2008 Woodie Awards
ISU football team loses first home game 
Sycamores lead in fourth quarter but fall behind, lose 24-21 to South Eastern Missouri
Trever Fehrenbach
Issue date: 9/29/08 Section: Sports
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Rewinding back to 10:46 left in the game, sophomore quarterback Chuck Dowdell lobbed a perfect floating pass to a falling down senior wide receiver Ryan Patrick. After catching the ball flat on his back, the Sycamores took a 21-17 lead and battled back and forth with a knocked down, but not out, opponent of Southeast Missouri. After regaining composure with some successful drives, the Redhawks led a charge to reposition themselves towards victory.
The Sycamore defense couldn't hold the offensive pressure of the South Eastern Missouri Redhawks (2-3) in the very end. After having the ball deep in their own zone with 3:21 left, the Redhawks willed their way towards an exciting victory for their school and landed a crushing blow to the Sycamores (0-4) in just 2:39.
With a successful and methodic drive of short passes and long runs lead by redshirt freshman quarterback Houston Lillard, the Redhawks soared to the Sycamore one-yard line and SEMO running back sophomore Henry Harris punched in a completed comeback with a one-yard TD run.
However, the Sycamores had a chance for redemption with 42 seconds left. After a gratuitous bounce on a squib kick from Redhawks' kickoff specialist junior Doug Spada, the Sycamores had a chance with the ball at mid-field. After three stalled plays with little gain and facing a 4th and 3, Dowdell spun to his right away from a fierce pass rush and was looking for sophomore wide receiver Bryant Kent streaking down the sidelines.
The ball sailed off Dowdell's hand perfectly towards Bryant who had a half step on SEMO junior defensive back Eddie Calvin. On the 10-yard line, Bryant reached out. On the six-yard line Calvin caught up to Bryant. On the four-yard line, the ball was dropped and deflected, along with the spirits and hopes of the 5,000-plus Sycamore faithful in attendance.
If anything, the Sycamores were valiant in defeat. After pitiful offensive performances in their first three games and never finding the end zone at anytime, the Sycamores, behind the athletic play of Dowdell (10-21 for 78 yards and TD plus 96 rushing yards) put themselves in a position to win.
The rush defense vastly improved this past weekend. After being abused in the first three games, the defense only allowed 130 yards on 40 attempts by the Redhawks. The defense overall had its best game in almost all statistics and completely transformed themselves from the first three games.
After the game, according to the Tribune Star, Miles' words were of heartbreak and disappointment.
"It's a very hurtful process. It hurts to see those young men's faces in the locker room after the game, knowing they could have won this game," Miles said. "It hurts them, and it hurts me to see them hurt. It feels like someone twisted something in your body and ripped your heart out. We were so close."
Many firsts occurred this weekend at Memorial Stadium: first TD, first lead and first boost of confidence. The young players are going through a maturation process and growing with each game.
With many positives to build upon, the Sycamores will look to get on track next week against Missouri Valley Conference foe Illinois State at Memorial Stadium again, kicking off at 12:05 p.m.
( Trever Fehrenbach is a junior English major. He can be reached at sasspted@isugw.indstate.edu.)
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