CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Geno Hess scored three touchdowns and Southeast Missouri (2-1) racked up 468 yards of total offense in a 42-16 thrashing of Southland Conference member Nicholls (0-3) Saturday at Houck Field.
 
SEMO won its home-opener in its first-ever meeting with the Colonels as part of the Ohio Valley and Southland Conference alliance.
 
Hess scored three touchdowns in a game for the fifth time in his career and moved another rushing touchdown closer to the program's all-time record of 36 (Walter Smallwood, 1965-68). He now has 33 career rushing TDs. 
 
SEMO used a 14-point second quarter to build a 21-7 halftime lead.
 
The Redhawks covered 60 yards in eight plays during their opening drive and took the game's first lead when Paxton DeLaurent threw a 4-yard pass to Hess with 10:26 remaining in the first quarter.
 
DeLaurent's 22-yard completion to Johnny King set up SEMO's next touchdown, a 9-yard rush by DeLaurent seven seconds into the second quarter to push the Redhawks lead to 14-0.
 
A 42-yard pass by DeLaurent to Pervis Frazier put SEMO inside the Colonels' 35-yard line. Three plays later DeLaurent threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Flournoy giving the Redhawks a 21-7 advantage.
 
The Redhawks tacked on 21 more points in the second half, including 14 in the third quarter to bury Nicholls for good.
 
Hess' lone rushing touchdown came from eight yards out with 10:56 to go in the third period.
 
SEMO's special teams then made a big play when Christian Fuhrman blocked Kylan Dupre's punt. Garrett Todd scooped up the ball and dashed 29 yards for a touchdown making it a 35-10 ballgame.
 
An 11-yard touchdown pass from DeLaurent to Hess accounted for the Redhawks final touchdown of the day.
 
DeLaurent threw for over 300 yards in his second-straight start. He completed 22-of-32 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns. DeLaurent threw for a total of seven touchdowns in those starts.
 
Hess ran for 70 yards on 14 attempts averaging five yards per touch. He caught two passes for 15 yards and a pair of scores out of the backfield, as well.
 
King, one of 11 SEMO receivers to catch a pass, paved the way with five receptions for 82 yards. Flournoy followed with four catches for 52 yards, while Frazer had a career-high three catches and 64 yards.
 
Defensively, Bryce Norman was all over the field en route to notching a career-best 17 tackles. Fuhrman contributed eight stops and the Redhawks added four sacks as a unit.
 
SEMO outgained Nicholls 468-299. The Redhawks picked up 164 yards on the ground and limited the Colonels to only 50.
 
The Redhawks go for their third-straight win when they host Central Arkansas on Family Weekend Sept. 24.