Donye McCleskey’s last win as a member of the Indiana State football team came when he was a freshman, a time he was admittedly more worried about making his own mark and fighting for playing time, rather than winning.

Now, McCleskey is a senior starting cornerback for the Sycamores, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. Perhaps the team’s best defensive player, he was named team co-MVP in 2008 and ranked second on the team in tackles with 98.

Times have changed for McCleskey, and almost everyone associated with the Indiana State football program over the past three years.

But one thing has remained constant: losing.

Since its last victory in its homecoming game against Missouri State on Oct. 21, 2006 – by a score of 28-22 – the team entered last Saturday’s contest with Western Illinois winless in its past 33 games, the longest active streak in the country and fourth-longest in NCAA history.

‘Everything was a major problem here,’ McCleskey said. ‘It was the players, the coaches, the atmosphere. I’ve seen a lot of bad things.’

Bad things turned to good on the day McCleskey had dreamed about for the past three years. On Oct. 24, McCleskey and the Sycamores toppled Western Illinois, 17-14 – on Homecoming, no less – for a result that was three-plus years in the making, snapping the nation’s longest streak of futility.

For McCleskey, the win was especially significant. As a senior, he finally got the chance to appreciate the taste of victory.

‘When I was a freshman, it didn’t really dawn on me that I might not win again until now,’ McCleskey said. ‘When you’re a freshman, you think you have time. I saw it was happening sophomore and junior year, and it started to get to me.

‘Now, we finally got that monkey off our back.’

It was a long process in the making filled with frustration, coaching changes and uncomfortable bus rides.

And, of course, a few close calls.

Indiana State suffered through a winless season in 2007 with only one game decided by under 12 points. That’s when current head coach Trent Miles was brought in to change the losing culture and mentality that had surrounded the program the prior two years.

The Sycamores remained winless in 2008, but the progress in the eyes of the players was clear. They lost to Southeast Missouri State 24-21, and then endured a heartbreaking overtime loss to Missouri State in last year’s finale. But the players started buying in to Miles.

‘The losing culture around the program was a huge problem,’ senior defensive end Dan Millington said. ‘When Coach Miles got here, the big thing he did was change that.’

Still, the Sycamores simply couldn’t close out games even after a full year in Miles’ system. They built a 17-0 lead at home in their season opener this season against Quincy, only to watch Quincy storm back and win, 26-20, in overtime.

‘If you haven’t won, don’t know how to win and all you’ve been around is negativity and losing, it gets in your head,’ Miles said. ‘It just had to change sometime.’

It all changed against Western Illinois. But not after the Sycamores had one last chance to lose.

In the second quarter, McCleskey had a momentum-changing interception at the Sycamores’ 10-yard line, which set up quarterback Ryan Roberts’ school-record 91-yard touchdown run to give his team a 10-7 lead.

Still, the Sycamores found themselves down 14-10 early in the fourth quarter. Roberts proceeded to lead the offense on an eight-minute, 80-yard drive to put his team up 17-14 with just over four minutes left.

It seemed like just enough time for the Sycamores to suffer through more heartbreak. But they didn’t crumble this time, and cornerback Andre Blackmon sealed the win with an interception on a desperation heave.

For Miles, it was the best – and only – Gatorade shower he’s ever gotten as a head coach.

‘It felt great,’ Miles said. ‘They missed some of me, but they definitely got me.’

And in the locker room, it was pandemonium, even if the feeling was a little unusual.

Because of homecoming, the locker room was filled with alumni and recruits. Current, former and future players celebrated what surely felt like more than a victory.

And the current players got to carry on a long-standing Sycamore tradition.

‘After a win,’ McCleskey said, ‘we always sing our fight song.’

‘We hadn’t sung it in a long time.’

Game to Watch: No. 9 LSU at No. 3 Alabama

Can Louisiana State spoil the virtual ‘national semifinal’ that has been slated for the Southeastern Conference championship game? After a 13-3 loss earlier in the season against Florida, the Tigers have one more chance to ruin the dream matchup of Florida and Alabama in the SEC championship that would decide who goes to the BCS Championship game.

LSU seems to have caught the Crimson Tide at the right time. Alabama is coming off a close victory against Tennessee. However, the Crimson Tide is rested and replenished after its first bye week of the season.

If the Tigers hope to seal the upset, senior wide receiver Brandon LaFell will have to continue his impressive play of late. He has caught a touchdown pass in five of LSU’s eight games – all Tiger victories.

bplogiur@syr.edu

Published on November 2, 2009 at 12:00 pm