Southeast Missouri State University
0-1 , 0-0
Arkansas State
1-0 , 0-0
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Mo. St. | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
| Arkansas State | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
8/30/2025 9:59:00 PM | Football
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In his first career start, Leatherwood completed 26-of-36 passes and threw both of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
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He hooked up with Donnie Cheers for a 60-yard strike with 7:51 left and later found Cam Pedro on a 31-yard touchdown pass at the 1:23 mark.
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SEMO started and finished strong, but couldn't overcome a 21-point second quarter surge by ASU.Â
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The Redhawks scored on their opening two drives of the game.
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Down, 7-0, Leatherwood completed a 24-yard pass to Anthony Westervelt to get the Redhawks to ASU's 26-yard line. Brandon Epton, Jr., who ran 12 yards to the Red Wolves 7-yard line, then scored on an 8-yard run to tie the game at 7-7 with 9:18 remaining in the first quarter.
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On its next possession, SEMO chewed up over eight minutes of clock time and took its first lead of the season on a 40-yard field goal by Justin Keller. Keller's first career field goal as a Redhawk put SEMO ahead, 10-7, less than a minute into the second period.
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After that, ASU scored the final 21 points of the first half.
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ASU regained the lead when Ja'Quez Cross caught a 4-yard touchdown pass. Cross' second touchdown of the game gave the Red Wolves a 14-10 advantage at the 10:13 mark.
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The Red Wolves capitalized on a SEMO turnover to add to their lead. Devin Spencer broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run stretching ASU's margin to 21-10 with 9:05 left.
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ASU scored once more with less than a minute left in the second quarter when Kenyon Clay hit paydirt on a 2-yard run putting the Red Wolves up, 28-10, at the intermission.
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The Red Wolves increased their lead to 42-10 before SEMO finished with its 14-point fourth quarter.
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Cheers was one of eight receivers with a catch for the Redhawks. He paved the way with four receptions for 96 yards. Cheer's touchdown was the second of his career.
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Epton, Jr. ran for 61 yards on 14 carries and averaged 4.4 yards per rush along the way.
SEMO had 364 total yards on the night.
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Jaylen Raynor threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-32 passes to pace ASU.
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Defensively, Landon Sylvie registered a career-high 12 tackles as the first Redhawk with double-digit stops in 2025.Â
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SEMO and ASU faced each other for the first time in seven years. Tonight marked the 13th meeting all-time between the teams.
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The Redhawks host North Alabama in their home-opener on Sept. 6.
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Players Mentioned
Team Stats
SEM 0, ASU 7
ASU - Cross,Ja'Quez 7 yd run (Van Andel,Clune kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:55
SEM 7, ASU 7
SEM - Epton, Jr.,Brandon 8 yd run (Keller,Justin kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:47
SEM 10, ASU 7
SEM - Keller,Justin 40 yd field goal 19 plays, 68 yards, TOP 08:10
SEM 10, ASU 14
ASU - Cross,Ja'Quez 4 yd pass from Raynor,Jaylen (Van Andel,Clune kick) 8 plays, 65 yards, TOP 03:50
SEM 10, ASU 21
ASU - Spencer,Devin 43 yd run (Van Andel,Clune kick), 2 plays, 43 yards, TOP 00:14
SEM 10, ASU 28
ASU - Clay,Kenyon 2 yd run (Van Andel,Clune kick), 10 plays, 72 yards, TOP 03:13
SEM 10, ASU 35
ASU - Rucker,Corey 9 yd pass from Raynor,Jaylen (Van Andel,Clune kick) 3 plays, 64 yards, TOP 01:17
SEM 10, ASU 42
ASU - Bonelli,Jaylen 10 yd pass from Raynor,Jaylen (Van Andel,Clune kick) 9 plays, 68 yards, TOP 05:20
SEM 17, ASU 42
SEM - Cheers,Donnie 60 yd pass from Leatherwood,Jax (Keller,Justin kick) 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:05
SEM 24, ASU 42
SEM - Pedro,Cam 31 yd pass from Leatherwood,Jax (Keller,Justin kick) 7 plays, 82 yards, TOP 02:20
