SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Ball State 31,
Murray State 0
@Southeast Missouri 42, Nicholls 16
@Boise State 30,
#16 UT Martin 7
#24 Samford 33,
@Tennessee Tech 28
@Middle Tennessee 49,
Tennessee State 6
@Lindenwood 37, Keiser 3
@Illinois State 35,
Eastern Illinois 7
BALL STATE 31, MURRAY STATE 0
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Murray State football team was shutout Saturday, as they fell for the third time this season, 31-0, to Ball State at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.
True freshman Isaac McNamee became the third different quarterback to start for the Racers this season in the game. McNamee completed seven passes for 57 yards in the contest.
The Racers never gave up in the game and completed a goal line stand from seven-yard line with under a minute and a half to play. The MSU defense played literally until the final whistle, stopping the Cardinals on a 3rd-and-goal from the one-yard line, thus ending the game.
Jamari Dailey tallied a career-high 11 tackles, while Davontae McKee and Erica Samuta followed with eight.
Nick Walker recorded the first sack of the season against Ball State in the fourth quarter for a loss of nine yards, to go along with seven total stops.
Cam Brown was one of seven different Racers to tally a pass breakup on the afternoon, but was the only one to garner an interception, doing so in the fourth quarter.
Jawaun Northington continued to show promise as a true freshman running back, as he finished with 71 yards on 17 carries.
Punter Lewis Halton had a big day for the Racers averaging 43.1 yards on seven punts, a season-long of 58, one touchback, two total punts that went 50-plus yards and one that was downed inside the Ball State 20-yard line.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 42, NICHOLLS 16
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Geno Hess scored three touchdowns and Southeast Missouri (2-1) racked up 468 yards of total offense in a 42-16 thrashing of Southland Conference member Nicholls (0-3) Saturday at Houck Field.
SEMO won its home-opener in its first-ever meeting with the Colonels as part of the Ohio Valley and Southland Conference alliance.
Hess scored three touchdowns in a game for the fifth time in his career and moved another rushing touchdown closer to the program's all-time record of 36 (Walter Smallwood, 1965-68). He now has 33 career rushing TDs.
SEMO used a 14-point second quarter to build a 21-7 halftime lead.
The Redhawks covered 60 yards in eight plays during their opening drive and took the game's first lead when Paxton DeLaurent threw a 4-yard pass to Hess with 10:26 remaining in the first quarter.
DeLaurent's 22-yard completion to Johnny King set up SEMO's next touchdown, a 9-yard rush by DeLaurent seven seconds into the second quarter to push the Redhawks lead to 14-0.
A 42-yard pass by DeLaurent to Pervis Frazier put SEMO inside the Colonels' 35-yard line. Three plays later DeLaurent threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Flournoy giving the Redhawks a 21-7 advantage.
The Redhawks tacked on 21 more points in the second half, including 14 in the third quarter to bury Nicholls for good.
Hess' lone rushing touchdown came from eight yards out with 10:56 to go in the third period.
SEMO's special teams then made a big play when Christian Fuhrman blocked Kylan Dupre's punt. Garrett Todd scooped up the ball and dashed 29 yards for a touchdown making it a 35-10 ballgame.
An 11-yard touchdown pass from DeLaurent to Hess accounted for the Redhawks final touchdown of the day.
DeLaurent threw for over 300 yards in his second-straight start. He completed 22-of-32 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns. DeLaurent threw for a total of seven touchdowns in those starts.
Hess ran for 70 yards on 14 attempts averaging five yards per touch. He caught two passes for 15 yards and a pair of scores out of the backfield, as well.
King, one of 11 SEMO receivers to catch a pass, paved the way with five receptions for 82 yards. Flournoy followed with four catches for 52 yards, while Frazer had a career-high three catches and 64 yards.
Defensively, Bryce Norman was all over the field en route to notching a career-best 17 tackles. Fuhrman contributed eight stops and the Redhawks added four sacks as a unit.
SEMO outgained Nicholls 468-299. The Redhawks picked up 164 yards on the ground and limited the Colonels to only 50.
BOISE STATE 30, #16 UT MARTIN 7
BOISE, Idaho - The University of Tennessee at Martin football squad gave a valiant effort against Mountain West Conference preseason favorite Boise State today but the host Broncos claimed a 30-7 win in front of 36,396 fans at Albertsons Stadium.
Facing their first of two Football Bowl Subdivision opponents in 2022, the Skyhawks (1-2) were tied after one quarter of play and were within striking distance in the fourth quarter. That was thanks in large part to a swarming UT Martin defense that slowed only 76 total yards on 36 plays in the second half. Overall, the Skyhawks only conceded 327 total yards of offense and had nine tackles for loss with three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Rob Hicks made plays all over the field for UT Martin as the linebacker from Miami, Fla. collected a game-high 11 tackles for his third double-digit tackle outing of the season. Daylan Dotson posted a pair of sacks and a forced fumble while John H. Ford II racked up seven tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery. TJ Neal (1.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one quarterback hurry) was also a defensive presence while Deven Sims (eight tackles) and Oshae Baker (seven tackles) also stood out for the Skyhawks.
