Redhawks Drop Heartbreaker to Eastern Kentucky, 41-38 - Southeast Missouri State University Athletics

Saturday, September 23

Richmond, Ky.

5:00 PM

Southeast Missouri State University

1-3 , 1-0

Eastern Kentucky

1-3 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Southeast Mo. St.	17	7	7	7	38
Eastern Ky.	7	10	7	17	41

Final Statistics

9/23/2023 9:29:00 PM | Football

Box Score Final Statistics

RICHMOND, Ky. – Patrick Nations kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired to give Eastern Kentucky (1-3) a 41-38 comeback win over Southeast Missouri (1-3) Saturday night at Roy Kidd Stadium.

In a wild turn of events, EKU scored 10 points in the final 2:34 of the game to get its first win of the season.

Logan Leftrick's punt was downed at the EKU 7-yard line. EKU picked up four first downs and was at SEMO's 24-yard line with 1:01 left.

Another first down put the Colonels at the Redhawks nine. Following an incomplete pass, Parker McKinney ran to SEMO's 3-yard line and EKU called its final timeout.

When play resumed, a holding penalty by SEMO gave EKU an automatic first down at the 2-yard line. Then, McKinney threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Hensley. Nations' extra point tied the game at 38-38 with 30 seconds to go as the Colonels went 93 yards in 2:04.

On second-and-7, Jeremiah Bailey knocked the ball out of Paxton DeLaurent's hands and Darius Sterling recovered for EKU at the Redhawks 29-yard line.

McKinney gained two yards on the next play before SEMO called timeout with one second on the clock. Nations split the uprights for his only field goal of the contest.

SEMO scored on all three of its first quarter drives to take an early 17-0 lead.

A 26-yard pass from DeLaurent to Damoriea Vick put the Redhawks at EKU's 31-yard line during the game's opening march. The drive resulted in a 40-yard field goal by DC Pippin giving SEMO a 3-0 edge with 10:49 on the clock.

After the Colonels punted, SEMO went to work at the EKU 45-yard line. DeLaurent completed six passes for 48 yards to get the Redhawks to the 1-yard line before scoring on a 1-yard plunge. DeLaurent's touchdown finished off a nice 12-play, 45-yard drive.

On the ensuing kickoff, Eric Ivory, Jr. recovered an onside kick at the Colonel 27. Three plays later, DeLaurent threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Vick to extend SEMO's lead to 17-0 at the 2:32 mark.

EKU answered with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Parker McKinney to Jaden Smith completing a 6-play, 70-yard drive to make it a 17-7 game at the end of the first period.

The Colonels cut SEMO's lead to three points when McKinney connected on a 6-yard touchdown pass with 3:49 left to play in the second quarter.

SEMO, however, responded by covering 75 yards in seven plays to score on DeLaurent's second touchdown pass of the game, a 9-yard toss to Jack Clinkenbeard. Clinkenbeard's first career TD increased the Redhawks lead to 24-14 at the 1:17 mark.

A 35-yard field goal by Patrick Nations closed SEMO's lead to 24-17 at the half.

It didn't take long for EKU to tie things up when it covered 75 yards in just 1:48. Braedon Sloan's 1-yard touchdown run deadlocked the score at 24-24 with 13:06 in the third quarter.

SEMO immediately regained the lead when Vick hauled in his second touchdown reception on a 15-yard pass by DeLaurent. That score came in a quick 1:49 putting the Redhawks up 31-24 with 11:12 left to play.

A nice 26-yard punt return by Khalani Riddick set SEMO up with great field position at the EKU 32-yard line. On third-and-13, Mitchell Sellers made a big catch to keep the drive alive. Two plays later, Geno Hess scored on a 1-yard run to give SEMO a 38-24 advantage with 8:36 to go. For Hess, it was his fourth rushing touchdown of the season and 57th in his career.

DeLaurent threw for a season-high 358 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more scores to lead the Redhawks. He completed 31-of-43 passes and went his fourth game in a row without throwing an interception.

Vick went over 100 receiving yards for the second time this season. He caught 11 passes for a career-best 135 yards and two touchdowns. Clinkenbeard added 57 yards on four receptions, while Dorian Anderson and Sellers finished with 57 and 53 receiving yards, respectively.

Defensively, Bryce Norman posted his second-straight double-digit tackle game with 10 stops. Norman went over 200 tackles in his career.

EKU scored 17 fourth-quarter points and outgained SEMO, 532-422, in total yards.

SEMO is idle for its bye week before heading to Central Arkansas Oct. 7.