COLUMBIA, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (0-3) outscored Southeastern Conference member Missouri (2-1) in the second half during a 59-28 loss Saturday at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field.
 
Down, 38-0, at halftime, SEMO finished with a strong second half outscoring the Tigers, 28-21, in the final 30 minutes of play.
 
The Redhawks, who never made it to Missouri's side of the field in the first half, scored four rushing touchdowns the rest of the way.
 
"I loved how we finished after a slow start," said SEMO Head Coach Tom Matukewicz. "I'm proud that we outscored them in the second half. We have improved each week and I feel like we continue to get better offensively. Our non-conference schedule has certainly prepared us for Ohio Valley Conference play next week."
 
A pair of firsts highlighted those scores.
 
CJ Ogbonna completed a 9-yard pass to Will Weidemann and SEMO made it into Missouri territory for the first time getting to the Tigers 39. Five plays later, Geno Hess ran for a 4-yard touchdown, SEMO's first TD in its entire five-game series against Missouri. The rushing touchdown was the 20th of Hess' career.
 
Shamenski Rucker then scored the first touchdown of his career on an 18-yard rush early in the fourth quarter. Rucker's score cut Missouri's lead to 52-14 with 13:14 left to play.
 
Rucker later hit paydirt again, this time on a 2-yard run, capping SEMO's second drive over 80 yards. That made it a 52-21 game with 5:00 to go.
 
On the first play of SEMO's final drive of the game Charleston native Q'Nairies Anderson ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run for the first points of his career. Anderson tied the 10th-longest rushing play in program history. It was also the longest offensive play for the Redhawks in three games this season.
 
Missouri racked up 258 yards in a 21-point first quarter to set the tone early.
 
The Tigers scored on all six of their possessions in the first half.
 
Tyler Badie scored three touchdowns, including the game's first on a 49-yard run to give Missouri a 7-0 lead with 12:16 left in the first quarter.
 
Badie scored again in the first quarter on an 11-yard pass from Connor Bazelak and hit paydirt on a 1-yard run just before halftime. Bazelak threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to D'ionte Smith and Harrison Mevis kicked a 43-yard field goal lifting the Tigers to a comfortable 38-0 lead at the intermission.
 
Missouri finished with 458 yards and held SEMO to only 69 total yards in the opening half.
 
The Tigers posted 675 total yards to the Redhawks' 373. SEMO, however, outrushed Missouri, 294-235.
 
Bazelak completed 21-of-30 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns to lead Missouri. Four different receivers caught a touchdown pass for the Tigers, as well.
 
Quarterback CJ Ogbonna fell just four yards shy of rushing for 100 yards. Ogbonna gained 96 yards on 12 carries and completed 7-of-14 passes for 53 yards.
 
Rucker's two touchdowns marked a career-high.
 
Defensively, Tyler Nelome recorded a career-best 10 tackles as SEMO's first to finish with double-digit tackles in a game this year.
 
The Redhawks 28 points tie the most against any Football Bowl Subdivision opponent under Matukewicz.
 
SEMO opens OVC play when it hosts Tennessee State during Family Weekend on Sept. 25.