SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Southeast Missouri 29, Eastern Kentucky 10
#5 Jacksonville State 34, @Tennessee Tech 7
Eastern Illinois 19, @#24 Tennessee State 16 (2OT)
@Austin Peay 7, #18 UT Martin 0
@#17 Louisville 55,
Murray State 10
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 29, EASTERN KENTUCKY 10
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Marquis Terry ran for a career-high 184 yards and two touchdowns, and the defense had four takeaways to lead Southeast Missouri (1-4, 1-1) to a commanding 29-10 victory over Eastern Kentucky (1-3, 1-1) Saturday night at Houck Field.
Terry ran for 116 yards in the second half and posted his second 100-yard game of the season.
Defensively, SEMO put together its best game, getting three interceptions, a fumble and a safety. The Redhawks also made three fourth-down stops, held the Colonels to 1-of-13 on third down and limited EKU to only 11 rushing yards.
On the first play from scrimmage, Tim Boyle threw a 47-yard completion and completed a 16-yard pass to Jaelin Carter two plays later to give EIU a first-and-Goal at the SEMO 2-yard line. The Redhawks dug in and dropped Ethan Thomas for no gain on three rushes and forced Boyle to throw an incompletion making a huge stop on the opening drive.
After a scoreless first quarter, SEMO put up 20 points in the second and pulled ahead, 20-3, at the half.
Nicholas Litang kicked field goals of 38 and 36 yards, Terry hit paydirt on a 4-yard run and Cameron Sanders ripped off a 77-yard touchdown run in the second quarter alone. Sanders' run was the seventh-longest rushing play in school history.
Lucas Williams' 41-yard field goal put EKU on the board with 53 seconds left in the first half.
SEMO forced Boyle to throw the ball away when the Colonels were backed up at their own 8-yard line. An intentional grounding penalty resulted in a safety with 8:17 to go in the fourth quarter.
One final touchdown, this time a 1-yard plunge by Terry, put the 29-10 win on ice.
The Redhawks snapped a seven-game losing streak and picked up their first win of the season. SEMO ended a six-game skid in its all-time series against EKU, as well. The Redhawks beat the Colonels for the fourth time since the teams first started playing each other in 1990.
Terry carried the ball a career-high 31 times and averaged just under six yards per carry (5.9). He scored a rushing touchdown for the fourth-straight game.
Sanders tallied a career-best 86 rushing yards and one touchdown.
SEMO outgained EKU, 299-11, on the ground and put up 375 yards of total offense.
Boyle completed 15-of-35 passes for 232 yards and Ryan Markush caught four passes for 122 yards to lead the Colonels.
Special teams wise, Jake Reynolds had a nice night punting the ball for SEMO. Reynolds averaged 43.6 yards on nine punts and dropped four of his kicks inside the 20-yard line. He also had a 59-yard punt.
Demarcus Rogers led SEMO's defense with seven stops, while Mike Ford, Omar Pierre-Louis and Shabari Davis added one interception apiece. The Redhawks also finished with seven quarterback hurries, two sacks and four tackles for loss.
In addition, Chad Meredith followed with six tackles on the way to clearing 200 in his career.
#5 JACKSONVILLE STATE 34, TENNESSEE TECH 7
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Demontez Terry caught a career-high eight passes for 160 yards and Roc Thomas ran for 102 as fifth-ranked Jacksonville State dominated Tennessee Tech 34-7 Saturday night at Tucker Stadium.
Backup quarterback Kendrick Doss threw touchdown passes to Terry and Krenwic Sanders and also ran for a score as the Gamecocks won their 25th consecutive Ohio Valley Conference game. Jacksonville State (3-1, 1-0) can tie the OVC record next week for longest league win streak (26) set by Eastern Kentucky from 1992-95.
The Gamecock offense rolled up a season-high 523 yards in beating the Golden Eagles for the sixth straight time, despite committing three turnovers in the first 23 minutes.
Doss, who entered on the game's third series, completed 11 of 13 passes for 196 yards in his most extensive playing time as a collegian.
Thomas led Jacksonville State's rushing attack with 102 yards on 18 carries. Quarterbacks Bryant Horn (88) and Doss (63) combined for 151 while Tramel Terry and Tyus Flakes added short runs for touchdowns.
