Oct. 18, 2000

Q: Has the overall quality of football in the OVC improved this season? It seems like the OVC is better than the Gateway this year. Do you agree?
-Jeff Hamilton, St. Louis, Mo.

A: This is my first year in the league so it is hard for me to compare it to past years, but I have certainly been impressed with the quality of football in the OVC. Western Kentucky, Eastern Illinois, Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky have teams that can play with any Division I-AA team.

This season, OVC teams have had very good success against Gateway Conference teams. In fact, the OVC is 6-0 in games against Gateway teams this season. Prior to this season, Southeast was 3-13 vs. Gateway teams since moving to Division I-AA in 1991, but this season we are 2-0 vs. Gateway teams with wins over Southern Illinois and Illinois State.

Q: Did you enjoy coming back home to see your old fans in Huntington when Southeast played Marshall?
-Amy Frasher Quinn, Huntington, W.Va.

A: Yes, I certainly enjoyed being able to see a lot of my friends in Huntington. I didn't have time to say hello to everyone, but I did see a lot of friendly faces in the crowd that night. I enjoyed my stay in Huntington as an assistant at Marshall. It will always be a special place for me. I lived in Huntington longer than any place since I graduated from high school.

Q: Are you and your staff looking at any local players while on the recruiting trail?
-Barry Sander, Jackson, Mo.

A: Under NCAA rules, I am not allowed to discuss specific individuals we are recruiting. In general terms, we are interested in finding and recruiting good football players wherever they live.

Q: Do you feel that the Indians have to be able to establish the run in the remainder of their games to be successful?
-Barry Sander, Jackson, Mo.

A: We would certainly like to run the football more. It is hard to be successful when you are a one dimensional team. We will continue to work on becoming a better football team using both the run and the pass. Many of our pass plays are a lot like rushes. We make quick short passes to wide receivers who are then just like a running back. Instead of pitching the ball, we pass it.

Oct. 9, 2000

Q: What tools do you feel make up a good quarterback?
-William Hensil, Cedar Breese, Calif.

A: Obviously a good quarterback has to be very talented but it is the intangibles that make up a great quarterback. A quarterback has to have great presence, he has to be the field general and the team must have complete confidence in him. He also has to have great awareness and vision of what everybody does. The quarterback has to know what every position does and he has to recognize what defenses are trying to do.

A great quarterback has to react and make quick decisions that are right. Joe Montana wasn't a great athlete but he had a great presence and he made good decisions. Kurt Warner makes quick decisions and then makes those decisions work.

Q: How helpful is the band when the Indians win a game?
-Suzy Pipendorfer, Usefull, Mo.

A: The band is very helpful in creating the enthusiasm and excitement that make college football such a great event. The enthusiasm and excitement created by the band get the crowd involved in the game and that all has an effect on our players.

College football is not just a simple football game, it is everything at the game and around the game. The tailgaters, the band, cheerleaders, Sundancers and fans all create an exciting atmosphere that people want to be associated with. Prospective students become excited and are more likely to want to attend Southeast. The excitement on a football Saturday is important for the University, the City of Cape Girardeau, the local economy and the entire area.

It's not just a game, It's an event and the band plays a big role in making it an event.

Oct. 2, 2000

Q: How long do you think it will take for Southeast to establish the reputation of being a powerhouse and be able to get some bigger name recruits like the basketball team has been able to do?
-Chris Roetheli, Washington, Mo.

A: You do not build a championship football program overnight but I do feel we have the support we need to develop a championship program at Southeast.

We have the strong backing of our University administration, we are in the process of upgrading our physical facilities with our new FieldTurf playing surface at Houck Stadium and ohter planned improvements at the stadium and we have a great fan base.

It takes the support of not only the University but the entire region for us to be able to build the type of program we all want. We had a good first recruiting class and we need to follow up with an even better class.