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RICHMOND, Ky. – Southeast Missouri (1-5, 1-3) committed a season-high six turnovers in a 41-17 loss to Eastern Kentucky (3-3, 2-1) Saturday at Roy Kidd Stadium. Matt Scheible broke the school's all-time career record in total offense and achieved two other milestones along the way.
 
Scheible currently stands with 6,155 yards of total offense, 2,054 yards rushing and 4,101 yards passing. He is the first quarterback in Ohio Valley Conference history to get 2,000 rushing yards and 4,000 passing yards in a career.
 
“I wish we could have won that game for Matt today,” said Southeast head coach Tony Samuel. “You know Matt is going to come right back and have a big game next time around.”
 
Scheible's milestones came in a tough game where the wind played a major factor.
 
Three of Southeast's turnovers were on special teams, including two on plays where kicks were held up in strong winds out of the west. The Redhawks also had a field goal fall short as a result of the windy conditions.
 
“Six turnovers are too many no matter what level of football you are at,” said Samuel. “The wind was as tricky as it gets and it was tough to gauge all day.”  
 
Southeast forced punts on each of EKU's first two drives of the game.
 
Following Joe Vuic's 10-yard punt into the wind, the Colonels took over on downs with excellent field position at the Southeast 43 yardline.
 
Six rushing plays later, Luke Pray kicked a 40-yard field goal to grab EKU a 3-0 lead with 1:18 remaining in the first quarter.
 
Matt Denham broke free for a 42-yard run on the first play after a punt to give the Colonels a 1^st-and-Goal at the Southeast-10. EKU later faced a third down situation, but a holding penalty kept the drive alive. Denham then scored on a 2-yard run to push EKU's lead to 10-0 at the 14:11 mark of the second quarter.
 
Josh Nicks fumbled the ensuing kickoff and EKU was in business again after Myer Nolan recovered at the Redhawks 33-yardline.
 
Despite a dropped pass in the end zone and a penalty, EKU managed to punch it in with a 1-yard fourth-down plunge by H.B. Banjoman.
 
More problems came on special teams when Spencer Davis fumbled the ball on the kickoff after Banjoman's TD. That drive, which began at Southeast's 40-yardline, resulted in a 24-yard field goal by Pray to extend the Colonels lead to 24-0 with 7:42 on the clock.
 
EKU got a third-straight turnover when Brooklyn Fox intercepted Scheible's pass on a 3^rd-and-long, but Southeast forced the Colonels to punt.
 
Punter Jordan Berry pinned Southeast at its own 3-yardline before Scheible hooked up with Davis on a 82-yard pass play to set up the Redhawks first score of the game.
 
Two plays after what marked the third-longest reception in school history, Scheible hit paydirt on a 1-yard run to narrow EKU's lead to 20-7 with 1:35 left. 
 
Southeast forced EKU to punt and used another big play, this time a 25-yard pass from Scheible to Davis which moved the Redhawks into field goal range with under a minute remaining. Drew Geldbach's 44-yard kick then sailed through the uprights to cut the Colonels lead in half as time expired.
 
The Redhawks marched inside the Colonels 20-yardline on their first possession of the second half, but committed another turnover when Scheible was picked off by Patrick McClellan at the EKU-8.
 
EKU lined up in punt formation at its 46-yardline when Davis signaled for a fair catch. Berry's kick bounced off Davis' shoulder pad and Nolan fell on the ball at the Southeast 8-yardline.
 
On the second play of the drive, T.J. Pryor threw a 6-yard pass to Banjoman, giving the Colonels a 27-10 advantage with 1:34 to go in the third quarter.
 
Southeast kept battling and answered with an 8-play, 74-yard march that culminated in a 1-yard run by Scheible to make it a 27-17 game just 1:47 into the fouth quarter.
 
True freshman AJ Cobb carried the ball three times for 24 yards and picked up 12 yards on the first rushing attempt of his career to help set up the Redhawks second touchdown of the day.
 
EKU added two more touchdowns, including a pick-six by Kevin Hamlin. Hamlin intercepted Scheible and ran 39 yards down the far sideline into the end zone.
 
Southeast outgained EKU, 387-343, in total yards.
 
Scheible ran for a game-high 75 yards and scored both of Southeast's touchdowns on 16 carries. He also completed 11-of-22 passes for 174 yards.
 
Davis, who became the second Redhawk receiver to get 100 receiving yards in a game this season, had three catches for 116 yards. In addition, he had 230 all-purpose yards with 93 more yards on returns.
 
Cobb finished as Southeast's second-leading rusher with 39 yards on eight carries in his collegiate debut.
 
“We were hoping to redshirt AJ, but had to move somebody up after Levi Terrell got hurt,” said Samuel. “AJ played well and has a bright future.”
 
Defensively, Blake Peiffer had another gigantic game. Peiffer had 16 tackles, marking the fifth time in six starts he has had 10 or more tackles in a game this year.
 
Denham rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries to lead EKU.
 
Southeast returns home to host Austin Peay during Homecoming weekend on Oct. 22. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., CT, at Houck Stadium.