Box Score Final Statistics |
Postgame Notes |
Photo GalleryCAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (5-7, 3-5) ended its 2014 season with a 49-30 loss to No. 3 Jacksonville State (10-1, 8-0) Saturday afternoon at Missouri National Guard Field/Houck Stadium.
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The Ohio Valley Conference champion Gamecocks jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and finished with 612 yards of total offense. JSU averaged 7.2 yards per play and converted 68.8 percent (11-of-16) of the time on third down.
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"We were able to move the ball offensively and I was pleased with that," said Southeast head coach
Tom Matukewicz. "Our guys battled and never gave up."
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JSU went to work early, scoring three touchdowns in the first 7:32.
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Eli Jenkins took off for a 26-yard run on the second play from scrimmage to get the Gamecocks into Southeast territory. Seven plays later, DaMarcus James scored from 13 yards out on a 3
rd-and-1, giving JSU a 7-0 lead less than three minutes in.
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After a Southeast punt, JSU had the ball at its own 27-yardline. On the third play, Jenkins tossed a 58-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Bo Brummell, pushing the Gamecocks lead to 14-0 with 10:10 left to play in the first quarter. That score came in a short 48 seconds and capped a 73-yard drive.
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Jaylen Hill intercepted
Kyle Snyder's pass at the Southeast-34. JSU then faced a 4
th-and-9 when Jenkins delivered a 30-yard touchdown pass to Ruben Gonzalez. Gonzalez jumped to make the catch in the back left corner of the end zone with
Reggie Jennings defending on the play.
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DeMichael Jackson sent a jolt in the Redhawks when he gained 29 yards on four-straight carries to move Southeast to the JSU 46-yardline. Snyder took over from there, running for 19 yards on three carries.
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After picking up another two yards, Snyder then threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to
Paul McRoberts. McRoberts' ninth touchdown reception of the season narrowed the Gamecocks lead to 21-7 with 2:39 remaining.
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JSU marched 88 yards in nearly six minutes for its fourth-straight score. Jenkins' 26-yard pass on a 3
rd-and-11 kept the drive alive. Once the Gamecocks got inside the Redhawks 30-yardline, James and Troymaine Pope shared carries to close out the drive. James' 1-yard fourth-down plunge extended JSU's lead to 28-7 at the 11:39 mark.
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Southeast's ensuing 10-play, 65-yard drive resulted in a 25-yard field goal, as the Redhawks cut the Gamecocks lead to 28-10 at halftime. McCrum broke Southeast's single-season field goal record on that kick. He surpassed Mike Wood who made 17 field goals in 1976.
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The Redhawks and Gamecocks traded touchdowns in a see-saw second half.
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Tim Hamm-Bey picked off Jenkins and ran six yards to the Southeast 43-yardline. The Redhawks capitalized on the turnover when Snyder hooked up with
Adrian Davis on a 19-yard strike to make it a 28-17 game with 10:59 left in the third quarter.
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Snyder also completed 9-yard passes to Jackson and McRoberts, and a 5-yard pass to
Tyler Manne before hitting Davis. For Manne, it was his first career reception.
JSU, however, answered right back with an 8-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 18-yard run by Pope to give the Gamecocks a 35-17 advantage with 7:35 on the clock. James had a 28-yard run to help set up Pope's third-down score.
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Southeast responded with a touchdown of its own, this time a 2-yard rush by Jackson. Snyder threw a 44-yard completion to McRoberts for a first down at the JSU-4. Jaylen Hill was then penalized for pass interference after making contact with McRoberts on the next play before Jackson crossed the goal line.
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After JSU called timeout during its next possession, Jenkins picked up a first down on a 3
rd-and-9 to extend another drive. Jenkins threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Screws three plays later. Screws sprinted down the near sideline to widen the Gamecocks lead to 42-24 with two minutes left.
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JSU and Southeast each found the end zone once more in the fourth quarter.
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Christian LeMay scored on a 1-yard run with 7:41 left to play and
Logan Larson caught his first career touchdown pass on a 5-yard throw from Snyder with 3:32 remaining.
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Pope and James each rushed for over 100 yards. Pope had 114 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and James followed with 111 yards and two scores on 12 attempts. James averaged a game-high 9.2 yards per carry, as well.
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Jenkins completed 11-of-16 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns, adding to JSU's offensive assault.
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Meanwhile, Snyder threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns on 17-of-27 passes. Snyder broke the school's single-season record in total offense, ending his career with 3,243 total yards in 2014.
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McRoberts caught a game and career-high eight passes for 135 yards and a touchdown, his second-straight 100-yard receiving performance.
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Defensively, the Redhawks had four double-digit tacklers led by
Wisler Ymonice's 12 stops.
Matt Starks and
Daniel Siehndel followed with 11 apiece and Jenning chipped in 10.
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Saturday marked the final game at Southeast for 20 seniors.
Zach Clouse,
Ron Coleman,
Mike Cyliax,
Spencer Davis,
Ron Davis,
Justin Elias,
Kyle Finney, Hamm-Bey, Jennings,
Myles Littlejohn,
Lennies McFerren,
Lucas Melo,
Sam Poole,
Corey Porter,
Ben Schmidt, Siehndel,
David Smart, Snyder, Starks and Ymonice were all honored prior to kickoff.
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"Our seniors have done a lot of great things here," said Matukewicz. They helped lay the foundation for our program and I want them to continue to be a part of it."
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