Redhawks Get Big Road Win with 32-13 Victory Over Tennessee State

Saturday, November 2

Nashville, Tenn.

2:00 PM

Southeast Missouri State University

6-3 , 4-1

Tennessee State

2-7 , 1-4

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Southeast Missouri	9	6	10	7	32
Tennessee State	0	0	7	6	13

11/2/2019 6:02:00 PM | Football

Box Score Final Statistics Highlights

NASHVILLE, Tenn.– Daniel Santacaterina threw for 291 yards and a touchdown, and Geno Hess ran for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns to lead #18 Southeast Missouri (6-3, 4-1) to a 32-13 win over Tennessee State (2-7, 1-4) Saturday at W.J. Hale Stadium.

SEMO posted its third-straight win and beat the Tigers in Nashville for the first time since 1996. The Redhawks ended an eight-game losing streak on TSU's home field.

The Redhawks, who have heated up to win five of their last six games, remains in a tie for first in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with UT Martin and Austin Peay.

SEMO's defense set the tone early forcing one turnover and holding TSU to only 43 total yards in the first half. The Redhawks also forced four 3-and-outs and never let the Tigers into their territory during the first 30 minutes of play.

The Redhawks scored the game's first points on their opening drive.

Santacaterina completed a 23-yard pass to Aaron Alston and Colby Cornett rushed for 13 yards on the next play to move SEMO to TSU's 20-yard line. Santacaterina followed with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Kristian Wilkerson. Kendrick Tiller's PAT went off the upright as the Redhawks took a 6-0 lead with 11:49 remaining in the first quarter. Wilkerson broke SEMO's career record in touchdown receptions with his 30^thall-time.

Three Kendrick Tiller field goals consisting of 33, 23 and 23 yards stretched SEMO's lead to 15-0 at the intermission.

SEMO started the second half strong by scoring on the first possession.

Santacaterina completed a 14-yard pass to Wilkerson and threw a 19-yard completion to Zack Smith to get the Redhawks in the red zone. Hess hit paydirt on an 18-yard run to cap a 5-play, 54-yard march in a quick 1:30.

Hess later scored again, this time on a 73-yard run early in the fourth quarter. That play, SEMO's longest rushing play of the year, widened the Redhawks lead to 32-7 with a little over eight minutes left.

Santacaterina completed 25-of-37 passes and ran for 40 yards on eight carries.

Wilkerson finished with 111 receiving yards and a touchdown on nine catches. It was the eleventh 100-yard receiving game of his career. Wilkerson also broke SEMO's all-time career record in pass receptions (189) and became the first player in program history to accumulate over 3,000 career receiving yards. Hess averaged over 11 yards per carry (11.1) on 14 attempts.

SEMO racked up 496 yards of total offense with 225 on the ground.

Defensively, the Redhawks held TSU under 100 yards rushing (83) and tallied three takeaways. SEMO has forced a combined 12 turnovers in its last three games.

Justin Swift and Zach Hall paved the way with eight and seven tackles, respectively.

Additionally, Tiller matched a career-high with 14 points on four field goals and two PATs.

SEMO returns home to host Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 9.