Box Score
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CHARLESTON, Ill. - Southeast Missouri took advantage of five Eastern Illinois turnovers and Henry Harris rushed for 179 yards as the Redhawks (4-1, 3-0 OVC) snapped a six game losing skid to the Panthers (0-5, 0-3 OVC) with a 28-13 win on Saturday afternoon. EIU returns to action next Saturday at 6 p.m. at Eastern Kentucky.
The Redhawks were put in business early in the first quarter as Darrick Borum intercepted a Jimmy Garoppolo pass and returned it to the EIU 45 yard line with 11:50 left in the first quarter. SEMO would rush the ball six straight times with Harris and quarterback Matt Scheible each taking three carries. Harris found the end zone from two yards out to give SEMO an early lead.
EIU buckled down following that score to lead 10-7 at the half. The Panthers scored an equalizing touchdown with 6:28 to go in the first quarter. Garoppolo hit tight end Cody Bruns on a 13-yard score. Jimmy Potempa helped the Panthers get into scoring territory with a 42-yard run as he finished with 99 yards on the ground.
Following a second EIU turnover, the Panthers defense was able to hold SEMO on a fourth and one from the 5 yard line to get the ball. After EIU went 3-and-out Kevin Cook sailed a punt 86-yards to change field position for the Panthers. The punt was the longest in the NCAA Division I history of the program. Cook finished punting four times for a 50.2 yards per punt average with three punts downed inside the 20 and a fourth punt rolling into the end zone as a coverage man could not down it at the one.
Cook's punt allowed the EIU defense to turn up the pressure as Nick Martinez forced a Mike Jones fumble to give EIU the ball at the SEMO 16 yard line. Ineffectiveness in the red zone cost the Panthers as they settled for a Cameron Berra 33-yard field goal. The Panthers would fall short later in the game inside the red zone again settling for a Berra field goal.
Harris marched the Redhawks down the field to open the second half as he galloped 50 yards on five carries to place the ball inside the one yard line. Scheible pushed in from one-yard to give SEMO the lead at 14-10. Tylor Brock would extend SEMO's lead two possessions later as he picked off a Garoppolo pass and raced 48 yards for a score. Brock would finish the day with two of the Redhawks four interceptions.
Harris added a touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the game for SEMO as they rushed for 277 yards as a team. Scheible added 66 yards on the ground while going 7-for-10 for 41 yards through the air.
Garoppolo finished the day 20-of-34 for 163 yards with one touchdown and the four interceptions. Kenny Whittaker was the favorite target with 5 catches for 35 yards. Nick Nasti led the Panthers defense for the fifth straight week with 14 tackles.
Justin Woodlief led SEMO with 11 tackles while Borum had ten tackles, two sacks and one interception.
