MARTIN, Tenn. – Southeast Missouri (2-6) rallied for 20 second-half points, but came up short in a 38-30 loss to #13 UT Martin (6-1) Saturday afternoon at Graham Stadium.
 
SEMO trailed, 31-10, with 8:11 remaining in the third quarter before scoring 13-straight points to make it a one-possession game.
 
Kenny Doak split the uprights from 37 yards out for his second field goal of the game and Trai Hodges immediately got the ball back when he picked off Keon Howard. Hodges returned his second interception of the season to the UTM 41-yard line.
 
On the second play after the turnover, CJ Ogbonna completed a 31-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Johnny King trimming the Skyhawks lead to 31-20 with 3:25 left in the third quarter.
 
SEMO came within a possession after Doak connected on a 38-yard field goal at the 12:15 mark of the fourth quarter to make it a 31-23 ballgame.
 
However, 12 seconds later, Peyton Logan broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run to stretch the Skyhawks lead to 38-23. 
 
The Redhawks countered with a quick score of their own when Ogbonna completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to King polishing off a 2-play, 65-yard march in just 30 seconds. King's second touchdown of the game closed UTM's lead to 38-30 with six minutes to go.
 
Needing a stop, SEMO would get it when Bryson Donnell recovered an unforced fumble by Howard at the Redhawks 39-yard line.
 
Three incompletions and a rush for no gain allowed UTM to get the ball back with 1:08 left and the Skyhawks ran out the clock.
 
After a 21-yard punt by Tyler Larco gave SEMO good field position at the UTM 40-yard line, the Redhawks scored the game's first points on a 31-yard field goal by Doak.
 
Shawn Shamburger intercepted backup quarterback Jalyn Williams' first pass and the Skyhawks covered 73 yards in 13 plays to get their first lead. Howard capped the drive with a 1-yard run giving UTM a 7-3 advantage with 11:25 remaining in the second quarter.
 
SEMO faced a third-and-1 on the third play of its next possession when Hess busted up the middle for a 66-yard touchdown run to regain a 10-7 edge. That score was the 30th rushing touchdown of Hess' career as he became only the fifth player in program history to get 30 or more career touchdowns.
 
The Skyhawks answered by scoring the last 10 points of the quarter to grab a 17-10 halftime lead. Howard tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Zoe Roberts with 34 seconds on the clock prior to the intermission.
 
Shabari Davis returned the opening kickoff of the second half 32 yards, but fumbled the ball when he was hit by Tevin Shipp. Carson Evans later recovered for UTM at the Redhawks 39-yard line.
 
Howard completed two passes before Logan got the Skyhawks to the SEMO 5-yard line on an 18-yard run. On the next play, Howard ran five yards to the end zone extending UTM's lead to 24-10 with 12:37 to play in the third quarter.
 
Following a SEMO punt, UTM struck again, this time on a 51-yard pass from Howard to Rodney Williams. 
 
Hess ran for 137 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries en route to his third-straight 100-yard game and fifth in eight contests this season.
 
Ogbonna completed 13-of-24 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, while King had multiple receiving touchdowns in a game for the first time in his career. He finished with 96 yards on three catches.
 
Defensively, the Redhawks had two takeaways. Freshman Bryce Norman had 14 tackles, while Hodges added six tackles and an interception. Jacob Morrissey and Bryson Donnell each added eight tackles apiece and Omardrick Douglas turned in seven.
 
SEMO had 211 rushing yards against UTM which entered the day with the Football Championship Subdivision's 17th-best rushing defense. The Skyhawks allowed 107 yards per game through their first six matchups this year.
 
The Redhawks return home to host Eastern Illinois during their Homecoming weekend on Oct. 30.