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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Trailing 16-7 midway through the third quarter, the Eastern Kentucky University football team rallied for a 29-16 victory over host Southeast Missouri Saturday afternoon at Houck Stadium. The Colonels have now won five straight to move to 5-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play and 6-3 overall.

Senior quarterback Allan Holland completed 31-of-41 passes for a season-best 306 yards in the victory. Junior running back C.J. Walker amassed a season-high 90 yards on the ground while senior wide out Stephon Fuqua added eight catches for 104 yards.

The Colonel defense forced four turnovers, including two interceptions by senior Zach Denton. Redshirt freshman Jeremy Caldwell returned an interception 66 yards for a score in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

For Southeast Missouri (3-6, 1-4), Timmy Holloman led the way with 107 rushing yards and a touchdown. Walter Peoples chipped in with eight receptions for 154 yards.

The Redhawks took a 13-7 lead into halftime and then had two chances to extend the lead in the third quarter. Southeast Missouri moved the ball into field goal range on its first drive, but missed a 42-yard field goal.

SEMO linebacker Phillip Klaproth then intercepted a Holland pass and returned it to the Eastern Kentucky 30-yard line. The home team pushed inside the Colonel 10-yard line before settling for a 19-yard field goal to make the score 16-7 with 4:14 left in the third quarter.

The Colonels responded on their ensuing drive to cut the deficit to 16-14. Fuqua kept the drive alive on 3rd-and-10 with a 23-yard catch to the Eastern 45-yard line. Nine plays later on 3rd-and-six, Holland hooked up with senior tight end Stephen Sizemore for a 14-yard touchdown.

Following Southeast Missouri’s first punt of the game early in the fourth quarter, EKU put together another long drive, this time 10 plays for 84 yards to take the lead for good, 21-16. Holland completed all five pass attempts on the march and capped the drive with a 22-yard scoring pass to sophomore Cody Watts.

Eastern Kentucky put the game away on Southeast Missouri’s next possession when Caldwell stepped in front of a SEMO swing pass and took the interception 66 yards to pay dirt to stretch the Colonel advantage to 29-16 with 6:06 remaining.

Eastern Kentucky scored its only points of the first half on the opening possession of the game. The Colonels converted two third downs on the drive before Walker burst through the line for a 37-yard touchdown run, which happened to be the Colonels longest run of the season.

Following an open week, the Colonels return home for Senior Day against Murray State on Nov. 15. EKU’s regular season home finale is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m.

NOTES
--With the victory, the Colonels clinched their 31st consecutive winning season. Eastern Kentucky’s previous non-winning season happened in 1977 when EKU finished 5-5.

--Eastern Kentucky is now 9-0 all-time against Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau.

--Southeast Missouri’s two field goals in the first quarter were the first points scored by the Redhawks in the first quarter this season.

--Senior defensive lineman Chris Harris tallied his first career interception in the second quarter.

--Redshirt freshman Jeremy Caldwell’s fourth quarter interception returned for a touchdown was the first by a Colonel since Oct. 20, 2007, when Derrick Huff returned an interception 68 yards for a score against Tennessee State.

--The Colonels have forced at least three turnovers in four straight games and six of the last seven contests.

--EKU piled up a season-high 465 yards of offense.