4th Quarter Touchdown Sends SEMO Past Murray State 24-17

Saturday, October 28

Murray, Ky.

1 p.m.

Murray State

Southeast Missouri

4th Quarter Touchdown Sends SEMO Past Murray State 24-17

10/28/2006 5:00:00 AM | Football

Murray State took an early 7-0 lead and then scored 10 straight points to tie the game in the fourth quarter but Southeast Missouri State's Tim Holloman scored on a 76-yard run with 9:18 left in the game to send the Redhawks to a 24-17 win today at Stewart Stadium in Murray, Ky.

Freshman Taylor Lanigan gave the Racers (1-8, 0-6 OVC) the early lead when he returned a blocked punt for a touchdown with 12:36 to play in the first quarter. Fellow freshman Shane McCleskey caught a 30-yard touchdown pass to close a SEMO lead to three points with 1:12 remaining in the third quarter.

“I'm pleased with the way they played for 60 minutes,” said MSU Head Coach Matt Griffin of his team. “They showed no quit and that's impressive.”

The Redhawks' win today was only the second ever for Southeast Missouri in 20 trips to Murray. SEMO last won in Murray during the 1978 season.

SEMO ran up 285 yards on the ground led by Holloman's 188 yards and two touchdowns. Tony Anderson picked up 92 yards on 25 carries and scored once.

“Give both of their running backs credit,” said Murray State junior linebacker Nathan Williams. “They ran the ball hard and were difficult to stop. It's really frustrating, we fight all game and press them, and then they break one off for (76 yards).”

Quarterback Zach Barnard completed 16-of-36 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown. The redshirt freshman did not throw an interception. Freshman Derrick Townsel caught three of Barnard's throws for 73 yards.

Josh Jones rushed for 87 yards on 15 carries for the Racers.

Colin Schermann got the Redhawks on the board when he connected on a 26-yard field goal with 10:22 to go in the second quarter. Holloman's first touchdown run, from 27 yards out, with 8:09 left before halftime gave Southeast Missouri a 10-7 advantage at the break.

Anderson capped a nine play, 80-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter to extend the SEMO advantage to 17-7.

After Barnard hooked up with McCleskey from 30 yards out Gary Crass tied the game with a 25 yard field goal with 10:25 left in the game.

On the second play of the Redhawks' next drive Holloman broke free up the middle from 76 yards out for the game winner.

Murray State's Will Werner finished with a game-high 12 tackles. Williams earned his fifth double-digit tackle performance of the season, finishing with 10 stops, 0.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.

Anthony Lumpkin led Southeast Missouri defenders with 10 tackles. Edgar Jones, who entered the game as the nation's sack leader, finished with one sack and six tackles.

Southeast Missouri picked up a first down on the game's opening possession but was forced to punt from its own 37 yard line. Murray State's Charlie Jordan blocked the kick, Lanigan recovered the ball at the one yard line and took it in for six points.

The Racer offense couldn't capitalize on the help the defense provided at the start of the game. On its three offensive possessions in the first quarter, Murray State picked up just one first down and 21 total yards.

SEMO's offense produced 81 yards, including 61 on the ground, in the first 15 minutes of play but was held out of the end zone by the MSU defense. The Redhawks put together a 10 play, 49 yard drive with 5:50 left in the first quarter but couldn't get any points on the board.

Back-to-back carries by Anderson gained 25 yards and moved Southeast into MSU territory. The drive stalled at the MSU 22 yard line. On third down and three yards to go, Anderson was stopped for no gain. The Redhawks went for it on fourth down and Anderson was stopped again for no gain.

After starting its first drive of the second quarter at its own 45 yard line, Southeast Missouri was able to get on the scoreboard. Holloman moved the team down to the Murray State 6 yard line with three straight carries for 19 yards. On second down, Holloman was stopped for a 3-yard loss and quarterback Kevin Ballatore's pass on third down fell incomplete. However, SEMO got points on the board with Schermann's 26-yard field goal.

The Redhawks took the lead on its next drive. On third and 13 from his own 37 yard line, Ballatore found Matt Boyack for 36 yards and then Holloman hit pay dirt from 27 yards out to put the visitors in front 10-7.

The Racer offense faired better in the second half statistically, but only crossed midfield once. Murray State had 76 yards of offense and four first downs in the second stanza.

MSU started its final drive of the first half at its own 23 yard line. Freshman Josh Jones picked up 10 yards and a first down on the ground to move up to the 37 yard line. After Barnard was sacked for a nine yard loss on the next play, Jones ripped of a 30-yard run to reach Southeast Missouri territory with six seconds left before intermission. On the final play of the half, Barnard connected with Derrick Townsel but the play went for just five yards.

Facing a third down and 21 situation on the opening drive of the second half, Barnard and Townsel hooked up for 73 yards to get to the SEMO 18 yard line. The Racers wouldn't get any closer and Crass's chance to tie the game missed wide right from 37 yards out.

Southeast Missouri gave the ball to Anderson and Holloman on all nine plays of its first possession of the second half and saw its lead move to 10 points.

Holloman picked up 49 yards on the first play of the drive to move into MSU territory. After a Murray State holding penalty turned a second down and 17 situation into second and seven Holloman carried four consecutive times for 16 yards and Anderson finished off the drive with two carries, the last going for eight yards and a SEMO touchdown.

The Racers answered on their next possession with an impressive 12 play, 80-yard drive. Jones carried it eight times on the drive for 30 yards to get MSU to the SEMO 30 yard line. That's when Barnard finished it off with a 30-yard pass to McCleskey to cut the deficit to just three points.

Murray State was set up to take the lead when Tyler Sinclair forced a fumble at the SEMO 33 yard line on Southeast Missouri's next drive and Williams returned it to the nine yard line. The Racers couldn't punch it into the end zone and settled for a 25-yard field goal from Crass to tie the game with 10:25 left to play.

After picking up two yards on the first play Holloman broke lose for what turned out to be the game winner.

MSU put itself in position to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. After SEMO turned it over on downs at the Murray State 46 yard line the Racers moved down to the seven yard line and had four shots at the end zone.

Barnard found Jordan for nine yards on the first play and then Jones picked up the first down with a one yard run. After an incomplete pass, Barnard connected with Jones through the air for 13 yards down to the SEMO 31-yard line.

Two plays later Barnard found Rod Harper for 14 yards and Jones gained 10 yards on the ground to get to the seven yard line. Barnard attempted four straight passes but none of them found a target and Southeast Missouri took possession with 1:21 left in the game.

The Racers will play their final road game of the season on Saturday (Nov. 4) when they travel to face Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Ky. The game is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. CT.