CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (3-6, 3-1) used 31 second-half points to key a 38-15 win over Eastern Illinois (1-8, 1-3) Saturday afternoon during Homecoming weekend.

SEMO trailed, 9-7, at halftime before Shabari Davis returned the second half kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown to begin the Redhawks surge. The kickoff return for a touchdown was SEMO's first in three years. Ironically, the Redhawks last kick return for a touchdown also came against EIU (Nov. 17, 2018).

Davis' big special teams play was part of a 17-point third quarter for SEMO. A 36-yard field goal by Kenny Doak and 24-yard touchdown run by CJ Ogbonna gave the Redhawks a 24-9 advantage at the end of three periods.

The Redhawks tacked on 14 more points to bury the Panthers for good.

Johnny King and Rashaan Palmer each caught touchdown passes from Ogbonna. King scored on a 33-yard completion and Palmer scored on a 23-yard pass to polish off SEMO's third Ohio Valley Conference win. 

EIU took advantage of an early turnover to score the first points of the game.

On SEMO's first drive of the contest, Palmer caught a 6-yard pass from Ogbonna. Jordan Vincent forced and recovered a fumble on the play, and ran 51 yards to the Redhawks 28-yard line.

After picking up a first down on a fourth-and-6, running back Isaiah Hill ran five yards for a touchdown. Stone Galloway's pass for a 2-point conversion attempt failed and the Panthers led, 6-0, with 8:01 remaining in the first quarter.

SEMO put together an 11-play, 64-yard drive capped by a 17-yard touchdown run by Geno Hess to claim a 7-6 edge. The Redhawks had a fourth-down conversion of their own to keep their possession alive when Ogbonna threw a 16-yard pass to Will Weidemann on a fourth-and-four.

The Panthers responded with a 41-yard field goal by Galloway to regain a 9-7 advantage at halftime.

Ogbonna completed 9-of-16 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 34 yards and another score to lead SEMO. Hess ran for 107 yards and a touchdown. For Hess, it was his fourth-straight 100-yard game and sixth in nine starts this year. Additionally, he went over 1,000 yards (1,006) in a season for the first time in his career.

Special teams wise, Davis wasn't the only one who impacted the game. Punter Zach Haynes averaged 54.7 yards on three punts and twice pinned EIU at its own 1-yard line. Haynes had a 76-yard punt and 51-yarder on those kicks.

Defensively, Omardrick Douglas paved the way with eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a half-sack. Brandon Mincey also had eight tackles, one breakup and a quarterback hurry.

Isaiah Hill led the Panthers with 207 yards and one touchdown on 11 recaptions.

With today's win, the Redhawks improved to 16-14 all-time on Homecoming during its NCAA Division I era. SEMO has won four-straight Homecoming matchups.

SEMO will be idle before heading to Murray State on Nov. 13.