SATURDAY'S SCORES
@#24 Southeast Missouri 17, UT Martin 10
Austin Peay 58, @Tennessee Tech 21
Eastern Kentucky 33, @Eastern Illinois 6
@#21 Jacksonville State 14, Murray State 12
#24 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 17, UT MARTIN 10
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Outside linebacker Omardrick Douglas returned an interception 32 yards for the decisive touchdown to send #24 Southeast Missouri (5-3, 3-1) to a 17-10 win over UT Martin (5-3, 4-1) on a cold and rainy Homecoming at Houck Field.
SEMO battled through adverse weather conditions to hand UTM its first loss in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Redhawks also moved into a first-place tie atop the OVC standings with the win.
On second-and-11 at the UTM 28-yard line, Douglas picked off John Bachus and dashed down the near sideline. Douglas finished off his first career interception by diving across the goal line to give SEMO a 17-10 advantage with 5:32 remaining.
UTM would get two more chances after that and SEMO's defense stopped both of those drives.
Bachus' pass fell incomplete on a fourth-and-17 at the SEMO 19-yard line. Then, with two seconds on the clock, Bydarrius Knighten intercepted Bachus' pass in the Redhawks end zone as time expired. Prior to that play, UTM threw four complete passes, but had its final drive extended due to a pass interference penalty by the Redhawks.
SEMO started the second half with a huge play as backup quarterback Joe Pyle busted loose for a 61-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 10-10 just 1:22 into the third quarter. The touchdown was the first for Pyle who played the entire second half under center after starting quarterback Daniel Santacaterina after a coach's decision removed Santacaterina from the game.
Kendrick Tiller turned the game's second turnover, a fumble by Bachus, into the first points of the contest.
Zach Hall knocked the ball out of Bachus' hand on a sack and Daterraion Richardson recovered at the UTM 33-yard line.
After Santacaterina threw a 21-yard completion to Kristian Wilkerson, Tiller kicked a 29-yard field goal to put SEMO ahead, 3-0, with 2:45 left to play in the first quarter.
UTM responded by marching 75 yards in five plays over 2:15 to take the lead. Bachus capped the drive with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Terry Williams as the Skyhawks took a 7-3 lead with 30 seconds left in the quarter.
The Skyhawks tacked on three more points with a 47-yard field goal by Ryan Courtright to grab a 10-3 halftime advantage.
SEMO had only 14 rushing yards in the first half, its lowest mark of the season. Both teams combined for a mere nine rushing yards in the first quarter alone.
Defensively, SEMO put together another stout performance shutting out the Skyhawks in the second half. The Redhawks also forced a season-high five turnovers and had nine takeaways in their last two games.
Zach Hall paved the way with a game-high 10 tackles, a forced fumble, two tackles for loss and a sack. Knighten followed close behind with nine tackles and an interception. SEMO notched three interceptions and five sacks for the day, as well.
Special teams wise, Jake Reynolds was again outstanding punting the football, this time in adverse weather conditions. He averaged 39.1 yards per punt on eight attempts and dropped three of his kicks inside the 20-yard line. In addition to his pick six, Douglas blocked a field goal.
Santacaterina threw for 127 yards on 9-of-21 passes in the first half. Pyle threw for 51 yards and ran for 35 and a touchdown the rest of the way.
Aaron Alston registered a career-high 101 yards on six catches.
UTM outgained SEMO, 369-263. Both teams had 85 yards rushing and the Skyhawks held a 284-178 advantage in passing yardage.
SEMO, which has won two-straight and four of its last five contests, pushed its home winning streak to 11 games (currently the longest in the OVC).
AUSTIN PEAY 58, TENNESSEE TECH 21
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay throttled Tennessee Tech in a 58-21 win at Tucker Stadium, Saturday, dispatching the Golden Eagles in convincing fashion. Coupled with UT Martin's loss to Southeast Missouri, it puts the Govs back in business in the Ohio Valley Conference race, and tied with the Skyhawks and Eastern Kentucky with one loss each in league play.