At quarterback, Dresser Winn went 13-for-23 for 104 yards and a touchdown. Cornelious Brown IV also saw playing time in the fourth quarter, completing a pair of passes for 22 yards. Colton Dowell was one of six UT Martin players to catch a pass as he dialed up game-highs in receptions (five) and receiving yards (53) to go along with a touchdown. Devonte Tanksley had four receptions while Zak Wallace was responsible for 12 of the Skyhawks’ 20 carries out of the backfield.
On special teams, Tyler Larco boomed nine punts for a 44.4 yard average, including a long of 57 yards.
Boise State (2-1) was led by 226 all-purpose yards and a pair of touchdowns out of George Holani. The junior running back tallied 110 rushing yards on 24 carries, 47 receiving yards on four catches and 69 yards from five punt returns. Hank Bachmeier completed 18 of his 25 pass attempts for 204 yards and two touchdowns while Tyreque Jones (team-high four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss) paced the defensive unit for the Broncos, whose .820 winning percentage since 2000 trails only Ohio State for the best mark in the FBS ranks.
After UT Martin was forced to punt on the opening possession of the game, Boise State pieced together a seven-play, 80-yard drive to get on the scoreboard. Bachmeier hit Stefan Cobbs for a four-yard touchdown pass to make the score 7-0 with 9:41 to go in the first quarter.
The Skyhawk defense forced a turnover on the first play of the Broncos’ next drive. Bachmeier was flushed out of the pocket and on a scrambling attempt, Neal forced a fumble while Ford emerged from the scrum with the ball to give UT Martin the ball on the Boise State 35-yard line.
The Skyhawks took advantage of prime field position as Winn found Dowell in stride down the left sideline for a 37-yard score on 4th-and-12. Larco split the uprights to even the score at 7-all at the 4:25 mark of the opening quarter.
After the Broncos got in the red zone on their ensuing drive, Neal broke through for a huge five-yard loss on a rushing attempt. That play helped UT Martin limit Boise State to a 37-yard field goal with 12:22 remaining before the halftime break.
The Skyhawks moved the ball into Bronco territory on their next drive but were forced to punt as Larco pinned Boise State at its own 13-yard line.
Sims came up with a remarkable play on the Broncos’ next drive to once again hold Boise State to a field goal. The graduate safety from Smyrna, Tenn. batted down a pass on 3rd-and-4 that resulted in a 48-yard field goal as the Broncos took a 13-7 lead at the 5:18 mark of the second quarter.
Boise State took over its next possession at its own 46-yard line with 3:29 left in the first half. The Broncos were able to go 54 yards in seven plays, scoring on a four-yard pass from Bachmeier to Holani with only 14 seconds on the clock to take a 20-7 advantage into the halftime intermission.
The stingy UT Martin defense came out of the locker room fired up, allowing only 22 yards on 16 plays in the third quarter. That dominant stretch started with the opening drive of the second half, highlighted by a Dotson sack/forced fumble for a loss of 24 yards.
The Skyhawk defense came away with a three-and-out on their next drive, moving the ball 10 yards behind the sticks thanks to an Andre Brackett pass breakup, Tevin Shipp tackle for a loss of six yards and yet another Dotson sack.
On Boise State’s final drive of the quarter, UT Martin’s defense once again rose to the occasion as Ford delivered a clutch sack on 3rd-and-9. That resulted in a shutout for the Skyhawk defense in the third quarter.
The score remained 20-7 until the 7:27 mark of the fourth quarter. The Broncos converted a 4th-and-1 on the UT Martin 43-yard line and eventually had a 1st-and-10 at the Skyhawk 15-yard line but another big play prevented a Boise State touchdown. Tyler Gore jumped a route for a loss of four yards on a pass play on third down to set up a 34-yard field goal.
UT Martin’s lone turnover of the day came on the next play as the Broncos forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff return and recovered possession on the Skyhawk 23-yard line. Three plays later, Holani found the endzone from eight yards out to make the score 30-7 – the final score of the contest.
#24 SAMFORD 33, TENNESSEE TECH 28
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - It was a fight to the finish Saturday night as the Tennessee Tech football team traded leads all night with No. 24 Samford, but the Bulldogs scored with 25 seconds remaining to top the Golden Eagles 33-28.
Tech (1-2) enters its open date and will return to action on Oct. 1, opening Ohio Valley Conference play at UT Martin.
