LAWRENCE, Kan. – Southeast Missouri (0-1) dropped its season-opener to Football Bowl Subdivision and Big 12 Conference member Kansas, 38-16, Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.
 
SEMO forced three turnovers in the game and was within a touchdown of KU twice in the first half.
 
"I was happy with the way we competed," said SEMO head coach Tom Matukewicz. "I feel like we are locked in on what we need to do to get better. We'll move on from this and start preparing for next week's game at Dayton."
 
It took just 45 seconds for KU to score its first touchdown of the 2017 season. Peyton Bender threw a 77-yard pass to Steven Sims who dashed to the end zone giving the Jayhawks a 7-0 lead on the third play of their opening drive.
 
A pair of penalties backed SEMO up to its own 14-yard line and KU took over on downs with excellent field position at the Redhawks 34-yard line following a punt. Six plays later, Chase Harrell made a one-handed grab in the end zone on an 8-yard fade from Bender to push KU's lead to 14-0 with 8:57 to play in the first quarter.
 
SEMO forced two consecutive turnovers after that.
 
Omar Pierre-Louis jabbed the ball loose from punt returner Tyler Patrick and Omardrick Douglas recovered at the KU 24-yard line.
 
On third-and-8, Jesse Hosket hooked up with Trevon Billington on an 8-yard completion for SEMO's first touchdown of the season. Billington's first career catch and score cut the Jayhawks lead to 14-7, capping a 5-play, 24-yard drive with 8:52 remaining in the second quarter.
 
"Overall, we could have played a little better. We fought hard and competed," commented Billington. "Once we settled down, I felt like our offense established some rhythm and we made some plays."
 
KU faced third-and-9 when Shabari Davis intercepted Bender's pass at the Jayhawks 48-yard line the next time it had the ball. That turnover, however, resulted in a SEMO punt.
 
The Jayhawks scored once more in the final 54 seconds of the first half when Bender threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Sims widening KU's lead to 21-7 at the intermission.
 
SEMO held KU on its first drive of the second half and began the third quarter in great field position at the Jayhawks 35. The Redhawks settled for a 45-yard field goal by Nicholas Litang, the first of his SEMO career.
 
The Jayhawks answered with two touchdowns on its next three drives after Litang's field goal.
 
Bender's 32-yard completion to Ben Johnson helped set up a 10-yard touchdown run by Dom Williams at the end of a 3-play, 54-yard drive.
 
Bender then found a wide open Ben Johnson for a 57-yard strike downfield on the first play of KU's ensuing drive. Those two scores, which came in a span of three minutes, gave the Jayhawks a 35-10 advantage.  
 
KU recovered a SEMO fumble and used a 25-yard field goal by Gabriel Rui to up its lead to 38-10 early in the fourth quarter.
 
A 41-yard rush by Marquis Terry set up the final touchdown of the game, a 22-yard pass from Hosket to Kristian Wilkerson with 12:17 to go.
 
Bender completed 23-of-37 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns and Sims added four catches for 142 yards and two TDs to lead KU. The Jayhawks racked up 437 yards of total offense for the night.
 
Hosket threw for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 25-of-44 passes en route to his third game with multiple TD passes in four starts.
 
Terry rushed for a game-high 87 yards on 23 carries.
 
Wilkerson was one of nine different Redhawks with a catch. Wilkerson made a career-high nine receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown. Billington followed with four catches for 44 yards.
 
Defensively, Davis and Al Young each intercepted a pass for the first time in their careers, while Douglas notched his first career fumble recovery.
 
Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference and All-American linebacker Chad Meredith and safety Omar Pierre-Louis paved the way with six tackles each. Meredith, who now has 182 career tackles, took over sole possession of eighth among SEMO's all-time career leaders in tackles for loss.
 
Mike Ford followed close behind with five tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and two pass breakups. Ford, who missed the last four weeks of the 2016 season, made his first start since Oct. 22.
 
Joe Dineen led all tacklers with 15 stops.
 
SEMO travels to Pioneer League affiliate Dayton on Sept. 9.