Box Score

HAMMOND – The Southeastern Louisiana football team made a statement to open Southland Conference play, racking up a season-high 583 total yards in a 56-14 rout of Stephen F. Austin in the league opener for both teams Saturday night at Strawberry Stadium.
 
Decked out in all gold for the first time ever, Southeastern (4-2, 1-0 Southland) controlled every facet of the contest, holding Stephen F. Austin (2-4, 0-1 Southland), which came in ranked No. 2 nationally in total offense and as the top ranked passing offense to 315 total yards and 139 passing yards. The Lions posted its highest-ever point total versus a Southland Conference opponent in the victory, which marked the second straight season the Lions opened league play with a win.
 
Junior quarterback Bryan Bennett had his best day as a Lion, throwing for season highs of 337 yards and four touchdowns on 13 of 20 passing, while also rushing for 72 yards and a score. Bennett hooked up with senior Tony McCrea (4 catches, 114 yards), sophomore Jeff Smiley (2-20), junior Chris Malott (1-85) and senior Marquis Fruge' (1-77) for touchdown passes. Sophomores Rasheed Harrell and Darius Guy both scored rushing touchdowns for the Lions.
 
Junior Marice Sutton led the Southeastern defense with two interceptions, taking his first pick back for a 45-yard touchdown. The score marked the second touchdown in as many weeks for Sutton, who tied a school record for career interception touchdown returns. Junior Tyler Stoddard also picked off a pass, as the Lions held SFA senior quarterback Brady Attaway to 139 passing yards on 15 of 34 passing – over 200 yards under his per game average.
 
Senior Theo Alexander led the Lion defense with 12 tackles, while junior Isiah Corbett posted the team's lone sack. Junior running back Gus Johnson was the lone bright spot for the Lumberjacks, finishing with 21 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown.
 
Southeastern jumped out to an early lead less than two minutes into the game. Bennett broke free around left end, carrying SFA tacklers and scoring from 53 yards out to give the Lions a 7-0 lead with 13:11 remaining in the opening quarter.
 
Stoddard picked off Attaway's first pass of the game to give Southeastern the ball at the SFA 37. Six plays later, Harrell bulled in from four yards out to put the Lions ahead, 14-0, with 11:10 left in the first period.
 
SFA answered with its best drive of the game, chewing up 79 yards and 4:35 off the clock with a methodical 15-play scoring drive. Johnson punched it in from three yards out and cut the Lion lead to 14-7 with 6:30 left in the opening quarter.
 
After SFA stopped Southeastern for the first time, Sutton stepped in front of a short throw from Attaway and raced in from 45 yards out to give the Lions a 21-7 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
 
Southeastern completely blew the game open in the second quarter. After stopping SFA on downs, Bennett marched the Lions 67 yards on 13 plays. Smiley brought in a short pass from Bennett and raced in from 15 yards out to cap the drive and give Southeastern a 28-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
 
After forcing a quick three and out, Southeastern padded its lead. McCrea got behind the SFA defense and hauled in a perfectly thrown deep ball from Bennett and scored from 82 yards out to give the Lions a commanding 35-7 advantage with 3:21 left in the half.
 
SFA managed to move to the Southeastern 25-yard line, but Sutton intercepted an Attaway pass in the end zone to end that threat. Two plays later, Bennett found a wide open Fruge' for a 77-yard touchdown, sending the Lions into the break with a 42-7 lead.
 
SFA went three and out to start the second half. Bennett then closed his night, finding Malott open down the right sideline for a 85-yard touchdown. Malott's first career touchdown was the longest passing touchdown for the Lions since 2010 and put Southeastern up, 49-7, less than two minutes into the third quarter.
 
SFA would manage to get into double figures on a three-yard touchdown pass from Attaway to junior Braxton Bearden. Guy would cap the scoring late in the fourth quarter with a 20-yard scoring run.
 
Southeastern will open its Southland Conference road slate next Saturday, facing Northwestern State at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on KSLU 90.9 FM, the flagship station of the Southeastern Sports Radio Network, as well as Northshore Broadcasting stations Kajun 107.1 FM and The Joint 104.7 FM. Fans can listen online at www.LionSports.net or on their smart phone using the TuneIn Radio app.