On Saturday, the Golden Eagles showed improvement from their victory over Texas A&M-Commerce last week as the Tech offense rolled up 458 yards of offense and was able avoid pesky turnovers, losing just one interception.
Tech was able to get on the board early. While its initial drive was stalled at the Golden Eagle 42, Nicholas Bigelow's punt sailed to the Samford 15 for a waiting Chandler Smith. The ball glanced off his hands bouncing into Tech's possession at the Bulldog 10.
Following a Quavel Thornton rush and a Jeremiah Oatsvall incompletion, the Tech QB put the Golden Eagles on the board with a 10-yard pass to David Gist.
It wasn't his only score of the night either as Gist had a productive game, rushing for 93 yards on 19 carries, catching three passes for 29 yards and returning a kickoff 13 yards for 125 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.
Hayden Olsen kicked the PAT – and was perfect on the night with four PATs, extending his career perfection streak to 48-of-48.
Samford responded quickly as Michael Hiers marched the Bulldogs down the field, collecting 65 yards on six plays, ending as Smith caught a nine-yard touchdown strike. Zach Williams knotted the score on the PAT.
The Bulldogs moved down the field, collecting 64 yards on five plays, but once Samford got to the Tech 10, the visitors were held to a field goal try from 28 yards out, but the kick sailed wide left. An Oatsvall interception gave the Bulldogs short field at the Tech 17 and Samford was able to reach the Golden Eagle 2, but the defense continued to hold strong, holding the Bulldogs to a 20-yard field goal.
Tech put together its own quick, long-yardage drive as the Golden Eagles chewed up 75 yards on four plays, ending the series with a 53-yard pass from Oatsvall to Willie Miller to retake the lead at 14-10 before the close of the first quarter.
The Golden Eagles took a lot of time off in the second quarter as they started at their own seven and collected 93 yards on 14 plays and 7:31. Gist picked up his second score on a three-yard rush with Olsen's PAT giving Tech a 21-10 lead with 7:23 remaining in the first half.
Samford pulled a quick long-distance drive together to get one more score in before halftime as they went 72 yards in six plays and 1:18, ending as Peyton Ringer caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Hiers to climb back within four, then retook the lead midway in the third as Smith caught an 11-yard pass from Hiers to close out a nine-play, 91-yard drive over 2:58 to take a 24-21 advantage.
In the fourth quarter, Samford maintained another long-distance drive but the Golden Eagles held the Bulldogs to a field goal once again, Williams connecting from 23 yards out.
Hunter Barnhart came up with a couple of big catches to keep the Golden Eagles and the chains moving, including a 42-yard hookup from Willie Miller, then another one on 4th-and-4 for six yards. Tech got to the Bulldog 18, then Oatsvall broke loose for an 18-yard touchdown run to retake 28-27 lead after Olsen's PAT with 2:43 remaining.
Following a touchback, the Bulldogs had to go 75 yards to retake the lead. It took them 11 plays and 2:23 to do it as Hiers threw his third touchdown pass to Smith, who ended the game with 56 yards on five catches.
Getting the ball back with just 20 seconds remaining, Tech saw its first pass to Brad Clark called back on a holding call, then a second try resulted in a 24-yard pickup for Clark. Three seconds remained, leaving it down to one last play. Oatsvall passed to Gist, who then lateralled to Willie Miller and then to Metrius Fleming before the Bulldogs snuffed out the attempt to end the game.
Oatsvall ended the game with 255 passing yards and 47 rushing yards for 302 yards of total offense with two touchdowns. Clark was his favorite target on the night with five catches for 53 yards, but Barnhart had four big catches for 111 total yards. Miller also had 74 yards on three catches.
Tech also had three double-digit tacklers in the contest as Seth Carlisle and Josh Reliford each had 11, while Aidan Raines collected 10. Daniel Rickert had a big game from the defensive end position, collecting six tackles, two quarterback hurries and 1.5 sacks for 15 yards.
Hiers threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns for Samford (2-1), while Jay Stanton ran for 98 yards on 20 carries and Jaylan Thomas with 96 on 13 totes. Ty King caught five passes for 97 yards, while Judd Crockett caught five passes for 70 yards and Smith five catches for 56 yards with three touchdowns.
Nathan East led the Bulldogs with seven tackles, two quarterback hurries and an interception with a 13-yard return.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 49, TENNESSEE STATE 6
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The Tennessee State University football team fell 49-6 to Middle Tennessee on the road Saturday night.
MTSU improved to 2-1 on the season while the TSU dropped to 0-3.
Jalen Rouse paced the TSU rushing attack by accumulating 28 yards over the course of the game, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Rouse also tacked on 34 receiving yards and one touchdown. Chayil Garnett also added 20 yards on the ground.
