Box Score (PDF)

RICHMOND, Ky. – Led by Bennie Coney and Devin Borders, the EKU football team scored 24 unanswered points on its way to a 31-16 win over visiting Southeast Missouri State University Saturday at Roy Kidd Stadium.
 
Coney and the EKU offense racked up 527 yards of total offense.  The senior turned in his second consecutive 300-yard passing performance, completing 23-of-37 for 337 yards and four touchdowns in the win.
 
Borders, meanwhile, hauled in three touchdown catches, along with 119 yards, marking his second consecutive 100-yard receiving performance.
 
Leading 24-9 in the fourth, the Colonels forced a SEMO turnover and looked to put the game away with less than 10 minutes to play. Junior Kobie Grace stripped SEMO's Tremane McCullough at the SEMO six yard line to send the Colonel offense back on the field.
 
EKU was the beneficiary of a pass interference on third-and-10 from the SEMO 12 which put the ball at the Redhawks' two yard line. After Henry Enyenihi rumbled to the one on the ensuing play, Coney found Borders in the corner to give EKU a commanding lead, 31-9, with 8:42 left to play.
 
The Colonels took their first lead of the contest with Borders' third touchdown reception of the season. Coney fired a strike on third-and-seven to Borders near the pylon to cap a 16 play, 83-yard EKU drive. Lucas Williams tacked on the extra point to give the Colonels a 7-6 advantage.
 
After trading three and outs, the Colonels regained possession with 1:32 remaining before intermission. Coney and company put together a calm and collected drive to extend their lead at the break. Consecutive incompletions gave the Colonels a third-and-10 opportunity from the SEMO 18. Coney found Cameron Fogle for the score to go ahead, 13-6. Williams once again added the point after as the Colonels carried a 14-6 lead into the locker room.
 
The Colonel offense kept the momentum going to open the second half. On their first possession, back-to-back completions from Coney to Borders widened the EKU lead to 21-6. On second-and-16 from the EKU 16, Coney connected with Borders for a 28-yard completion. On the ensuing play, the duo struck again as Coney delivered a precision throw over the outreached hands of a SEMO defender for a 56-yard score.
 
Williams recorded a new career best, as the redshirt junior split the uprights from 49 yards out to widen the EKU lead to 24-9 with 4:21 remaining in the third period.
 
The Redhawks threatened late in the third stanza. From their own 45, SEMO's Will Young broke the line of scrimmage and scampered 45 yards to the EKU 10. Cornerback Nigel Bethel hustled across the field to bring down Young, preventing the Redhawk score.
 
The EKU defense stood tall, denying the Redhawks from the end zone on consecutive plays to force a field goal attempt. Ryan McCrum delivered his third field goal of the night to close the Eastern lead to 24-9.
 
Southeast Missouri struck first as it took a 3-0 lead just over five minutes into the contest. After the Eastern Kentucky offense failed to convert on its first possession, the Redhawks strung together an 11-play, 45-yard drive to take the lead.
 
The Colonels were denied on a fourth-and-goal opportunity from the one yard line, allowing the Redhawks to take over on downs. From its own end zone, Southeast orchestrated a 10-play, 93 yard drive but junior Bethel covered up a McCullough fumble to give the Colonels possession.
 
Eastern was unable to capitalize off the stop, however, as a mishandled ball from Coney gave the Redhawks possession at the EKU 18.
 
The Eastern Kentucky defense stood tall, denying the Redhawk offense to force a field goal attempt. McCrum connected on his second of the night on a 30-yarder with 14:09 remaining in the opening half. 
 
Southeast Missouri found the end zone on a 45-yard pass from Jesse Hosket to Kristian Wilkerson with 3:42 left to play.
 
The Colonels converted 11-of-19 (58 percent) third down chances in the win, while holding SEMO to 7-of-17 on third down.
 
Redshirt senior Kiante Northington led the Colonel defense with nine tackles. Sophomore Aaron Patrick recorded 1.5 sacks on the night.
 
NOTES
Redshirt senior Devin Borders racked up 119 receiving yards and a career-high three touchdowns. He is currently 35 yards away from ninth place on the program's all-time career receiving yards list. He now has 20 career receiving touchdowns.
 
Redshirt junior Cameron Fogle recorded his second career touchdown reception in the win.
 
Redshirt Bennie Coney now has 4,616 career passing yards. He is 79 yards away from passing Allan Holland (2006-08) for fourth place in the program's all-time passing yards list.
 
With the win, EKU has now won six straight contests over SEMO in Richmond.