CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Geno Hess ran for 150 yards and Bryce Norman recorded 12 tackles and a career-high three sacks as Southeast Missouri (4-5, 3-1) suffered a heartbreaking 21-20 loss to Robert Morris (3-7, 1-3) Saturday afternoon at Houck Field.
 
RMU moved to the SEMO 20-yard line on the first drive of the game before Jayson Jenkins' field goal was blocked by LaWilliam Holmes.
 
On SEMO's first play from scrimmage, Patrick Heitert's pass was intercepted by Seth Verilus. Verilus ran to the SEMO 10-yard line. On fourth down at the 1, Anthony Chiccitt rolled to his left and ran into the end zone giving RMU a 7-0 lead with 6:53 to go in the first quarter.
 
The Redhawks scored their first points on a 33-yard field goal by DC Pippin that capped a 10-play, 58-yard march in 2:54. Pippin's kick made it a 7-3 game with 2:54 remaining.
 
RMU added to its lead when Noah Robinson got behind SEMO's defense for a 51-yard touchdown reception. Robinson's catch pushed the Colonials lead to 14-3 with 34 seconds on the clock.
 
Dalyn McDonald made an unbelievable 32-yard catch in heavy traffic to set up SEMO's next touchdown. The big play got the Redhawks to the RMU 7-yard line. Two plays later, Dorian Anderson made his first career touchdown reception on a 4-yard pass to cut the Colonials' lead to 14-10 with 11:28 to go in the second quarter.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, SEMO executed a perfect on-side kick with Logan Bruns both kicking and recovering the ball. Bruns got the ball back for the Redhawks at their own 48-yard line, however, nothing came of it as SEMO was forced to punt.
 
The Redhawks scored their first defensive touchdown of the season on a huge play when Norman put a hard hit on Chiccitt. Chiccitt fumbled and Norman scooped up the ball and raced down the sideline 46 yards to the end zone giving SEMO its first lead at 17-14. 
 
That score would be the same at the intermission.
 
SEMO forced two turnovers, recovered an on-side kick, returned a fumble for a touchdown, blocked a field goal and had an interception in the first 30 minutes of play.
 
After Pippin split the uprights with a 43-yard field goal to increase SEMO's lead to 20-14, Chiccitt threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Chaese Jackson to regain a one-point edge for the Colonials with 2:15 left in the third quarter. 
 
During SEMO's next drive, RMU's Jermarian Jackson knocked the ball loose from Jack Clinkenbeard and Robert Carter recovered for the Colonials at the RMU 28-yard line.
 
The Colonials moved the ball inside SEMO's 1-yard line and faced a fourth-and-Goal when Steven Lewis and Slade Dollar tackled Cyrus Bonsu for no gain. That huge fourth-down stop gave the ball back to SEMO with 6:42 remaining.
 
SEMO managed to get to the RMU 39-yard line when it faced a fourth-and-6. Heitert was then tackled two yards short of the line to gain and the Colonials took over with 1:18 left to play.
 
After the Redhawk defense forced RMU off the field in three plays, the Redhawks had one last chance with the ball at their 21-yard line. On fourth-and-10, Heitert completed a 21-yard pass to Anderson for a first down at the Colonials 42-yard line.
 
On the next play, Heitert was sacked and an intentional grounding penalty backed SEMO up to its 49-yard line. The Redhawks lost a down as a result of the intentional grounding. Two-straight incompletions followed and the Colonials left with the win.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the fourth quarter.
 
Heitert threw just 144 yards and one touchdownn on 14-of-33 passes for a SEMO offense that struggled all day. The Redhawks finished with 294 total yards.
 
Defensively, Norman also had 3.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, one fumble recovery and a touchdown. Lawrence Johnson followed close behind with nine stops.
 
RMU threw for 250 of its 372 total yards.
 
Fifteen SEMO seniors played in their final home game today.
 
The Redhawks head to #18 UT Martin on Nov. 11.