Demontez Terry's eight receptions surpassed his previous high of five at Murray State on Nov. 11, 2016. They were the most receptions in a game by a Gamecock receiver since Josh Barge had eight catches against Southeast Missouri on Nov. 5, 2015.
Jacksonville State took the opening kickoff and wasted no time getting to the end zone.
Horn ran 40 yards on a quarterback option on first down and then threw an 18-yard pass to Tramel Terry to TTU's 17 on the game's second play.
Tramel Terry, making his first career start at running back, did the rest of the damage, carrying three straight times, the last a 3-yard touchdown run with 12:45 remaining in the first quarter. Cade Stinnett's extra point put the Gamecocks in front 7-0.
Horn and Doss threw an interception each in the first half and Doss also lost a fumble. Despite the three first-half turnovers, Jacksonville State rolled up 264 yards on its way to a 14-0 lead.
Doss finished off a key 70-yard, eight-play scoring drive just before intermission, sneaking in from the 1 with 18 seconds left. The big play came on his 51-yard connection with Demontez Terry on third down.
The Golden Eagles (0-5, 0-2), who came in averaging 273 passing yards per game, managed only nine through the air in the first two quarters.
Jacksonville State's defense was credited with three sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Safety Traco Williams led the effort with a season-best seven stops.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 19, #24 TENNESSEE STATE 16 (2OT)
NASHVILLE - For the third straight year the Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State game came down to the final play. For the third straight year EIU came up with that final play as the Panthers won 19-16 in double overtime on Saturday night at Nissan Stadium.
In the end it was a Scotty Gilkey Jr., 1-yard run in the second overtime that helped EIU win. The Panthers scored on third down after they were given a breath of life on a pass interference call on fourth down and two at the five yard line.
EIU improved to 3-2 overall, 2-0 in the OVC. TSU, ranked No. 24 this week, fell to 3-2 on the year, 0-2 in the OVC.
TSU took a 16-13 lead in the second overtime on a Lane Clark 40-yard field goal. Clark also hit from 36-yards in the first overtime after Matt Severino connected on a 42-yard field goal for EIU on its possession.
EIU had two big plays late in the game coming on special teams and defense. Antonio Crosby recovered a fumble at the TSU 33 with 2:13 remaining in the game but the Panthers could not cash in. The turnover came after EIU had gone three-and-out following a 51-yard Clark field goal that tied the game at 10-10 with 3:18 to play.
Xzavier Shugars then forced a fumble on the last TSU drive of regulation that EIU recovered with 16 seconds remaining. EIU took three cracks at the end zone but could not score in regulation forcing overtime. It was the third time EIU beat TSU in overtime after a 25-22 win in 2015 at Nissan Stadium and a 31-28 overtime win in 2010, also at Nissan Stadium.
Nick Horne was active for the EIU defense in the opening half helping set up one score and preserving a 10-7 halftime lead for the Panthers.
On the second play of the game Horne forced a fumble which set up EIU inside the red zone. Gilkey would put EIU up 7-0 with a 9-yard touchdown run with 12:25 to play in the first quarter.
Horne would then intercept a Treon Harris pass with six seconds remaining in the first half at the EIU 25-yard line ending the Tigers drive. Horne finished the night with 12 tackles.
EIU pushed its lead to 10-0 on a 32-yard field goal by Nick Wilson with 9:30 to play in the second quarter. TSU trimmed the EIU lead to 10-7 with 2:17 to play in the second quarter with an Earl Harrison 1-yard run.
Gilkey finished the day with 104 yards rushing becoming the third quarterback in EIU history to rush for 100 or more yards in a game. He joins Jalen Whitlow and Joe Davis.
AUSTIN PEAY 7, #18 UT MARTIN 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University football's first two victories of the 2017 season featured high-octane offenses obliterating everything in its path. Saturday's win against 18th-ranked UT Martin was a little different.
A stifling Governor defense swarmed the Skyhawks, pressuring preseason All-OVC quarterback Troy Cook and shutting out one of the league's most potent offenses in a 7-0 win at Fortera Stadium.
