SE Rallies in Fourth For 28-24 Win at SWOSU

WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Southeastern overcame four turnovers and rallied from a 24-7 fourth-quarter deficit, taking the lead with 40 seconds to play for a 28-24 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon in Weatherford, Okla.
 
The win is the team's third-straight and lifts the Savage Storm to 4-3 overall on the season and 3-3 in Great American Conference play as the team returns home for Homecoming on Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. against Northwestern Oklahoma State at Paul Laird Field.
 
SE was held to 96 yards rushing on the game, but picked up 276 yards through the air to tally 372 yards of total offense, while the defense held SWOSU to 234 total yards with 115 on the ground and 119 through the air.
 
Ryan Polite threw for 276 yards on 26-of-47 passing with three touchdowns, but was saddled with a season worst four interceptions.
 
Nearly half of his yardage was thanks to Anthony Foster who hauled in five catches for 130 yards, including a 79 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to get SE within three points.
 
Kaymon Farmer snagged eight catches to lead all receivers in the game and finished with 57 yards, while Tiquarrio Combs and Layton Dworaczyk each had a touchdown catch.
 
Devlon Wortham led the way on the ground with 69 yards on 17 carries, while Ronnie Green added 27 yards on 11 carries and the go-ahead touchdown which proved to be the game winner.
 
The defense was led by its linebacking corps with Roderick Mitchell leading the way with nine tackles, while Thomas Curry added eight with two tackles for loss, and Trent Hannah chipped in seven stops, including two TFL of his own.
 
Hannah and Troy Parker each recorded a sack, while Tanner Ginavan picked up his second interception of the season.
 
Chad Tucker added a forced fumble which was revered by Eddrick Loften.
 
SWOSU got on the board first in the second quarter when the Bulldogs converted on third-an-10 at midfield and took advantage of a Storm personal foul to move the ball to the SE 14 yard line where Cameron Nix would score on a 14 yard run on the next play to take a 7-0 lead with 10:12 to play in the half.
 
SE's next drive would come to an end when Austin Loomis intercepted a Polite pass at the Bulldog 45 yard line and returned it to the Southeastern 35 yard line.  SWOSU would take advantage and push its lead to 10-0 with a 19-yard Dalton Jackson field goal to cap the drive with 6:08 to play in the second quarter.
 
The Storm would pick up the pace on the ensuing kickoff as Chance Grayson would pick up 68 yards on the return to the SWOSU 25 yard line and the ball would move to the 13 on a Bulldog penalty.
 
Grayson would finish the day with 162 yards on four returns with the 68 yarder as his longest.
 
Southeastern would cap the drive on third down with an 11 yard connection from Polite to Dworaczyk with 4:59 to go in the half to cut the deficit to 10-7.
 
SE would stop the Bulldogs but would be forced to punt on its next offensive possession, but he Storm defense would step up and Ginavan would snag his second interception of the season on the first play of SWOSU's next possession.
 
Southeastern would set up for a game-tying field goal as time expired on the half only for Jake Walters' attempt from 19 yards out to hit the upright and leave the Storm trailing 10-7 at halftime.
 
The first SE drive of the second half ended when Polite was picked off by Conner Bays and four plays Later Nix would score from seven yards out to push the SWOSU lead to 17-7 early in the third quarter.
 
Grayson would bring the ensuing kick back to midfield, but three plays later Steven Townsley would pick off a Polite pass and bring it back to the SE 29 yard line.
 
The Bulldogs would drive to the 12 yard line where Tucker would force a fumble that was recovered by Loften to end the threat.
 
Southeastern would march the ball across midfield, but would fail to pick up a first down on fourth-and-two at the SWOSU 31 yard line.
 
The defense would force a three-and-out, but on the ensuing offensive possession Bays would snag his second interception of the game and return it 34 yards for the touchdown and a 24-7 lead with 1:09 to go in the third quarter.
 
Southeastern would take advantage of a bad SWOSU punt early in the fourth quarter which gave the Storm the ball at the SWOSU 38 yard line.
 
Wortham would pick up a combined 29 yards on the first three carries of the drive before Polite would find Combs for a nine yard TD connection with 12:36 to play to close the gap to 24-14.
 
Southeastern would keep the Bulldogs from extending their lead, but were unable to make up any ground until the Storm took over on its own 21 yard line and Polite would hit Foster on the first play for 79 yards to close the gap to 24-21 with 4:13 remaining.
 
SE would bring the next SWOSU drive to an end with a 10-yard sack of Klark Ashmore by Troy Parker to force a punt and SE would take over at the Bulldog 43 yard line.
 
The Storm would march the ball down the field, aided by a third-down conversion from Polite to Farmer as well as a pass interference penalty on the Bulldogs which set up a two yard TD run by Green to put SE up 28-24 with 40 seconds to play.
 
Southeastern would stop SWOSU receiver Brad Smithey one yard shy of a first down on fourth-and-10 to force a turnover on downs with eight seconds left and preserve the comeback victory.