SATURDAY'S SCORES
Murray State 20, @Eastern Illinois 13
@Southeast Missouri 31, #8 UT Martin 14
@Austin Peay 48, Tennessee Tech 20
@Mississippi State 55,
Tennessee State 10
MURRAY STATE 20, EASTERN ILLINOIS 13
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Murray State football team took care of business Saturday by beating Eastern Illinois, 20-13, at O’Brien Field in Charleston. With the win Murray State ends the season at 6-5 overall and 3-3 in the OVC
After scoring two field goals and a touchdown each in the first half, Murray State and Eastern Illinois entered the locker room at halftime of Saturday’s game tied at 13. On their first drive of the second half, the Racers went 76 yards in just under four minutes to score on a 26-yard run by Cortezz Jones to go on top, 2013. That would be the last score of the game by either team, as MSU held on for the seven-point win.
Malik Honeycutt led the Racer receivers in the game with 42 yards, while Lawaun Powell recorded a team-high nine tackles. Quinaz Turner came up with the three huge pass breakups Saturday, while John Broussard recorded the only sack of the game for the Racers.
Saturday’s win clinched back-to-back winning seasons for Murray State for the first time since the 2010 and 2011 seasons and just the third time since 1999 and 2000.
Murray State rushed for nearly 300 yards in the game and had three different rushers tally 50-plus yards. Cortezz Jones ended the day with 71 yards and a touchdown, while DJ Williams added 83 and Damonta Witherspoon led the way with 135 yards and a touchdown of his own.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 31, #8 UT MARTIN 14
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - CJ Ogbonna threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 74 yards and another score to lead Southeast Missouri (4-7, 4-2) to a 31-14 win over #8 UT Martin (9-2, 5-1) Saturday on a chilly afternoon at Houck Field.
SEMO upended the nationally-ranked Skyhawks to pick up its fourth victory over a Top-10 team in program history. The Redhawks added another win to their Brickyard, a special place where all wins over a FBS or ranked FCS opponents are laid to rest. Today's win marked Tom Matukewicz's seventh win over a ranked FCS foe, most of any head coach in school history.
The Redhawk defense shutout the Skyhawks for three quarters and SEMO's offense scored 17 unanswered points en route to sending UTM to its only Ohio Valley Conference loss of the season.
Terrell Jester started SEMO's strong second half with a 7-yard touchdown reception with 8:28 remaining in the third quarter.
Ogbonna then broke free for a 23-yard touchdown run to make it a two-possession game as SEMO stretched its lead to 28-14 just 49 seconds into the final period.
Kenny Doak's 18-yard field goal was the last of the scoring and polished off the Redhawks win.
After a scoreless first quarter, SEMO struck first when Ogbonna completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to give the Redhawks a 7-0 advantage with 14:14 remaining in the second quarter.
On the second play of UTM's next possession, Zak Wallace took the handoff and dashed 75 yards to quickly tie things up at 7-7 in less than a minute.
SEMO yielded 45 penalty yards during the Skyhawks final drive of the second quarter that resulted in a 10-yard touchdown run by backup quarterback Dresser Winn. Winn's score gave UTM its first lead at 14-7 with 1:47 to go.
The Redhawks responded by covering 75 yards in 11 plays and brought the game to a 14-14 deadlock at the half. Ogbonna threw a 28-yard pass to Jake Holten to move SEMO to the UTM 30-yard line. Three plays later, Ogbonna hooked up with Terrell Jester for a 7-yard touchdown. It was the first touchdown of Jester's career.
Ogbonna completed 14-of-25 passes and ran the ball four times, averaging over nine yards (9.2) per rush.
Jester had four catches for 47 yards and a career-best two touchdowns. Jester was one of six different receivers who had at least one reception.
Meanwhile, Shamenski Rucker gained 110 yards on 28 carries during his first career start. Rucker started at tailback after Geno Hess suffered a leg injury the previous week at Murray State.
SEMO outgained UTM, 412-278, in total yards.
Brandon Mincey led the Redhawks defense with seven tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. Omardrick Douglas followed with six tackles, a forced fumble and a sack and Bryson Donnell pitched in six tackles, as well. Additionally, Shabari Davis had an interception, his first of the season.
AUSTIN PEAY 48, TENNESSEE TECH 20
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - It may have been Senior Day at Fortera Stadium, but it was a freshman that dominated the day as Austin Peay State University’s football team closed its second Ohio Valley Conference era with a 38-13 victory against Tennessee Tech, Saturday, at Fortera Stadium.
Freshman wide receiver Drae McCray tied a program record with four touchdown receptions and became the Govs’ first 200-yard receiver since 2001 with his seven-reception, 237-yard outing against the Golden Eagles.
McCray opened his day with a 73-yard touchdown reception early in the second quarter to give the Govs a 10-0 lead. He closed the second quarter with a 22-yard touchdown reception to extend the lead to 24-13 at the break.
The Tallahassee, Florida product kept the big plays coming in the second half. His 36-yard touchdown reception with 1:38 left in the third quarter provided the frame’s only points as the Govs lead extended to 31-13.
After the Govs defense forced a turnover on downs to open the fourth quarter, McCray and quarterback Draylen Ellis connected again. Their 47-yard touchdown strike pushed the Govs’ advantage to an insurmountable 38-13. It also was McCray’s fourth touchdown reception, tying a record held by three past Governors.
McCray’s 237 receiving yards were second-most in program history, trailing only APSU Hall of Famer Harold “Red” Roberts’ 252 yards set in 1969. It was the most receiving yards by a freshman in the FCS and tied for third-most by a receiver this season. McCray is only the seventh FCS receiver with four or more touchdowns in a single game in 2021.
Ellis closed his sophomore campaign with a flourish, completing 16-of-27 passes for 345 yards and four touchdowns. It was his third 300-yard passing performance this season, five yards shy of his season-high set against Morehead State.
Ahmaad Tanner added a pair of touchdown runs – his 10th and 11th scoring runs of the season – and his 57-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter provided the game’s final points.
Austin Peay’s defense bent but did not break, surrendering 405 yards but only two touchdowns. Shamari Simmons picked off a pair of passes – the Govs sixth consecutive game with an interception.
Meanwhile, on special teams, freshman Maddux Trujillo kicked a pair of 26-yard field goals to finish the season with 14 field goals made, tying the program’s single-season record set by Tom McMillian in 1987.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 55, TENNESSEE STATE 10
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Tennessee State football team closed out the 2021 season with a 55-10 loss at the hands of Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon at Davis Wade Stadium.
The Bulldogs finished the contest with 600 yards of total offense and led 35-0 at the half.
Micheal Mitchell scored TSU's lone touchdown late in the contest and James Lowery nailed a 43-yard field goal in the fourth quarter after MSU scored the games first 49 points.
Mitchell's TD was a five-yard run to conclude a 70-yard drive on eight plays with 3:03 left to play.
Chayil Garnett and Deveon Bryant combined to throw 17-of-24 with 132 yards passing. Mississippi State held the Tigers to just 20 yards on the ground.
MSU QB Will Rodgers threw for 391 yards and completed 28 passes for five touchdowns. Austin Williams had three of the five touchdowns and made four catches.
Tennessee State finishes the seaosn 5-6 overall with a 3-3 record in the Ohio Valley Conference.