Racers Return Kickoff for a Touchdown to Upset #19 Southeast Missouri, 40-38

Saturday, November 10

Murray, Ky.

11:00 AM

Southeast Missouri State University

7-3 , 5-2

Murray State

5-5 , 5-2

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Southeast Mo. St.	17	14	0	7	38
Murray St.	0	7	17	16	40

Final Statistics

Photo by: Dave Winder

11/10/2018 3:57:00 PM | Football

Box Score Final Statistics Highlights

MURRAY, Ky. – Malik Honeycutt returned a kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown with three seconds left as Murray State (5-5, 5-2) overcame a 31-point deficit to stun #19 Southeast Missouri (7-3, 5-2), 40-38, on a chilly Saturday at Stewart Stadium.

Trailing 31-0 with 2:24 left in the second quarter, MSU scored its first touchdown just before halftime and came out an entirely different team in the second half.

The Racers outscored the Redhawks, 33-7, in the final two quarters and scored 34-straight points to take the lead. MSU led for the first time when Drew Anderson threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to LaMartez Brooks to make it 34-31 with 1:42 left in the fourth quarter.

SEMO, however, answered when Daniel Santacaterina scrambled out of the pocket to throw a 5-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Zack Smith with 20 seconds on the clock. That play capped a big 7-play, 64-yard drive that took a little over a minute (1:13).

On the ensuing kickoff, Honeycutt caught the ball at the Racers 21-yard line and broke free for the game-winning touchdown that ended SEMO's red-hot five-game winning streak. It was the first time in five years since an opponent returned a kickoff for a touchdown against the Redhawks (at Austin Peay on Nov, 16, 2013)

"I'm just heartbroken for our team and these kids," said SEMO head coach Tom Matukewicz. "You have to give Murray State a lot of credit. They hung in there and battled back."

SEMO's defense made all the noise in the first half, forcing a turnover on four-straight possessions. The Redhawks converted those miscues into 24 points en route to their 31-7 halftime advantage.

MSU missed a field goal on the game's opening drive and then SEMO's defense took over.

Zach Hall, who joined the STATS Buck Buchanan Award List this week, picked off Anderson for the Redhawks first takeaway. For Hall, it was his team-high fourth interception this season. Hall returned his pick 11 yards to the MSU 16-yard line.

Three plays later, Marquis Terry scored on a 2-yard plunge to put SEMO ahead, 7-0, with 5:06 left to play in the first quarter.

On the first snap of the Racers next drive, Nick Thompson made a diving interception as the Redhawks were in MSU territory again at the Racer 37. Thompson's first career interception led to a 33-yard field goal by Kendrick Tiller. Tiller's fifth field goal of the year pushed SEMO's lead to 10-0 at the 2:34 mark.

After that, Justin Swift scored a defensive touchdown on back-to-back MSU possessions to widen the Redhawks lead to 24-0.

Omardrick Douglas put a hard hit on Anderson who fumbled at the SEMO 40-yard line. Swift scooped up the ball and ran 60 yards for a touchdown with 22 seconds left in the first quarter.

On the next drive, Swift intercepted Anderson and sprinted 76 yards to the end zone for his second score. Swift's 60-yard fumble return for a TD was the fourth-longest and his 76-yard interception for a touchdown was second-longest in school history.

Terry's 3-yard touchdown run capped a 14-play, 80-yard drive late in the first half before MSU got on the board for the first time.

Things completely turned in the second half as the MSU offense clicked into high gear.

Anderson threw touchdown passes consisting of nine, 23 and seven yards, while Gabriel Vicente made to field goals before Honeycutt returned the Racers first kickoff for a touchdown this season.

Anderson finished with 412 yards and four touchdowns on 37-of-63 passes and threw three interceptions. A total of 11 different MSU receivers caught a pass.

SEMO's defense matched a season-high five takeaways. Hall led the way with 15 tackles, a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and an interception. Douglas followed with 14 stops, a sack, game-high four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Swift, meanwhile, turned in eight tackles, an interception and scored 12 points.

Terry ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries to lead the Redhawks offensively. It marked his fourth-straight 100-yard game and league-high sixth in 2018.

Santacaterina completed 18-of-34 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown.

MSU outgained SEMO, 550-297, and the Redhawks committed 13 penalties for 159 yards.

SEMO closes out its regular season at home when it hosts Eastern Illinois in the OVC Game of the Week on ESPN3 Nov. 17. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., CT, at Houck Field. The Redhawk seniors will be honored prior to the contest.