DE Sports Editor 20

Southeast Missouri State University overcame five turnovers and a 17-0 third-quarter deficit in scoring 28 unanswered points for a 28-17 win over the Salukis in frigid Cape Girardeau, Mo., in front of 1,375 fans.

SIUC struggled offensively for the second straight week, totaling just 88 yards of offense in the second half and rushing for 51 yards on 38 carries for the game. SEMO turned the tables on a Saluki team that had rallied in the second half in six of its 11 games this season.

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The loss ended the Salukis’ 1997 season with a 3-8 record, including a four-game losing streak. SEMO improved to 4-6 and won for just the second time in the last nine games of the series between the two schools.

SIUC coach Jan Quarless said his team’s performance Saturday overshadowed several solid performances earlier in the season.

There are a lot of things that are staying with me right now, Quarless said in his postgame radio show. This one is bothersome for a lot of reasons. (The season) is not worth discussing today.

Both teams started sluggishly on the sloppy Houck Stadium grass, but it was the Salukis who seemed ready to put an exclamation point on a roller-coaster season.

After a Matt Simonton 34-yard field goal put the Salukis up 3-0 on their first possession of the first quarter, both teams traded the ball until SIUC’s Duane Lawrence picked off a SEMO pass and returned it to the Saluki 47-yard line. Lawrence’s interception set up a score by fullback Bryan Nolbertowicz, who bulled in from nine yards out and dove for the touchdown to give SIUC a 10-0 lead with 42 seconds left in the half.

Halftime did not slow down the Saluki defense at the start of the second half. On SEMO’s first play, SIUC linebacker Greg Harrison stripped SEMO’s Aaron Layne, and cornerback Freddie Taylor returned the fumble 36 yards to give SIUC a 17-0 lead.

Things went downhill for the Saluki defense at that point, though. SEMO turned to the option, a running scheme that SIUC has had trouble stopping all season, to gain 300 yards rushing for the game and 28 unanswered points.

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The Indians drove quarterback Jeff Shaw and running backs Britt Mirgaux and Corey Williams into the end zone four times in the second half. Mirgaux capped two consecutive 80-yard drives that were sandwiched in between scores by Shaw and Williams to seal the win.

Mirgaux finished the game with 88 yards rushing, while Williams had 75 and Shaw scooted for 61.

Again, the option killed us, Quarless said. They opened up in the formation. We know the option is coming, and we can’t defend it. We haven’t stopped the option all year. If they can come back in the ball game in the third quarter down 17-0 and run the option down your throat, you’ve got a tremendous problem.

The Saluki offense also struggled, as SIUC could not capitalize on a crucial SEMO turnover and another prime scoring opportunity to prevent the Indians’ comeback.

After Shaw’s score to bring the Indians within 17-7, SEMO fumbled on its next possession and Taylor recovered at the Indians’ 19-yard line. After three incomplete passes by quarterback Kent Skornia under pressure from the SEMO defense, Simonton’s 36-yard field goal attempt into the wind hit the right upright and fell harmlessly to the ground.

Mirgaux capped the first 80-yard SEMO drive with a touchdown to make the score 17-14, but the Saluki offense struck back on the next possession. Skornia found Cornell Craig wide open at the SEMO 1-yard line, but the officials said Skornia crossed the line of scrimmage before he threw the pass.

That play effectively ended the Salukis’ offensive hopes Saturday. Skornia was sacked five times in the game and fumbled on the last two SIUC possessions.

I can’t comment on it (the call), Quarless said. Do you know what the sad part of football is? We as players and coaches are measured all of the time on the errors that we make in front of a bunch of people. We had four touchdowns called back this year, and that’s a tragedy. If it’s 24-14, it’s a different ball game.