SATURDAY'S SCORES
@#18 Eastern Kentucky 43, Murray State 36
@Southeast Missouri 42, Austin Peay 7
@#3 Jacksonville State 27, Eastern Illinois 20
#9 Chattanooga 38,
@Tennessee Tech 17
#18 EASTERN KENTUCKY 43, MURRAY STATE 36
RICHMOND, Ky. - Junior running back Dy’Shawn Mobley set a new program record with six touchdowns as the Eastern Kentucky University football team rallied for a 43-36 win over Murray State Saturday afternoon at Roy Kidd Stadium.
The No. 18 Colonels (9-2, 6-2 OVC) trailed Murray State (3-8, 1-6) at halftime, 27-7, before outscoring the Racers in the second half, 36-9.
Mobley finished with career highs in carries (40) and rushing yards (224). He tallied five rushing touchdowns and also took a screen pass 72 yards to pay dirt on the final play of the third quarter. Mobley’s six touchdowns not only set an EKU record, it also equaled an OVC record, which was set in 1995 by Murray State’s Derrick Cullors.
The Racers capitalized on sloppy play by Eastern in the first half to jump on top of the Colonels. EKU turned the ball over three times, including twice deep in Murray State territory, and also had a 31-yard field goal attempt blocked in the first 30 minutes.
Murray State lit up the scoreboard 13 seconds into the contest after Pokey Harris returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a score. MSU quarterback KD Humphries notched two rushing scores in the first half, highlighted by a two-yard run with 19 seconds before intermission to make the score, 27-7.
In the second half, the Colonels scored touchdowns on their first two possessions to cut the deficit to 27-21. Murray State pushed the lead back to two possessions in the final minute of the third quarter after Humphries hit Janawski Davis with a 36-yard touchdown strike. However, three plays later, Mobley took a screen pass 72 yards untouched for his fourth touchdown to bring EKU back to within five points, 33-28.
On the ensuing kickoff, Murray State fumbled the ball for its first turnover of the game. Junior linebacker Trey Thomas came up with the recovery, giving the Colonels the ball at Murray State’s 18-yard line. Mobley gave EKU its first lead three plays later with a six-yard scoring run. Sophomore quarterback Bennie Coney scampered in the end zone for the two-point conversion put Eastern ahead, 36-33.
Senior defensive back Theron Norman ended any thoughts of a Murray State victory with his first collegiate interception with 3:53 remaining. Mobley sealed the win two minutes later with a one-yard touchdown plunge.
Sophomore quarterback Bennie Coney played the second half for EKU and threw for a team season-high 264 yards. Meanwhile, junior wide out Jeff Glover recorded a personal-best 161 yards receiving, 136 of which came following halftime.
Eastern Kentucky piled up 683 yards of offense, the most in seven years under head coach Dean Hood.
For Murray State, Humphries finished 40-of-57 throwing the ball for 385 yards and a touchdown.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 42, AUSTIN PEAY 7
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Kyle Snyder threw for a career-high 334 yards and a single-game record five touchdowns to lead Southeast Missouri (5-6, 3-4) to a commanding 42-7 win over Austin Peay (1-10, 1-7) Saturday afternoon at Missouri National Guard Field/Houck Stadium.
Snyder threw touchdown passes to four different receivers, completing 19-of-27 passes along the way. He became the first Southeast quarterback to get over 300 passing yards in a game since Houston Lillard finished with 331 vs. Missouri State on Sept. 20, 2008.
Snyder's five touchdown passes tied Jack Tomco (vs. UT Martin, 2002) for Southeast's single-game record. His strong effort also helped the Redhawks snap a four-game losing streak and improve to 4-1 at home this season.
Southeast scored on its first two drives to build an early lead. After Dakota Vincil's 32-yard field goal sailed to the left of the upright, Snyder completed a 28-yard pass to Adrian Davis on the next play.
Four plays later, Snyder completed a 23-yard pass to Ron Coleman and polished off the 8-play, 80-yard march with an 11-yard touchdown pass to DeMichael Jackson. Snyder's last pass of the drive came off the hands of Paul McRoberts and landed in the arms of Jackson, as the Redhawks went ahead, 7-0, with 8:31 left in the first quarter.
APSU punted and Southeast took possession at its own 23-yardline. Immediately after a 1-yard run by Jackson, Snyder threw a 71-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Davis. Davis sprinted down the near sideline on the longest TD reception of his career.
Ryan McCrum missed a 39-yard field goal early in the second quarter. APSU then consumed 8:17 on its next drive, but had nothing to show for it.
Eriq Moore intercepted Trey Taylor's pass on a 4th-and-9 at the Southeast-29, but a pass interference penalty kept the lengthy drive alive. APSU later faced a 3rd-and-Goal at the Redhawks 5-yardline when Moore intercepted Taylor again. This time, the play would stand as Southeast took over on downs at its own two.
Jackson carried the ball four times for 69 yards to key the Redhawks next score after the turnover. On the third play of the drive, Jackson broke free for a career-long 58-yard run and finished things off with a 2-yard run to widen Southeast's lead to 21-0 with 1:49 to play in the second quarter. The 98-yard drive marked the Redhawks longest since Brandon Beck scored on a 5-yard run to end a 13-play, 99-yard march against Jacksonville State on Sept. 29, 2012.
Southeast continued to pick apart the Governors in the second half. On the first play of the third quarter, Snyder hooked up with McRoberts on a 70-yard touchdown pass to increase the Redhawks lead to 28-0. The 70-yard touchdown reception was the second-longest of McRoberts' career.
