Excitement builds for showdown

We have a huge matchup on Saturday when we go against the defending Ohio Valley Conference champion from Eastern Illinois at Houck Stadium. Game time is 1 p.m. Eastern Illinois is ranked seventh in the nation and has won four straight games to stand 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the OVC.

After beating Tennessee-Martin on Saturday when we found a way to win despite not playing great, we are 5-2 overall and also 2-0 in the OVC. We are one spot outside the Top 25 in the nation.

It is homecoming and hopefully we will have a tremendous crowd on hand to watch what should be a great college football game.

We need a big student turnout Saturday. This is their football team. I know they haven't had a lot to get excited about over the past 10 years or so, but their team is winning this year and we have a tremendous homecoming game with two teams battling for the lead in the OVC.

Students create the atmosphere that is college football. When you see big games on television there are always great student turnouts with students in the stands having a great time. We want our students in the stands to help us create that type of winning atmosphere.

When Dr. Dobbins and Don Kaverman hired me three years ago they wanted to bring our program to the level where we would have big football games like we are going to have Saturday.

Remember, this is your team. This team plays to bring pride to our university, students, alumni and community. I hope you will turn out Saturday and be our 12th man because we are going to need all the help we can muster.

Eastern Illinois is the premier team in the OVC. Playing against them will be a measuring stick of how far our program has come. Eastern has won two straight conference titles and will feature three All-Americans and the leading contender for the Walter Payton Award.

We also have a contender for the Walter Payton Award in our All-American wide receiver Willie Ponder and we have young players that we feel will be future All-Americans.

The quarterback matchup Saturday will be one of the best in the nation. Tony Romo of Eastern Illinois has been the OVC Offensive Player of the Year the last two years and is the leading contender for the Payton Award. Our Jack Tomco has better stats than Romo this season.

Last week Romo drove the Panthers 75 yards in the final 43 seconds and scored the winning touchdown on the final play of the game to give EIU a 25-23 win over Eastern Kentucky. Tomco threw for a school-record 429 yards and five touchdowns in our win over Tennessee-Martin.

I'm excited just thinking about the potential drama in Saturday's game at Houck Stadium. This is your team and we need your help Saturday.

Please be there for what many people feel is the biggest game ever played at Houck Stadium.

Tim Billings is the football coach at Southeast Missouri State University.