The Southeast Missouri State football team’s defense made stops when it needed to by allowing Ohio Valley Conference opponent Murray State to convert on just two of its five red zone scoring attempts on Saturday at Houck Stadium.

Southeast won its OVC opener 27-10 with Murray State’s only touchdown coming in the first quarter on a 7-yard touchdown run by junior running back Roman Clay.

The Redhawks defense was facing the top-ranked pass offense in the conference that was led by junior quarterback KD Humphries.

Humphries managed to throw for 359 passing yards, but the defense held him to zero touchdowns in the game and sophomore cornerback Michael Ford intercepted his final pass.

“Well that offense is all about spreading you out and you can do that in the middle of the field, but once you get down in the red zone, you can play it tight on routes because there is nowhere else to go,” Southeast coach Tom Matukewicz said. “So everything tightens up, you can’t let them run it in and then we got them in third, fourth down. It was passing situations and it’s just hard to slip bodies down there.”

Freshman quarterback Dante Vandeven earned his first career win in his second start as the team’s No. 1 quarterback.

“It’s a great feeling,” Vandeven said. “Nothing else is like it. It’s something cool I can finally say I have under my belt. It helps with the crowd we have behind us, it makes a huge difference.”

With 10:14 left in the second quarter, Murray State lined up for a fourth-down attempt, but Humphries punted the ball and the Racers downed it at Southeast’s 1-yard line.

Vandeven then led the offense down the field on what became a 99-yard touchdown drive where he went 5 for 6 and eventually completed the ball to senior wide receiver Paul McRoberts for a 24-yard score.

Vandeven went 16 for 25 for the game with 221 passing yards, two touchdowns and only threw one interception. He also carried the ball 13 times for 46 yards.

Southeast’s offense accumulated a total 495 yards, with McRoberts and junior running back Tremane McCullough combining for 389 of those yards.

McRoberts had a total 169 yards on eight catches and had two touchdowns against the Murray State defense, which is ranked last in pass defense in the OVC. He was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.

“I felt like my old self again,” McRoberts said. “I lost myself for a moment and I made this post on Instagram the other night and was like, ‘I’m just tired of being humble and too nice knowing that my team needs me to step up.’ … I got into a groove with Dante, it felt like I was my old self again. So hopefully – not hopefully – I’m going to be better regardless.”

One of McRoberts’ eight catches was featured on the SportsCenter Top 10 at No. 5. He made this catch in the third quarter when freshman quarterback Dante Vandeven heaved the ball 44 yards and McRoberts leaped in the air to make a diving catch on Murray State’s 8-yard line.

After that play, Vandeven found McRoberts once again and this time it was in the end zone to put Southeast up 24-10 with 24 seconds left in the third.

“That’s Batman [McRoberts], I’m Robin,” Vandever said. “We’re a duo, we really are. When we both get together on the sideline after every series, we talk stuff out and make sure we both know what’s going to happen on the next play so we don’t make mistakes. … Our connection is really good right now and it’s good that it’s now in OVC play instead of later on down the road.”

McCullough rushed for a season-high 220 yards and averaged 8.1 yards per carry on 27 attempts and scored his second touchdown of the season in the beginning of the third quarter.

On McCullough’s touchdown drive, he had first-down runs of 14, 16 and finally 30 yards before taking the ball into the end zone from three yards out to make it 17-7 Southeast. For his performance, he was named the OVC Newcomer of the Week.

“From the [Murray State] defense, I saw a lack of effort, lack of discipline,” McCullough said. “They were getting a little tired and we just kept pounding the ball. So I was like that’s when I’ve got to use my speed and juke moves to work my way around the defense to get up the field.”

Now 2-3 overall on the year and 1-0 in OVC play, Southeast will travel to Charleston, Illinois, on Saturday to face Eastern Illinois (1-3, 1-0) for its second OVC game of the year.