Box Score

HAMMOND – The No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana football team used a 21-point fourth quarter to pull away from Southern Utah for a 41-14 victory in a battle of 2013 Football Championship Subdivision playoff participants Saturday night at Strawberry Stadium.
 
Southeastern improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2009 behind 476 yards of total offense. The Lion defense forced Southern Utah (0-2) into three turnovers and were able to limit the Thunderbirds to two scores.
 
"Southern Utah is a very good football team and we weren't surprised that they were able to give us fits," Southeastern head coach Ron Roberts said. "We didn't come out very sharp and we weren't executing very well in the first half. I was pleased with how we dug in and focused in the fourth quarter."
 
The game also featured a scary moment midway through the third quarter, as junior Darrius Guy was carted from the field and taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons. Southeastern athletic medical personnel reported that the Tunica, Mississippi had movement in all his extremities and x-rays did not indicate any fractures. Guy will be further evaluated on a day-to-day basis.
 
Southeastern was led by senior quarterback Bryan Bennett on offense. The Walter Payton Award candidate threw for 224 yards and touchdowns to seniors Devante Scott and Chris Malott. Scott led the Lions with four catches for 89 yards.
 
Bennett also led Southeastern with 70 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Juniors Xavier Roberson (five carries, 60 yards) and Kody Sutton (13 carries, 49 yards) were the other top rushers for SLU, while freshman Eugene Bethea scored his first rushing touchdown as a Lion.
 
The Lion defense were able to maintain the lead before the offense kicked into top gear in the second half. Senior Drew Misita returned an interception for a touchdown on the game's first play from scrimmage, while junior Jordan Batiste and senior Marice Sutton each also intercepted passes. Seniors Isiah Corbett and senior Tyler Stoddard were SLU's top tacklers with 11 and 10 stops, respectively. Corbett and junior Aaron Price shared a sack for the Lions.
 
SUU senior quarterback Aaron Cantu threw for 224 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Senior Chris Robinson led the Thunderbirds with six catches, while junior Justin Brown finished with five catches for a team-high 82 yards. Junior Mitch Jessup caught a touchdown for SUU, while sophomore Raysean Pringle rushed for a score.
 
Sophomore Chinedu Ahanonu and junior James Cowser led the Thunderbirds with 11 tackles apiece. Freshman Chance Bearnson had an interception for SUU.
 
Southeastern jumped on top just 13 seconds into the game, as Misita stepped in front of a Cantu pass and ran in untouched from 10 yards out to give the Lions an early lead.
 
After Southern Utah missed a 41-yard field goal attempt, Southeastern added to its lead late in the first quarter. A 20-yard Bennett scamper and a 28-yard run by Roberson highlighted an eight-play, 64-yard scoring march that senior Ryan Adams capped with a 29-yard field goal to give Southeastern a 10-0 lead with two minutes left in the opening quarter.
 
Southern Utah cut into the lead on its first drive on the second quarter. A fourth-and-4 conversion that saw Cantu find Justin Brown for 26 yards highlighted a 12-play, 75-yards scoring march. Jessup hauled in a pass from three yards out to cut the lead to 10-7 with 12:55 left in the half.
 
Both offenses stalled over the next several possessions. Batiste set up Southeastern with outstanding field position, intercepting a pass and returning it 14 yards to the SUU 21-yard line. The Gramercy native's first pick as a Lion set up a 24-yard Adams field goal that gave Southeastern a 13-7 lead with 2:54 left in the opening half.
 
After the SLU defense forced a three-and-out, Scott set Southeastern up with great field position with a 17-yard punt return into SUU territory. Three plays later, the Ferriday native caught a quick slant and was off to the races, scoring for 38 yards out and sending the Lions into halftime with a 20-7 lead.
 
Both offenses sputtered to start the second half, before Southern Utah cut into the Lion lead thanks to a Bearnson 20-yard interception return to the SLU 39-yard line. Five plays later, Pringle bulled in from a yard out to cut the Lion lead to 20-14 with 3:34 left in the third quarter.
 
Southeastern answered with a methodical 17-play, 83-yard scoring march that took nearly eight minutes off the clock. Bennett raced in from a yard out on a fourth-and-goal play to give the Lions a 27-14 lead with 10:29 left in the contest.
 
Southern Utah would not go away quietly, however, driving inside the Southeastern five-yard line. The Lion defense stiffened, as a heavy rush from Corbett and junior A.J. Bowen forced an errant throw by Cantu on third down, then Cantu misfired on fourth down to give the Lions the ball back.
 
After picking up a couple of first downs to get out of the shadows of its own goal post, the Lions faced a third-and-13 at their own 19-yard line. Roberson broke wide open down the left sideline and hauled in a 48-yard pass from Bennett to set Southeastern up in SUU territory. Two plays later, Malott caught a 33-yard Bennett throw to extend the Lion advantage to 34-14 with 5:27 left.
 
Marice Sutton set up the Lions' final score, stepping in front of a Cantu pass and racing 18 yards into Southern Utah territory. Five plays later, Bethea bulled in from six yards out, as the West Boca Raton, Florida native's first touchdown as a Lion provided the final 41-14 margin.  
 
Southeastern will be back in action next Saturday, traveling to Tulane (0-2) for a 7 p.m contest in New Orleans. The contest will be televised live on ESPN3. The game will also be broadcast live in the Hammond area on the flagship station of Southeastern Football, KSLU-FM (90.9), as well as affiliates and Northshore Broadcasting stations Kajun 107.1 FM (WHMD) and The Highway 104.7 FM (WJSH).