COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – #8 Tennessee Tech (8-0, 5-0) never trailed and scored 21 fourth-quarter points to come away with a 42-23 win over Southeast Missouri (3-5, 2-2) Saturday afternoon at Tucker Stadium.
 
TTU stayed unbeaten and picked up its 13th-straight victory to keep its nation-leading winning streak intact. 
 
Justin Keller's third field goal of the game, a 36-yarder, split the uprights with 7:08 left in the third quarter and SEMO made it a one-score game when Cole Ruble took the snap and ran to his left untouched into the end zone.
 
Ruble's touchdown, which capped an 11-play, 69-yard drive in 4:47, trimmed TTU's margin to 21-16 at the 1:33 mark. 
 
That would be as close as the Redhawks would get.
 
TTU quickly countered with a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Quintell Quinn. 
 
Forty-three seconds later, Jax Leatherwood fumbled, and defensive lineman Chima Iwuagwu recovered in the end zone to finish off a 14-point swing that put the Golden Eagles ahead, 35-16, with 12:14 remaining in the fourth quarter.
 
After Leatherwood connected with Kalvin Gilbert on a 38-yard touchdown pass to make it a 35-23 contest, Q'Daryius Jennings hit paydirt on a 12-yard run to finish off TTU's win.
 
Both teams punted on their first drives of the contest.
 
On the second play of SEMO's next possession, Johnny Weber was intercepted by Andrew Smith at the Redhawks 37-yard line.
 
TTU took advantage of the miscue with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Kekoa Visperas to Tremel Jones getting a 7-0 lead with 9:57 remaining in the first quarter.
 
SEMO got on the board with a 31-yard field goal by Keller and narrowed the Golden Eagles lead to 7-3 with 8:56 left in the second period.
 
TTU answered with a pair of touchdowns in the last six minutes of the quarter.
 
Jennings ran for an 11-yard touchdown at the 5:40 mark and Visperas completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Aidan Littles to push the Golden Eagles' lead to 21-3. A 37-yard punt return by Tre Holloway set up TTU at SEMO's 27-yard line prior to Littles' score.
 
Leatherwood, who missed the last three weeks with a knee injury, completed 27-of-38 passes for 278 yards and one touchdown. Leatherwood entered the game in the second quarter after Johnny Weber started.
 
Gilbert had a career-high 10 receptions for 120 yards, his second 100-yard game as a Redhawk. He caught a touchdown pass in three-straight games.
 
SEMO outgained TTU 401-299 in total yards and held the OVC-Big South's leader in total offense to a season-low.
 
Keller scored 12 points on three field goals and three extra points.
 
The Redhawks return home to host Charleston Southern on Nov. 1.