Snyder then threw two more touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice. He threw a 13-yard strike to A. Davis and delivered a 15-yard pass to McRoberts for the final two scores.
APSU avoided the shutout when Damian Whitfield picked off Snyder and ran 12 yards to the end zone with 10:29 left in the third quarter.
Snyder now has 20 touchdown passes this season and stands second among Southeast's all-time single-season leaders. He ran his career total to 26 touchdown passes and ranks seventh all-time in school history.
Along with a 300-yard passer, the Redhawks also had a 100-yard receiver and 100-yard rusher. McRoberts caught six passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns and Jackson ran for 122 yards and a TD. Southeast registered a season-high 531 yards of total offense, as well.
Defensively, the Redhawks forced three turnovers and did not allow a point. Wisler Ymonice paved the way with 12 tackles, while Reggie Jennings and Daniel Siehndel followed with 11 apiece. Moore and Kinzer each had an interception and Lloyd Laufili Time recovered a fumble.
#3 JACKSONVILLE STATE 27, EASTERN ILLINOIS 20
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Third-ranked Jacksonville State clinched its fourth Ohio Valley Conference football crown Saturday afternoon with a gritty 27-20 victory over Eastern Illinois before a crowd of 14,925 at Burgess-Snow Field.
Eli Jenkins passed for a career-best 288 yards as the Gamecocks (9-1, 7-0 OVC) reeled off their ninth straight win, their second-longest winning streak since moving to Division I in 1993. JSU earned the OVC's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs regardless of the outcome of next week's regular-season finale at Southeast Missouri State.
A win over SEMO will likely earn the Gamecocks a first-round bye.
Jacksonville State never trailed against the Panthers (5-6, 5-2). The Gamecocks have not been behind in a game since Oct. 11, when they trailed Tennessee State 3-0 early in the first quarter.
Josh Barge had eight catches for 153 yards and one touchdown while Ruben Gonzalez caught seven passes for 113 yards. It marked the first time since 2001 that Jacksonville State had a pair of 100-yard receivers in a game.
Eastern Illinois – the 2012 and 2013 OVC champs – refused to relinquish its title without a fight.
Trailing 20-7 at halftime, the Panthers dominated the third quarter and cut the deficit to three, 20-17, on Taylor Duncan's 2-yard run at the 5:59 mark.
The spark the Gamecocks badly needed came from redshirt freshman Darius Jackson early in the fourth quarter.
Eastern Illinois took over after a missed JSU field goal with momentum on its side. That quickly turned when Jackson stepped in front of a pass by Panthers quarterback Jalen Whitlow and raced 27 yards untouched to the end zone.
Connor Rouleau added the extra point for a 27-17 lead with 11:33 remaining.
Eastern Illinois got to within 27-20 with 8:31 left in the fourth. The Panthers had one last chance to pull even after taking over at their 41 with 2:09 to go, but Jacksonville State's defense forced EIU backup quarterback Andrew Manley into four incomplete passes to preserve the title-clinching victory.
Jenkins connected with Barge on a 59-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 Jax State lead early in the first quarter.
The second of Rouleau's two field goals increased the Gamecocks' lead to 13-7 with 5:54 remaining.
DaMarcus James had an 8-yard touchdown run with 2:30 left before halftime to extend his team's lead to 20-7.
The touchdown marked the 19th straight game in which James has scored a touchdown against an FCS opponent. He now has 46 rushing touchdowns in his career, just two behind the school record set by David Gulledge from 1987-90.
James ran for 112 yards on 26 carries.
#9 CHATTANOOGA 38, TENNESSEE TECH 17
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech closed out the home portfolio of its 2014 schedule with Senior Day Saturday, falling to FCS No. 9 Chattanooga, 38-17, as the Mocs (8-3) won their fifth consecutive game. It was also Military and Public Safety Appreciation Day, as well as Scout Day.
The Golden Eagles (4-7) will put the wraps on the season next week with an Ohio Valley Conference finale at Austin Peay. Kickoff is at 4 p.m.
Tech battled early, pulling to within 7-3 on a John Arnold field goal early in the second quarter, and then used a 64-yard sprint by junior Ladarius Vanlier for a touchdown seven minutes later to close to within 14-10.
But the Mocs drove 60 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-10, and a minute later recovered a fumble following a sack at the TTU 22, and converted that turnover into another touchdown for a sudden 28-10 advantage heading into halftime.
The Chattanooga lead grew to 31-10 in the third quarter, and 38-10 on a short drive following Tech's only other turnover.
The Golden Eagles put together the final scoring drive of the afternoon as Jared Davis rammed in from the one. It was his 42-yard completion to Cody Matthews that set up the score.
That catch gave Matthews 100 receptions for his Tech career.
The Mocs rolled up 457 yards of offense, gaining 234 through the air and 223 on the ground. Tech managed just 171 total yards, with 96 rushing and 75 through the air.
Chattanooga quarterback Jacob Huesman, the son of Moc head coach Russ Huesman, was the leading rusher with 89 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries. He also completed 21 of 27 passes for 234 yards and four more touchdowns. The Mocs also got 76 yards on 22 carries from Keon Williams.
Tech was led by Vanlier's 81 yards on seven carries. Matthews finished with two catches for 50 yards.
Defensively, several Golden Eagles piled up big numbers on the tackle charts, topped by senior Cory Webber's career-best 17 stops. Austin Tallant added 12 tackles and forced a fumble, while Jay Rudwall finished with 10 tackles and two tackles-for-loss. Marty Jones, the team's leading tacklers this season, had nine tackles in the first half before leaving the contest with an injury.