CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (2-3, 2-0) allowed only one offensive touchdown en route to upending #13 Eastern Illinois (3-2, 1-1), 21-14, Saturday night at Houck Stadium.
 
SEMO recorded its fifth all-time win over a ranked Football Championship Subdivision opponent. Even better than that, the Redhawks knocked off their third ranked opponent with Tom Matukewicz as their head coach.
 
"It was a great brickyard victory tonight," said Matukewicz. "This team will forever remember it. We had a great week of preparation and I'm really proud of our seniors and coaches."
 
SEMO is off to a 2-0 start in Ohio Valley Conference play for the second time in three years with Matukewicz at the helm. Tonight marked the first time the Redhawks upset the Panthers in four meetings when they were ranked.
 
The Redhawks started strong, scoring 14 points in the first quarter. Jesse Hosket scored his first career rushing touchdown on a 1-yard run and then threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Davis in the first seven minutes of the game.
 
EIU cut SEMO's lead in half on Christopher Anderson's 18-yard touchdown run that capped a 78-yard drive with 4:26 left in the first quarter to make it 14-7.
 
Neither team scored in the second quarter as the Redhawks headed into the locker room with their first halftime lead of the season.
 
Less than a minute into the second half, EIU tied the game when Pono Choy scooped up Tremane McCullough's fumble and ran 22 yards down the far sideline for a touchdown.
 
SEMO, however, answered right back, marching 86 yards in seven plays. Hosket completed his second touchdown pass, this time a 45-yard strike to a wide open Marquette Murdock to put the Redhawks ahead, 21-14, with 11:13 remaining in the third quarter.
 
Murdock's first career touchdown loomed large in the end as both teams went scoreless for the final 15 minutes.
 
EIU moved the ball to SEMO's 31-yard line during its only fourth-quarter drive. The Redhawks made a big statement to end the threat. SEMO had back-to-back tackles for loss before Chad Meredith batted down a pass on a third-and-16. Another incomplete pass by Austin Green followed.
 
The Redhawks took over on downs with 5:39 left and ran out the clock.
 
Hosket completed 12-of-20 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 16 yards and another score. It marked Hosket's fourth-straight start throwing for over 200 yards and third multiple-touchdown game this season. He went over 1,000 passing yards.
 
Murdock added a career-high three catches for 86 yards. Two of his catches went for 30 or more yards.
 
Defensively, Meredith paved the way with a game-high 12 tackles. He collected double-digit tackles in a game for the second time this year. The Redhawks limited the Panthers to just 93 yards in the second half alone.
 
Roper Garrett, who went over 300 tackles in his career, followed with eight.
 
Green threw for 188 yards on 19-of-33 attempts and Devin Church ran for 86 yards on 15 carries.
 
SEMO ended a four-game losing streak in its all-time series with EIU.
 
The Redhawks return to action at Eastern Kentucky on Oct. 8.