Nov. 3, 2001
Final Stats
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Eastern Kentucky Colonels scored the first 28 points of the game, then survived a late Southeast Missouri rally and added two late insurance touchdowns to win going away 42-24.
Eastern Kentucky (6-2 overall, 4-1 Ohio Valley) wasted no time on their first possession of the game, as freshman running back C.J. Hudson scampered 94 yards on his third carry of the game to put EKU up 7-0. After the EKU defense held Southeast (3-7, 1-5), Indian punter Kyle East once again pinned the Colonels deep in their own territory but EKU would march 86 yards in 7 plays to take a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter.
After EKU QB Travis Turner threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Tom Mabey to push the game to 21-0, EKU defensive back J.D. Jewell intercepted a Jeromy McDowell pass and returned in 86-yards to give the Colonels their largest lead at 28-0 with 2:44 remaining before the break.
Southeast would strike quickly, however, thanks to two pass interference penalties against EKU that brought the ball to the Colonels two-yard line. Senior running back Curtis Cooper would run the ball in from six-yards out to finally put Southeast on the board at 28-7.
The Indians came out strong in the second half, holding EKU to only 38 yards in the first 18 minutes of the second frame. Cooper added his second rushing touchdown on the game on a two-yard run with 4:26 remaining in the third to bring Southeast within 14 points. The touchdown run was set up when EKU returner Allen Evans fumbled a fair-catch on the kickoff and Southeast defensive back Mike Miller recovered. Early in the fourth, Southeast would run their string to 21 unanswered points thanks to a Iven Brown 36-yard run with 12:34 remaining in the game to bring Southeast within seven points.
Just as Southeast had the momentum in their favor, EKU wide receiver Aaron McKee got a pass that had been tipped by Southeast's Miller and McKee would run it 48-yards into the endzone to squash the Indian comeback and clinch the game.
After Southeast kicker Derek Kutz hit a 45-yard field goal, the longest of his career, EKU would add an 11-yard run from Chuck Marks to close the scoring.
Hudson led all carriers with 213 yards on the game and two touchdowns to increase his OVC leading touchdown mark to 13 on the season.
For Southeast, Curtis Cooper ran for 75 yards, which put him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. For the season Cooper now has 1,071 which stands as the second most ever at Southeast in a single season. He would need 301 yards in the season finale against Division II Quincy next week to break Kelvin Anderson single season record of 1,371 set in 1992.
