2008 Woodie Awards
Indiana State in flux
Sycamores enter Saturday's game against SIU with new head coach
Scott Mieszala
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The Indiana State University football team's interim head coach has a tall task in his first game as a head coach since 1997: facing the Salukis.
The Sycamores, who will host No. 7 SIU on Saturday, started the season 0-4 and announced Tuesday that Lou West would no longer be the head coach after compiling a 1-25 record in his two-plus seasons.
Dennis Raetz was given the head coaching reins on an interim basis for a team that allows 38.5 points per game and will face a team leading the Gateway Football Conference in offensive scoring.
Raetz was the head coach of the Sycamores from 1980 to 1997, and he has since been the school's associate director of athletics for compliance and internal affairs. His career record as a head coach is 94-105-1.
SIU head coach Jerry Kill said he going to prepare his team accordingly after watching a tape of the team's game performance, and if Indiana State plays differently than expected, an adjustment would be made.
"If you block and tackle and do the fundamental things, that's what football comes down to, and hopefully we'll do that well on Saturday," Kill said.
In four games this season, Sycamore quarterback Reilly Murphy completed 50.5 percent of his passes and tossed two touchdowns and five interceptions.
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During the Sycamores' last game - Sept. 22 against Eastern Illinois - redshirt freshman Charles Dowdell took over for the quarterback, completing four of seven passes for 62 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.
Against Eastern Illinois, Indiana State allowed 609 yards of total offense, and gained 216.
Although the Sycamores gained just 59 yards through the air and converted two of 11 on third down, they didn't commit any turnovers for the first time all season.
Indiana State's defense has allowed an average of 478.5 yards per game this season, and its two leading tacklers are sophomore linebacker Josh Jones, with 31 tackles, and redshirt freshman cornerback Darrius Middlebrooks, who has 30 tackles and one forced fumble.
Of 11 listed defensive starters, seven Sycamores are sophomores or freshmen.
Indiana State is more experienced on offense, starting six seniors after Murphy, a senior, lost the starting job at quarterback.
SIU senior wide receiver Phil Goforth said the Sycamores could be unpredictable on Saturday with the head coach change.
"A new guy could come in, change the system completely around and turn it around for them," Goforth said. "But at the same time, it doesn't scare us; it doesn't bother us."
Daily Egyptian writer Scott Mieszala can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 256 or smieszala@siude.com.
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