Big Fourth Quarter Pushes Redhawks to 27-9 Home-Opening Win Over Central Arkansas

Saturday, September 19

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

6 PM

Southeast Missouri State University

2-2 , 0-0

Central Arkansas

2-2 , 0-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Central Ark.	3	3	0	3	9
Southeast Mo. St.	7	0	3	17	27

9/19/2026 9:37:00 PM | Football

Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Payton Brown ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns, and Southeast Missouri (2-2) scored 17 fourth-quarter points in a 27-9 victory over Central Arkansas (2-2) Saturday night.

SEMO outscored UCA, 17-3, in the game's final 15 minutes and held a 20-3 second-half advantage to pick up its first home win of the season.

The game started off with a big play when Khylen Harris-Norman returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Harris-Norman's score was the only touchdown by either team in the first half.

Harris-Norman tied Cameron Sanders (at Jacksonville State, Nov. 14, 2015) for the longest kickoff return for a touchdown in program history.

It was also SEMO's first kickoff return for a touchdown in four years since Dalyn McDonald scored on a 97-yard return also vs. Central Arkansas (Sept. 24, 2022).

A pair of Caleb Jones field goals, including a 37-yarder in the first quarter (3:56) and a 46-yarder in the second quarter (7:15) moved the Bears within a point, 7-6, at halftime.

David Jones intercepted a pass and that turnover led to a 5-yard touchdown run by Brown early in the fourth quarter with 14:55 left to play.

After a 37-yard field goal by Jones made it a one-score game (17-9), the Redhawks answered with the last 10 points to put the Bears away for good.

Justin Keller kicked a 42-yard field goal and Jones scored his second touchdown of the game on an 8-yard run to polish off the 27-9 win.

SEMO improved to 8-4 in home-openers under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz. It was the Redhawks' fifth-straight home-opening win, as well.

Brown ran the ball 18 times and averaged 4.5 yards per rush. SEMO finished with 293 total yards for the night.

Braylen Ragland completed 19-of-29 passes for 170 yards and completed a pass to eight different receivers.

Defensively, Cyler Christmas paved the way with nine tackles, six solo stops, one tackle for loss and an interception.

SEMO remains home to host West Florida during Family Weekend on Sept. 26.