J.J. Holloman reeled in six catches for 50 yards. Zack Dobson hauled in three receptions for 23 yards.
Jashon Watkins showed out for the Tennessee State defense, recording one interception. Chris Walker added four tackles, 1.0 TFL, and one sack, while Cameron Stewart had 1.0 TFL and one sack in the loss as well. Boogie Trotter and Michael Crawford led TSU with seven tackles each.
Draylen Ellis completed 66.7% of his passes on the day, going 12-for-18 for 96 yards.
LINDENWOOD 37, KEISER 3
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood football team (2-0) earned a 37-3 win over Keiser (1-3) on Saturday evening from Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Mo.
The much anticipated home opener brought in more than 4,000 fans on Family Day. Payton Rose started the scoring with a 33-yard touchdown reception from the arm of Brister. It marked the 71st career touchdown pass by Brister, setting program record. The Seahawks answered with a 32-yard field goal, but the defense played flawless throughout the remainder of the game.
Kobe Smith made a statement in his first home game as a Lion, hauling in a touchdown pass at the 12:08 mark of the second quarter. Less than six minutes later, Brister found Smith again on a 78-yard bomb to make it a 21-3 lead. On the ensuing drive for Keiser, the Lions were flying around on defense, as Tayvian Weary secured a sack to help force a punt. After a short punt, the Lions went six plays for a total of 52 yards before Andrew Martin bulled his way in for a short touchdown run. Lindenwood took a 28-3 lead into the half with the help of three scores in the second quarter alone.
The second half started slow for both teams, as each team had a short first drive to start the third frame. Keiser put together a 15-play drive, but the Lindenwood defense stood strong and forced a turnover on downs. The Lions added three points to their total at the 12:34 mark of the fourth quarter, after Logan Seibert knocked in a 32-yard field goal.
The Seahawks had the ball for just three plays before Darion Mullins laid a big hit on the quarterback, allowing Jaden Patrick to recover the fumble to give the Lions possession. It took the Lions just five plays before Justin Williams scored on a 16-yard scamper for the 37-3 lead. Keiser again put together a long drive, but the defense stood strong yet again to close out the game with the 34-point victory in the home opener.
Brister compiled 377 yards through the air, as Rose (180) and Smith (111) each eclipsed 100 yards receiving. Smith hauled in two touchdown passes and 104 yards after the catch. Lindenwood put up 126 yards on the ground to total 521 yards of total offense. The Lions tallied 24 first downs, and converted on all four red zone trips, including three touchdowns.
Tyrone Griffin led the defense with 11 total tackles, and added one tackle behind the line of scrimmage. Tra Ranson laid a handful of big hits, as he and Chase Giorgi each posted seven tackles. Sterlin Williams has provided a quality rush from the edge early in the season, as the Zephyrhills, Fla. native posted 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble. As a team, the Lions posted 3.0 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, and six pass breakups in the game.
ILLINOIS STATE 35, EASTERN ILLINOIS 7
NORMAL, Ill. - Turnovers were a key story line on Saturday night as Illinois State converted two interceptions into touchdowns to beat Eastern Illinois 35-7 in the 110th playing of the Mid-America Classic.
EIU fell to 0-3 on the season. ISU improved to 2-1.
After both teams traded touchdowns in the first quarter, Illinois State was able to cash in on its turnovers gained with five total turnovers resulting in 21 points.
Jeff Bowens had a 40-yard interception return for touchdown with 1:09 left in the first half to give the Redbirds a 21-7 lead at the half.
Deandre Lamont picked off a tipped pass on EIU’s opening drive of the second half and returned it three yards for a touchdown.
Illinois State would add its fifth touchdown of the game midway through the third quarter after a fumble recovery by Matthew Wedig inside the EIU ten-yard line. Zack Annexstad rushed in from the two-yard line with 5:58 to play in the third.
ISU opened the first quarter with a long drive taking a 7-0 lead on a J’Kalon Carter 17-yard touchdown reception from Annexstad. EIU would answer with a touchdown drive of its own with Jonah O’Brien hitting DeWayne Cooks Jr on an 11-yard strike with 3:04 to play in the first quarter.
Elijawah Tolbert would put a stop to the next ISU drive with an interception at the 18-yard line. Tolbert finished with seven tackles for EIU. Jordan Vincent led EIU with eight tackles.
Zach Weir would take over in the third quarter at quarterback. Dom Shoffner would see time under center in the fourth. EIU’s offense was held to 167 total yards in the game as they were held to 40 yards rushing. A factor in the rushing total was four sacks by ISU’s defense and seven fumbles by EIU’s offense.
Shoffner was able to move the Panthers offense late in the fourth quarter rushing for 39 yards as EIU drove 68 yards on its final drive.
Annexstad passed for 212 yards. Carter was his top target with four catches for 56 yards.