MURRAY, Ky. – Connor Mitchell's 38-yard field goal attempt with two seconds left sailed wide right and Southeast Missouri (1-3, 1-0) escaped with a 17-16 victory over Murray State (0-4, 0-1) Saturday night at Stewart Stadium.
 
Trailing, 16-10, with less than two minutes remaining, SEMO needed a stop and would get it when it forced MSU to go 3-and-out.
 
The Redhawks took over on downs at their own 42-yard line and used a 31-yard completion from Jesse Hosket to Tyler McLemore to keep the drive alive on a third-and-3. On the next play, Hosket hooked up with Adrian Davis on a 20-yard touchdown pass for the game-winner.
 
Completions of 14 and 17 yards, respectively, followed by two SEMO penalties helped get MSU to the Redhawks 19-yard line where the Racers called timeout with two seconds on the clock. SEMO countered with a timeout of its own before Mitchell missed his kick.
 
"It feels really good. People don't realize how much we put into this and I'm happy we got this win," said SEMO head coach Tom Matukewicz.
 
SEMO struck first on the opening drive when Hosket threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Tremane McCullough with 8:35 left in the first quarter.
 
The Redhawks used a 23-yard pass from Hosket to McCullough on a third-and-7 and picked up a first down on a fourth-and-2 to keep the drive alive that covered 75 yards in 14 plays. McCullough's first career receiving TD put the Redhawks ahead, 7-0.
 
MSU quickly answered with a 67-yard touchdown pass from KD Humphries to Demetric Johnson. Johnson got behind his defender and ran 35 yards after the catch to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:57 remaining.
 
After a total of 10 punts and four 3-and-outs between the teams, SEMO used a little trickery to put itself in position to score just before the half.
 
Ryan McCrum lined up for a 43-yard field goal when holder Tyler Manne caught the snap and threw a 9-yard pass to McCrum for a first down on a fourth-and-7.
 
On the next play, Hosket completed a 16-yard pass to McCullough to move the Redhawks to the MSU 1-yard line. The Racers then stopped SEMO on three-straight plays as time expired leaving the game tied at intermission.
 
The Redhawk defense held its ground limiting MSU to just 50 yards in the second quarter.
 
SEMO had a first-and-10 at the MSU 12-yard line when Chase Abbington fumbled the ball and Zachary Wade recovered for the Racers.
 
Three plays later, Humphries hooked up with Jesse Blackburn for a big 81-yard pass play that gave MSU a first-and-Goal at the SEMO-1. On the ensuing play, Tyre Gray scored on a 1-yard plunge and the Racers took their first lead at 13-7 following a missed 2-point conversion.
 
SEMO managed to get the ball to the MSU 27-yard line with the help of a 15-yard catch by Jacquan Fuller and pass interference penalty by the Racers. After a 1-yard run by Will Young, an incomplete pass and a dropped ball by McCullough, the Redhawks settled for a 44-yard field goal by McCrum to cut MSU's lead to 13-10 with 39 seconds to go in the third quarter.
 
The Redhawks turned the ball over again when Hosket's pass was tipped and intercepted by Dylan Boone. That miscue resulted in a 39-yard field goal by Mitchell as the Racers pushed their lead to 16-10 at the 11:50 mark in the fourth quarter. For Hosket, it was his first interception of the season.
 
Offensively, SEMO ran a total of 91 plays which tied for fourth-most in a game during its NCAA Division I era.
 
Hosket completed 19-of-44 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns, while McCullough added a career-high nine catches for 94 yards.
 
SEMO's defense notched three sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Roper Garrett paved the way with nine tackles and now stands just one away from 300 in his career. Kendall Donnerson followed with six tackles, including two for loss, a breakup and a half-sack.

"Our defense played great considering the situations our offense put them in," said Matukewicz. "There was a problem with our protection and we have to get better at that."
 
In his return after missing last week's game at Southern Illinois with a shoulder injury, Humphries finished with 341 yards and a touchdown on 22-of-33 attempts. Blackburn contributed a game-high 112 receiving yards.
 
Special teams wise, Alex Knight punted seven times for 296 yards, dropping four of his punts inside the 20-yard line. Knight moved to third all-time in career punting yards (7,476) at SEMO. McCrum tied for fifth all-time in career points scored (190), as well.

SEMO improved to 8-18 all-time in Ohio Valley Conference openers.
 
The Redhawks return home to host #16 Eastern Illinois on Oct. 1. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., CT, at Houck Stadium.