Semoball

Southeast Missouri State football dominates from start to finish in 37-14 victory, snapping Jacksonville State's OVC winning streak

Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Zack Smith (9) is knocked over the pylon to score the first touchdown in a conference game against Jacksonville State on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, at Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau.
Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian

There weren't any wild celebrations at the final whistle, no last-second comeback needed. The Southeast Missouri State football simply dominated from start to finish, ending the nation's longest active conference winning streak in the process.

SEMO scored on the game's opening possession and never trailed in the 37-14 win over No. 4 Jacksonville State in Saturday's Pink Up game at Houck Field, halting the Gamecocks' run of 36 consecutive Ohio Valley Conference victories in front of 3,103 fans.

It was the Gamecocks' first OVC loss since 2013, and the first conference defeat for JSU coach John Grass.

Southeast Missouri State running back Marquis Terry, left, high fives young fans on the field as he makes his way to the locker room after winning a conference game against Jacksonville State on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, at Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau.
Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian

All three units, offense, defense and special teams, scored as SEMO rattled off 23 straight points to pull away and make the final quarter a formality.

"It was just a great team win," Southeast coach Tom Matukewicz said. "You're not going to knock off the No. 4 team by playing great in one phase. You really have to play great in all three phases, and you have to respond to one another."

SEMO (5-2, 3-1 OVC) now controls its destiny. Win out and the Redhawks will claim their first OVC title since 2010.

To get in this position, the Redhawks excelled in every facet of the game against JSU (5-2, 4-1), blocking a field goal and returning it for a touchdown, getting a safety on defense and sealing the game with two second-half rushing touchdowns, the first rushing scores JSU has given up all season.

SEMO scored three of its four offensive touchdowns in the second half as Marquis Terry finished with 102 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries despite re-injuring his left ankle in the first quarter.

"Offensively, it was one of those deals where we had to keep hammering," Matukewicz said. "We knew it was going to be tough. They're the No. 2 defense in the nation for a reason."

Southeast Missouri State defenders Daterraion Richardson (99) and Zach Hall (5) tackle Jacksonville State running back Jaelen Greene (22) during an Ohio Valley conference game Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, at Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau.
Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian

Slow starts have been a problem for SEMO at points this season. Not Saturday, though. Zack Smith returned the opening kickoff to the Jacksonville State 49-yard line, receiving a lucky break when he fumbled the ball but it bounced right back into his hands.

Three plays later, Smith scored around the left side on a 14-yard shovel pass from Daniel Santacaterina. Less than two minutes in, SEMO led 7-0.

"That was awesome," Santacaterina said. "We got our feet under us, and defense started out with a stop, as well and that kind of set the tone."

The Gamecocks drove down the field on their opening drive, but a DJ Freeman interception ended that possession. It was one of five turnovers SEMO forced.

"Defensively, that was as good a performance since I've been here," Matukewicz said. "That team averaged 48 points a game."

With SEMO struggling to move the ball early, JSU had a chance to take the lead in the second quarter.

A 15-yard touchdown pass from Zerrick Cooper to tight end Landon Rice tied the game at 7-all, and SEMO went three-and-out on the next possession.

Starting at its 4-yard line, JSU drove down to the SEMO 8. The Gamecocks couldn't punch the ball into the end zone and settled for a 25-yard field goal attempt.

That's when Zach Hall burst through the line, raising his hands and blocking the field goal. Bydarrius Knighten scooped the ball up and raced down the field, setting off a raucous celebration on the sideline and in the stands.

Instead of a 10-7 deficit, SEMO was suddenly ahead 14-7.

"It was huge," Knighten said. "It changed the momentum of the game. It gave us a good chance to win from there on."

The defense and special teams continued to play its part. Minutes before halftime, punter Jake Reynolds pinned JSU at its 1. Two plays later, Hall avoided the Gamecock blockers and stopped Leander Burrowes in the end zone for a 2-yard loss and a safety. It was one of his game-high 15 tackles.

In the span of a few minutes, it had gone from a tie game to a 16-7 SEMO lead.

The break did nothing to slow down SEMO either. On the first offensive play of the second half, Justin Swift sacked Cooper, forcing a fumble that Omardrick Douglas recovered.

Two plays later, SEMO cashed in on a 13-yard TD pass from Santacaterina to Kristian Wilkerson to take a 23-7 lead over the Gamecocks just over a minute into the second half.

"That was a huge turnover," Matukewicz said. "Big, big point in the game."

Mark Robinson and Terry added the fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns -- sandwiched in between a 4-yard TD pass from Cooper to Josh Pearson -- to put an exclamation point on the historic win.

Late in the 2013 season, JSU started its OVC winning streak with a victory over SEMO. Five years and a coaching change later, it has come full circle with SEMO ending that run of conference victories.

Coming into the game, JSU had all the history and pedigree, plus a top-five ranking, but SEMO was quietly confident.

That confidence was rewarded with a program-defining victory.

"It's really not a surprise to me," Knighten said. "I felt good during the whole game, the whole week."

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