Some early trickery by Tennessee Tech put the Golden Eagles on the board first. On Tennessee Tech's first play from scrimmage, a backward pass from Bailey Fisher to Metrius Fleming allowed Fleming to find a wide-open David Gist for 58 yards to inside the Austin Peay 10-yard line. The next play, with offensive linemen out wide to provide protection, Fisher hit Fleming on a bubble screen for the score.
The Govs responded quickly, marching 75 yards on seven plays, with the final 46 traversed by DeAngelo Wilson after JaVaughn Craig, throwing into a stiff wind, hit him in stride over top of the Golden Eagle defense.
The rest of the quarter involved Tech punting and the Govs capitalizing. Austin Peay's next series was a 7-play, 80-yarder that included huge chunks eaten up by Wilson (25 yard reception) and Kentel Williams (22 yard catch to the Tennessee Tech two-yard line). Craig punched it in from a yard out to give the Govs a lead they would never relinquish.
Next drive, same result. Ahmaad Tanner for 17 yards. Wilson again for 15 yards; he had six catches for 142 yards in the FIRST QUARTER and concluded the frame with a diving 30-yard snare in the back of the end zone. 20-7 Good Guys, 45 minutes to play.
The start of the second quarter was reminiscent to the end of the first. Big chunks of yardage to Baniko Harley (12-yard reception), Tanner (12-yard run) and finally Craig, dropping back and finding his receivers covered but wide open running room in front of him. Twenty-seven yards later, he was in the end zone again.
Prince Momodu reeled off a 34-yard run to start the next drive. You'll note a lot of different names have been mentioned as breaking off big yardage; that's because Craig and the coaching staff schemed to get as many people involved as possible, which is how four different runners went for more than 60 yards (Williams, Momodu, Tanner and Craig) and eight different receivers hauled in passes. Momodu racked up the first 42 yards of this drive on runs, which ended with a one-yard plunge by Williams for the score.
The list went on. Kadeem Goulbourne hauled in his first career touchdown catch, a six-yarder from Craig. Logan Birchfield nailed a 44-yard field goal to end the half. When the dust settled for halftime, the Govs had an insurmountable 44-14 lead.
The second half started just like you'd expect from a juggernaut that rolled up more than 600 total yards for the sixth time in program history. Craig hit Harley for a 53-yard strike for six, Harley's fourth score of the season.
The Govs put the bow on scoring early in the fourth quarter when Craig, fresh off yet another 26-yard scamper, found Geordon Pollard for his first career touchdown reception from nine yards out. Craig finished 16-of-23 through the air, on a day when passing was perilous, for 291 yards and five touchdowns, the first Gov to toss five in a game since Jeremiah Oatsvall… in last season's meeting with Tennessee Tech. For kicks, the Chattanooga native ran for a team-high 84 yards.
Tanner, Momodu and Williams combined for 228 yards on 46 carries to keep the chains moving. Wilson continues to be dominant (seven catches, 161 yards). Jack McDonald (11 tackles), Shaun Whittinghill (2.5 tackles for loss) and the rest of the defense held the Tennessee Tech rushing attack to under 100 yards and less than three yards per rush. It was a total team effort, in conditions fraught with uncertainty, one week after having their resolve tested in a hostile road environment. And the Govs showed their mettle once again.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 33, EASTERN ILLINOIS 6
CHARLESTON, Ill. - In a steady rain that fell throughout the game, the Eastern Kentucky University football team picked up its second straight victory by beating Eastern Illinois University, 33-6, on Saturday at O’Brien Field.
EKU (5-3, 3-1 OVC) held Eastern Illinois to 89 yards of total offense, 40 rushing yards and 49 passing. The Panthers had just eight first downs and averaged only 1.5 yards per offensive play.
