CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Freshman Zion Custis returned a 97-yard kickoff for a touchdown after Eastern Illinois (3-8, 3-5) pulled within a score late in the game to allow #23 Southeast Missouri (8-3, 6-2) to hang on for a 38-32 victory in its regular season finale Saturday at Houck Field.
 
Harry Woodbery completed a 7-yard pass to Alexander Hollins to narrow SEMO's lead to 30-24. On the next play, Custis went 97 yards to the end zone for the decisive score. It tied for the second-longest kickoff return in school history.
 
The Panthers didn't go down quietly, edging SEMO, 25-21, in the second half. Combined, the two teams scored 33 fourth-quarter points.
 
EIU caught SEMO off-guard with an onside kick following a 35-yard field goal by Nick Bruno in the third quarter. Camden Meade recovered the ball after it bounced off a Redhawk player at the Panthers 28-yard line.
 
Eight plays later, John Brantley scored on an 8-yard run to cap a 72-yard drive and get EIU to within three (20-17) at the 1:40 mark.
 
SEMO answered by marching 67 yards in nine plays and pulled ahead, 27-17, on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Santacaterina to Kristian Wilkerson 1:18 into the fourth quarter.
 
The Panthers went three-and-out the next time they had the ball and SEMO then tacked on three more points courtesy of a 32-yard field goal by Kendrick Tiller. Tiller's field goal came just before Hollins' TD.
 
SEMO's defense put made a big fourth down stand at its own 2-yard line when Justin Swift forced Woodbery to throw an incomplete pass with 4:46 left to play in the game.
 
EIU did, however, score once more with 34 seconds remaining.
 
The Panthers scored the game's first touchdown on a 72-yard pass from Brantley to Hollins on the third play of their first drive. Hollins got behind SEMO's defender along the near sideline and headed to the end zone to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead with 12:16 left to play in the opening quarter.
 
SEMO responded with 17 unanswered points to take a 17-7 lead halftime.
 
Tiller kicked a 34-yard field goal to cap a 6-play, 13-yard drive. Marquis Terry followed with an 11-yard touchdown run and Mark Robinson scored from a yard out on a fourth-and-Goal right before the intermission.
 
Santacaterina completed 30-of-38 passes for 211 yards and one touchdown, his Ohio Valley Conference high 25^thTD pass of the season. 
 
Custis ran for 77 yards on 11 carries and Robinson followed with 49 yards on 16 attempts. He finished with 254 all-purpose yards with 180 on kick returns.
 
Terry was limited to just five carries for 22 yards (all in the first quarter) due to concussion-like symptoms. He did not play the final three quarters of the game.
 
Kobe Bryer led SEMO's receiving corps with nine catches for 59 yards as the Redhawk offense went its seventh game without a turnover this year.
 
Defensively, Zach Hall fell one tackle shy of tying SEMO's single-season record of 151 stops. He turned in a game-high 16 tackles to increase his total to 150 in 11 starts. Demarcus Rogers and Swift followed with 10 tackles apiece. Both Rogers and Swift forced a fumble, while Swift had three big pass breakups as well.
 
Isaiah Johnson rushed for 105 yards and Brantley threw for 179 yards and a touchdown to lead EIU.
 
The Panthers outgained the Redhawks, 494-371, in total yards.
 
The Redhawks honored their 15 seniors prior to kickoff.
 
SEMO, which now has eight NCAA Division I wins, matched its second-most victories in a season. The Redhawks finished undefeated at home for the first time since 2010.
 
The Redhawks will learn their postseason fate during Sunday's NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff Selection Show Sunday. The hour-long show airs live on ESPNU at 11:30 a.m., CT.