We're getting historical with the wins now. The win is Austin Peay's first against a ranked foe since toppling 20th-ranked Eastern Kentucky at then-Governors Stadium, 24-20, Oct. 24, 2009. It's the first time the Govs have taken down the Skyhawks since 2007. The last time the Governors shut out a Division I opponent was against Middle Tennessee in 1986—a 7-0 overtime affair that was the last victory in a three-game winning streak, which Austin Peay is now on for the first time since 1986. The last regulation shutout of a DI foe was against Murray State in 1980.
The last 7-0 win against a Division I opponent in regulation? Go back to 1956 against Jacksonville State.
These wins are no longer simply program-changing. They're history-making.
The defense was simply extraordinary, and it began up front. Jaison Williams, Nate Howard and the rest of the front four put pressure on Cook from the very first play, with the defense registering three sacks (2.5 from Williams alone) and seven hurries. Cook finished 10-for-31 for 126 yards and two interceptions, with Keawvis Cummings and Kordell Jackson each coming away with their first career interceptions. Cummings' pick was particularly timely, as the Skyhawks had just crossed over into APSU territory after a 39-yard completion to Jaylon Moore.
Both starting linebackers were all over the field, with Jeremiah Mitchell and Gunnar Scholato combining for 26 total tackles. Mitchell's career-high 14 tackles featured a game-altering forced fumble with UT Martin driving in Governors territory in the fourth quarter. Junior Theron Hodges pounced on the loose ball to regain the momentum for the Governors.
Maybe the offense wasn't putting up 48 points (its average from the previous two contests) but the Governors capitalized on good field position and wore down the Skyhakws with a punishing ground game, spearheaded by freshman Ahmaad Tanner. The Dalton, Georgia native piled up a career-high 90 yards on 13 carries, averaging 6.9 per tote, as the Governors went over 200 yards on the ground as a team for the fourth time this season.
But it wasn't Tanner, or 2016 OVC All-Newcomer choice Kentel Williams or sophomore quarterback (and team leader in rushing touchdowns) JaVaughn Craig getting the Govs on the board against UT Martin. That honor belonged to a young man with one career rush heading into the contest.
Redshirt freshman Terrius Callahan took the end-around handoff from Craig down the left sideline and launched himself into the end zone. The 22-yard scamper would be the game's lone score and Callahan's first touchdown as a Governor.
UT Martin had one final chance in the fourth quarter. Taking over deep in their own territory following a pooch punt from Governors quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall, the Skyhawks had ground out a drive into Austin Peay territory and were fresh off a 36-yard completion from Cook to Londell Lee.
Then Williams got loose in the backfield again, sacking Cook and forcing a fumble in the process. Even though the Skyhawks fell on the loose ball, the strip-sack and ensuing 11-yard loss proved too much to overcome and UT Martin never threatened again.
#17 LOUISVILLE 55, MURRAY STATE 10
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Murray State football team dropped a 55-10 decision to 17th-ranked FBS Louisville, Saturday at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky,
The Cards struck first on their first drive of the game on a two-yard run by reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson. The Racers quickly answered with a Gabriel Vicente field goal, cutting the lead to 7-3 and keeping Vicente perfect on the season. Louisville would end the half on a 28-0 run, before botching their first snap of the second half which Jason Johnson picked up and returned for a touchdown. The touchdown would hold as MSU's only of the game, as the Cards picked up the 55-10 win.
Lamar Jackson passed for 249 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 100 yards and another score on the ground. Dez Fitzpatrick hauled in two touchdowns on the afternoon, while Corey Reed had a game-high 94 yards. Stacy Thomas led the Louisville defense with five tackles, four of which were solo, one tackle-for-loss and a pass breakup.
Zachary Wade led MSU with a game-high 11 tackles and a fumble recovery, while Dylan Boone had a game-high seven solo tackles. Marico Paige had 10 tackles on the day to go along with a sack and a quarterback hurry, while Marquez Sanford had five tackles and a forced fumble. Johnson's touchdown was the second of the season for the Murray State defense and the two fumble recoveries on the day game the Racers the win in the turnover battle, 2-1.