The Colonels ran the ball 31 times and made just six pass attempts in the first half while building a 14-0 lead. Alonzo Booth capped a 9-play, 80-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. Quarterback Parker McKinney finished off a 3-play, 20-yard scoring drive with a 17-yard touchdown run with 6:26 left in the second quarter.
The short scoring drive was set up by a forced fumble from Joseph Sayles. Corey Glass recovered the ball at the Eastern Illinois 20 yard line.
Eastern Kentucky forced seven punts in the first half and held the Panthers to 33 yards of offense. EKU rushed for 157 yards and had a total of 171 yards in the first half of play.
EIU never challenged the Colonels in the second half. Samuel Hayworth made four second half field goals, including a 35-yarder, and Ellis Cain scored on a 1-yard run late in the fourth quarter to extend the margin to 33-0.
Of the Panthers 89 yards of offense, 69 came on a late touchdown drive that was capped by a 10-yard pass from Harry Woodbery to Isaiah Hill with 57 seconds left in the game. Prior to that drive, Eastern Illinois had accumulated just two first downs and 20 yards.
Eastern Kentucky finished with 279 yards of offense, 265 of which came on the ground. Colonel quarterbacks threw just 10 passes. Daryl McCleskey Jr. rushed for 79 yards on 18 carries. Booth finished with 73 yards and one touchdown on 21 touches. McKinney scampered for 68 yards.
#21 JACKSONVILLE STATE 14, MURRAY STATE 12
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - No. 21 Jacksonville State forced a pair of turnovers and quarterback Zion Webb came off the bench to direct two scoring drives in a hard-fought 14-12 victory over Murray State at Burgess-Snow Field Saturday afternoon.
A sometimes-torrential rain and winds gusting at times in excess of 20 mph made for difficult conditions for both offenses. Webb threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Jamari Hester and ran 10 yards for his first touchdown of the season as the Gamecocks (6-3, 3-2 OVC) beat the Racers for the sixth straight time.
The Racers (4-5, 2-3) had a chance to win on the game's last play after rallying from a 14-point deficit late in the third quarter.
Zadden Webber, who missed his first two kicks but easily nailed a career-long 53-yard field goal with five minutes remaining, lined up a 52-yard attempt after Murray State drove from its 21 to JSU's 34. Following back-to-back Gamecocks timeouts, Webber's kick was short and right, setting off a raucous celebration as Jacksonville State kept alive its FCS playoff hopes.
Webb, in his first action since Sept. 28, entered the game on the Gamecocks' third series and immediately had an impact. He connected with Hester for a 45-yard touchdown pass following a short Racers punt and Bryant Wallace kicked the extra point for a 7-0 JSU lead with 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Hester's acrobatic touchdown catch was the 21st of his Jacksonville State career, moving him into third place alone for career TD receptions and just two behind Joey Hamilton (1996-99) for second place.
The Gamecocks upped their lead to 14-0 in the second quarter as Webb led a seven-play, 77-yard scoring drive. His 23-yard scramble into Racers territory was the longest by a JSU quarterback this year and he finished off the drive with a 10-yard sprint to the end zone, his first touchdown of the season.
Webber missed a 41-yard field goal and Jeremiah Harris intercepted a Murray State pass at the 1 as Jacksonville State went to the locker room with a 14-0 lead at half.
Webb injured his ankle late in second quarter. He was replaced by starter Zerrick Cooper on the first series of the third quarter and did not return.
The Racers scored all their points in a 12-minute span in the second half. Preston Rice had a short TD run to finish off a 97-yard drive, Murray State's defense recorded a safety and Webber kicked his 53-yarder to cut JSU's lead to 14-12.
The Racers outgained Jacksonville State 363-327. The Gamecocks attempted a season-low 18 passes in the wet conditions and Cooper's streak of 21 consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass came to an end.
Michael Matthews led JSU on the ground with 89 yards.
Yul Gowdy was credited with a season-high 10 tackles to lead the Gamecocks defensively.
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