Semoball

Late surge powers Southeast Missouri State football to win over Dayton in home opener

Southeast Missouri State quarterback Daniel Santacaterina (10) runs through the end zone after scoring a touchdown during a game against Dayton on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, at Houck Stadium.
Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian

Throughout the offseason, Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz harped on the importance of finishing strong and winning close ball games after the Redhawks lost five games by a combined 17 points in 2017.

That focus was evident in SEMO's home opener Saturday as the hosts out-scored Dayton by 13 points in the fourth quarter, pulling away for a 40-21 win over the Flyers at Houck Field.

"I appreciate how we ended the game," Matukewicz said. "We were in a fourth-quarter game, and we ended up blowing it open. We haven't been able to do that in the past."

Southeast Missouri State's Clarence Thornton holds a whiteboard on the sideline during the final minutes of a game against Dayton on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, at Houck Stadium.
Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian

With less than six minutes remaining, Dayton had the ball in SEMO territory with an opportunity to take the lead. The defense held strong, forcing a turnover on downs, and the offense responded with a 73-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Santacaterina to Zach Smith.

That score gave the Redhawks (1-1) their first double-digit lead of the game, and they cruised from there.

"That was the backbreaker," Matukewicz said. "That was huge."

It was a back-and-forth game from the onset with six lead changes, including four in the second half.

Each time Dayton (1-1) took the lead in those final two quarters SEMO responded with a touchdown.

It was a reversal of fortunes for the Redhawks, who have struggled closing out games. Since Matukewicz took over in 2014, SEMO has lost 16 games by seven points or less.

"There was some belief on the sidelines," Santacaterina said. "I think we were never in doubt of doing our job and getting it done. I think that's what a good team does.

Southeast Missouri State defensive back KT McCollin (26) hugs running back Marquis Terry (3) after a touchdown during a game against Dayton on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, at Houck Stadium.
Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian

"I don't know what we've done in the past, don't really care. I don't think anybody else does either."

Santacaterina had 264 yards and three touchdowns on 20-of-30 passing. He was carted off the field last week against Arkansas State after a hard hit but later returned to the sideline. Matukewicz credited co-head athletic trainer Ben Fox and the rest of the training staff with getting Santacaterina ready to play against Dayton.

Marquis Terry was a force on the ground, rushing for 202 yards, including a 95-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. He averaged 12.6 yards per carry.

"We got our playmakers in position," Matukewicz said. "All of a sudden, we blew it open because we have that kind of skill and those athletes."

SEMO won the coin toss and elected to receive. It took three plays for the Redhawks to drive down to Dayton's 22-yard line, but they settled for a 37-yard field goal by Nicholas Litang.

Dayton responded with a touchdown on the next drive, going 85 yards in 10 plays. Quarterback Jack Cook, playing in place of injured starter Alex Jeske, capped it off with a 21-yard touchdown run.

A holding call took away a SEMO touchdown midway through the second quarter and then a sack and a penalty forced there Redhawks to kick another field goal, which cut the deficit to 7-6.

A blocked punt on Dayton's next drive set SEMO up at the 11-yard line. Two plays later, Santacaterina scampered into the end zone for a 9-yard TD run and a 13-6 Redhawks lead they took into halftime.

The Flyers and Redhawks traded touchdowns to open the second half with SEMO converting on a 4th-and-7 thanks to an 11-yard Santacaterina scramble. He later bought time on second-and-goal and found a wide-open Kristian Wilkerson for a 4-yard TD to give SEMO a 20-14 lead midway through the period.

"If we had to settle there again (for a field goal), it would be, like, 'Boy, we're going to have a hard time winning this game,'" Matukewicz said.

Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Dayton retook the lead on a 35-yard TD run by Tucker Yinger.

SEMO again responded with Santacaterina finding Wilkerson with a back-shoulder throw for a 19-yard TD. The two-point conversion failed, and SEMO led 26-21.

After each team forced a three-and-out, Dayton drove to the SEMO 31-yard line. But on 4th-and-8, the Redhawks came up with a stop with Al Young making the tackle four yards short.

"We just kept playing hard," Redhawks linebacker Justin Swift said. "Coach was making the right calls and stuff. That's it."

Smith scored on the next play, and from there the lead grew. A forced fumble by Swift led to Terry’s 95-yard TD run. Swift led the team with 11 tackles.

“It was back and forth for a while, but then defense got a lot of stops, and we just kept on scoring,” Santacaterina said. “That was huge.”

That late-game surge, as SEMO out-scored Dayton 20-7, led to a comfortable win.

It's early, but the Redhawks hope they have left their fourth-quarter problems in the past. They certainly did Saturday.

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