Redhawks Use Big Fourth Quarter to Take Down Leathernecks, 40-30, on Homecoming

Saturday, October 17

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

2 PM

Southeast Missouri State University

4-3 , 2-0

Western Illinois

3-4 , 1-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Western Ill.	10	7	13	0	30
Southeast Mo. St.	10	6	6	18	40

10/17/2026 6:11:00 PM | Football

Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (4-3, 2-0) scored 18 fourth-quarter points to key a 40-30 win over Western Illinois (3-4, 1-1) Saturday afternoon at Houck Field.

In a game that included three ties and seven lead changes, SEMO pulled away for good with its big fourth-quarter surge.

Khyair Spain and Tyrell Reed, Jr. each ran for a season-high 111 yards and combined for three rushing touchdowns. Spain scored both of his TDs in the fourth quarter.

Spain broke free for a 27-yard touchdown run to give the game its final tie at 30-30 with 13:36 left to play.

He then hit paydirt on a 2-yard run to put SEMO ahead, 37-30, with a little under six minutes to go. That score was set up by a 37-yard catch by John Anthony, Jr.

After Timothy Maxson tackled Josh Robinson for no gain on a fourth-and-1, SEMO took over on downs at the WIU 45-yard line.

The Redhawks then settled for a 23-yard field goal by Justin Keller to finish off the win.

SEMO, which had just 40 rushing yards at halftime, ran for 198 in the final two quarters and ended the game with a season-high 238 rushing yards.

Keller kicked his first three field goals of the contest in the first half.

After SEMO stopped WIU on fourth down, Keller made a 47-yard field goal to give the Redhawks a 3-0 edge with 12:32 remaining in the first quarter.

Tied, 3-3, following a 24-yard field goal by Ronan Culkin, SEMO pulled ahead again when tight end Clayton Leonard scored his first career touchdown.

Leonard was on the receiving end of a 50-yard pass from Braylen Ragland to cap a 6-play, 75-yard drive giving the Redhawks a 10-3 advantage at the 6:49 mark.

WIU answered with an 8-play, 77-yard march that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Kennedy McGill bringing the score to 10-10 with 2:57 to go.

DJ Delmore intercepted McGill and the takeaway resulted in a 28-yard field goal by Keller to put SEMO back on top, 13-10, with 11:13 left in the second quarter.

A 1-yard run by McGill regained a 17-13 lead for the Leathernecks before Keller drilled a career-long 54-yard field goal as time expired to make it a 17-16 ballgame at the intermission. That field goal tied for third-longest in program history.

Keller scored 14 of SEMO's points on a perfect 4-of-4 field goals and 2-of-2 PATs.

The Redhawks had a season-best 432 yards of total offense and had two 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time since Geno Hess had 128 yards and Andrew Bunch had 115 yards at Southern Illinois on Oct. 30, 2020.

Reed, Jr. ran the ball 16 times and averaged nearly seven yards (6.9) per carry, while Spain gained an average of 4.4 yards on 25 attempts.

Ragland threw for 194 yards and one touchdown on 16-of-28 passes.

Defensively, Nehemiah Scott paved the way with a season-best 10 tackles, the first double-digit tackle game of his career. Cyler Christmas followed close behind with nine stops and Delmore added four tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups.

SEMO moved to 9-3 in Homecoming games under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz.

The Redhawks, who have won three of their last four games, travel to Eastern Illinois on Oct. 24.