Offensive Woes Plague Racers at SEMO

Saturday, October 3

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

6 p.m.

Murray State

1-4 , 0-2

Southeast Missouri

2-3 , 1-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Murray St.

Southeast Mo. St.

Photo by: Tab Brockman

10/3/2015 11:02:00 PM | Football

Box Score

Just The Facts
Despite over 500 yards of offense, the Murray State football team scored just 10 points Saturday, as they fell to Southeast Missouri, 27-10, at Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau.

The Racers (1-4, 0-2) rushed for 172 yards in the game and passed for another 368, but were unable to score when it counted, going 2-for-5 in the red zone. Murray State also struggled on third down in the game, converting just three of 15 attempts.

The Turning Point
At the break, Murray State trailed Southeast Missouri by just a field goal at 10-7. However, the Redhawks were able to score on the opening drive of the second half, while the Racers had to settle for field goal later in the quarter. After a missed field goal attempt late in the third quarter by Murray State, the Redhawks answered with a touchdown, virtually putting the game out of reach for the Racers.

About The Redhawks
True freshman Dante Vandeven was 16-for-25 with 221 yards, two touchdowns and an interception to help power the SEMO offense. All-American Paul McRoberts showed why he earned that honor by racking up 169 yards on eight catches with two touchdowns for an average of 22.1 yards a reception.

On the ground, Tremane McCoullough rushed for 220 yards for the Redhawks on 27 carries and picked up a score as well. Eriq Moore had 11 tackles to lead the SEMO defense, while Chad Meredith has 10, 2.0 tackles-for-loss and three hurries.

Punk'D
In the second quarter, the Racers appeared to go be going for it on fourth-and-four on the Southeast Missouri 31-yard line. However, instead of passing, KD Humphries successfully completed the first punt of his career 30 yards, with the ball being downed on the SEMO one-yard line.

Red Zone Woes
Murray State was just 2-for-5 in red zone opportunities in the game, while the Redhawks were successful on each of their four trips inside the 20. On the opening drive, Murray State went 81 yards before Drew Rutland fumbled a catch in the end zone. In the third quarter, MSU's drive stalled out on the 10-yard line after a missed a 27-yard field goal attempt.

Streak Ender
For the first time since the Austin Peay game last season, KD Humphries failed to pass for a touchdown Saturday. Despite the fact he did not score through the air for the first time in nine games, Humphries was still 37-for-59 in the game for 368 yards with just one pick, marking his fourth 300-plus yard game of the season.

Fantastic Five
Senior Jeremy Harness set a new school record Saturday, by recording his fifth consecutive game of 100-plus yards receiving. The previous record of four was held by a pair of Racers in Marcus Harris from 2010 and Walter Powell from 2012. Harness finished the game with 117 yards on 12 catches.

Roman Empire
For the first time since the Kentucky Wesleyan game in 2014, Murray State had a 100-yard plus rusher. Roman Clay rushed for a career-high 148 yards on 16 carries with one touchdown for an average of 9.3 yards per carry.

Playing Clean
The two teams combined for a Murray State season-low 54 penalty yards on Saturday. The Racers were penalized just twice for 24 yards, while SEMO was penalized three times for only 30 yards.

Up Next
Murray State returns to the friendly confines of The Track for Homecoming 2015 against rival Austin Peay next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m., and the game will be carried live on the OVC Digital Network.