESPN Radio, 1220 AM. Erik Sean is host for the show that also includes call-ins and audience participation.

OVC TELECONFERENCE: Ohio Valley Conference football coaches have a weekly teleconference on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. All league coaches participate and answer questions from the media. Coach Billings is on at 10:35 a.m. each Tuesday. For more information contact Kim Melcher at the OVC, (615) 371-1698.

NEXT WEEK: Southeast plays Southeast plays another MAC school traveling to Central Michigan University. Southeast will finally open the home season on Sept. 25 hosting Samford in the OVC opener.