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MARTIN, Tenn. – Peter Lloyd had a career-high 10 catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns and the defense made two big stops late in the game to propel Southeast Missouri (3-2, 1-0) to a 31-27 win over UT Martin (1-4, 0-2) Saturday night at Graham Stadium.
 
In the first game without star wide receiver Paul McRoberts, Southeast needed someone to step up and Lloyd did so in a huge way.
 
A native of Caruthersville, Mo., Lloyd finished with over 100 receiving yards and made six of his catches in the first half alone. He then hauled in the go-ahead 28-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Snyder with 9:04 left to play before Southeast's defense polished off the victory.
 
"We challenged the receivers as a group and didn't know where the extra receptions were going to come from," said Southeast head coach Tom Matukewicz. "I'm happy for Peter. It couldn't have happened to a better guy."
 
Southeast's defense denied UTM on fourth down twice after Lloyd scored.

Jarod Neal completed a 48-yard pass to Rod Wright, giving UTM a 1^st-and-Goal at the Southeast 5-yardline. Neal then threw four-straight incompletions against a smoldering Redhawk defense. Tim Hamm-Bey broke up the last pass of that series on the goal line.
 
After Southeast punted, UTM took over on downs at the Southeast 45-yardline with 3:19 left to play.
 
Following a 7-yard completion, an incomplete pass and a sack by Kendall Donnerson, the Skyhawks faced a 4^th-and-4 at the Redhawks-39. Neal's pass, intended for William Tanner, was broken up by Eriq Moore and Southeast ran out the clock.
 
The massive defensive stand put the exclamation point on Southeast's first win in Martin since 2003.
 
"The defensive stops were huge. We used all out man pressure and our defense really dug in and made plays," said Matukewicz. "I'm proud of our leadership and the way we stepped up."
 
A 60-yard completion from Neal to Wright on the second play of the game quickly gave UTM a first down at the Southeast 9-yardline.
 
Two plays later, the Redhawks forced a turnover when Ron Davis stripped the ball from Abou Toure and Terrance Hill recovered at the Southeast-1.
 
After the Redhawks were forced to punt, UTM scored the first points when Neal completed a 23-yard touchdown pass to give UTM a 7-0 advantage with 10:22 left to play in the first quarter.
 
Southeast countered four plays into its next possession with a 65-yard touchdown pass from Snyder to Lloyd. Lloyd was open down the middle of the field and Snyder hit him in stride on the Redhawks third-longest TD pass of the season. The score came in a short 1:15 as Southeast tied the game at 7-7 with 9:03 remaining.
 
UTM managed to get inside Southeast's 20-yardline, but settled for a 36-yard field goal by Jackson Redditt to take a 10-7 edge with just under four minutes (3:57) left.
 
The Redhawks took their first lead on a 1-yard quarterback keeper by Snyder that came three plays after a UTM pass interference penalty.
 
UTM and Southeast then traded touchdowns before the Redhawks went into the locker room with a 21-17 halftime lead.
 
Neal threw back-to-back 20-plus yard completions and hooked up with Kyle Kerrick on a 24-yard touchdown pass to regain a 17-14 lead with 10:57 remaining in the second quarter.
 
Snyder then scored from inside the 5-yardline for the second time when he hit paydirt from a yard out, securing the Redhawks second lead at intermission this season. 
 
Southeast fumbled on its opening drive of the second half. Lennies McFerren took Snyder's handoff and lost the ball when he was hit by Ryan Isom. Tony Stewart recovered for UTM at the Southeast 28-yardline.
 
The Skyhawks, like the Redhawks, also fumbled on their first play of the second half, but retained possession. UTM later diced Southeast's lead to 21-20 on Redditt's 29-yard field goal with 11:47 left to play in the third quarter.
 
Southeast lined up in punt formation on a 4^th-and-6 before Ron Coleman took Wade Wright's snap and dashed 26 yards for a first down at the UTM-30. Coleman's run set up a 47-yard field goal by Ryan McCrum as Southeast pulled ahead, 24-20, with 8:08 on the clock.
 
UTM went ahead once more, this time on a 35-yard pass from Neal to Tanner with 5:18 left in the third quarter.
 
Lloyd's 179 receiving yards marked both a Southeast and OVC single-game high this season.  He averaged 17.9 yards per catch against the Skyhawks tonight.
 
Snyder completed 19-of-30 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 14 yards and another two scores. He matched his career high in passing yards.
 
McFerren rushed for a game-high 85 yards on 20 carries.
 
Special teams wise, Southeast executed a faked punt, downed a punt at UTM's 1-yardline and forced the Skyhawks to start drives inside their own 20 on three occasions.
 
"Our special teams were outstanding," said Matukewicz. "It's hard to win on the road without good special teams and defense."
 
Roper Garrett led Southeast's defense with nine tackles and a forced fumble.
 
Neal finished with 350 yards and three touchdowns to lead UTM. He completed 20-of-37 passes.
 
Wright added six catches for 161 yards and a touchdown for the Skyhawks, as well.
 
The Redhawks improved to 7-17 all-time in OVC-openers. Southeast won an OVC-opener on the road for the first time since 2010 when it beat Murray State, 30-17.
 
Southeast returns home to host Tennessee State during its Homecoming weekend on Oct. 4. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., CT, at Missouri National Guard Field/Houck Stadium.