Sports Zone Oct. 14, 2023: SEMO, SIU football pick up big wins, SEMO volleyball’s Beilsmith sets OVC digs record
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – The Southeast Missouri State football team’s struggles in one-score games have been well documented, but they had a chance to exercise some demons today on homecoming as they hosted Eastern Illinois.
It was a packed house at Houck Field as SEMO found itself in yet another close game.
Early in the 4th quarter with the game tied at 21, senior running back Geno Hess put on the afterburners and scampered into the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown run, his second of the game and sixth of the season, to make it 28-21 Redhawks.
Five minutes later, after Hess had to leave the game with an injury, Kevion Robbins toted the rock at the goal line and punched it in to extend the Redhawks lead to 14.
But Eastern Illinois would respond right away. In just three plays, the Panthers went 71 yards, and Justin Thomas finds paydirt from 21 yards out to slice the lead in half.
Semo would then hang on to the ball for nearly five and a half minutes, but the Redhawks were forced to punt it away to EIU, and the Panthers made their way down to the SEMO 26, where they had one last shot at the end zone.
Pierce Holley’s desperation heave was broken up, and mercifully, finally, the Redhawks do exercise those one-score game demons and snap their three-game losing streak on homecoming.
The Redhawks will hit the road to Cookeville, Tennessee, to take on Tennessee Tech next Saturday.
In Murray, Kent., Southern Illinois looked to return to their winning ways as they clashed with Murray State.
On the very first play from scrimmage, Justin Strong would bust loose for an 80-yard touchdown run, giving the Salukis a lead they would not relinquish.
The Salukis’ defense flexed its muscle, holding the Racers to under 200 total yards en route to a 27-6 victory.
The 13th-ranked Salukis will host the top-ranked South Dakota State jackrabbits next Saturday at 2 pm.
SEMO volleyball libero Tara Beilsmith became the Ohio Valley Conference’s all-time leader in digs during SEMO’s sweep of Tennessee State today.
