Offense Rolls, Walters Plays Hero in SE Win

Box Score DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern and Arkansas-Monticello combined for 1,173 yards of total offense, but the fate of the game rested on the foot of Jake Walters who connected on a 19 yard field goal as time expired to lift the Savage Storm to a 52-49 win in its home opener at Paul Laird Field on Saturday night.
 
The win lifts the team to 1-1 on the year and 1-1 in Great American Conference play, while also securing the first win as the SE head coach for Bo Atterberry whose career coaching record moves to 42-29 in seven seasons.
 
The Storm will now work on a short week as they will hit the road for the highly anticipated contest with No. 7 Henderson State on Thursday, Sept. 18 in a game that will be carried live nationally on CBS sports network and NCAA.com.
 
Walter's game-winner was his first make of the season and came after he missed a 32 yard attempt to end SE's first drive of the game.
 
Southeastern posted a very balanced attack, piling up 312 yards on the ground and adding 304 through the air to post 616 yards of total offense which sets a new single game record for total offense, snapping a 606 yard mark posted against Central Oklahoma in 2010.
 
SE had a pair of 100-yard rushers, with Ronnie Green leading the way with 141 yards on 25 carries and three touchdowns, while Devlon Wortham turned in his second-straight 100-yard effort, finishing with 114 yards on 12 carries but left the game early with a minor injury.  
 
Ryan Polite added 14 yards of rushing and a rushing touchdown, but he would do most of his damage through the air where he was an efficient 22-of-30 for 304 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
 
He spread the ball to eight different receivers with Franky Okafor leading the way with six catches and 84 yards, while Kaymon Farmer added five receptions for 66 yards and a score.
 
Ty Miller had three catches for 63 yards, including the game-long of 54 yards which went for a touchdown, while Chance Grayson had one catch for a touchdown.
 
On defense, Raheem Wilson turned in a 10 tackle outing including a half TFL, while Donnie Hamilton and Chad Tucker each added seven stops.
 
Three others picked up six tackles each, while Ryan Harkness and Reggie Marshall harassed the UAM quarterbacks to the tune of four QB hurries each.
 
The team's traded fruitless drives to open the game, but on SE's dsecond possession they would convert a pair of third downs before Green would score his first TD of the day from 14 yards out with 6:13 to go in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
 
After holding UAM to a three-and-out SE got on the board again, this time when Polite connected with Miller for a 54 yard touchdown strike to mount a 14-0 lead with 4:03 to go in the first.
 
The Boll Weevils cut into the Storm lead early in the second with an Ivory Washington rushing TD from five yards out.
 
However, nine plays later SE would cap a 71 yard drive with an eight yard Polite to Grayson connection to push the lead to 21-7 with 9:59 to go in the half.
 
After stopping the Weevils again, the Storm offense took their next drive 85 yards in 13 plays with Green capping the drive with a one yard run to mount a 28-7 lead.
 
UAM would answer though with 56 second left in the half with a Hunter Leppert pass to Ivory Washington for an eight yard touchdown to make the score 28-14 at half.
 
The Weevils would close the gap to 28-21 early in the second half when Polite would fumble deep in SE's own territory and Mike Early would return it 15 yards for a score.
 
Southeastern would bounce back on its next drive and twice convert third down plays before Green would score his third TD of the day from five yards out to make the score 35-21 with 6:42 to go in the third.
 
UAM answered right back with a Leppert pass to Cody Bordelon from 18 yards out to make the score 35-28 with 5:00 to play in the quarter.
 
SE responded in kind again with a six play drive that covered 72 yards and ended with a Polite to Farmer 21 yard TD strike to push the edge back to 42-28.
 
It would not last long though as the Weevils got a 33 yard touchdown run from Rod Smith with 34 second to go in the third to cut the gap back to 42-35.
 
UAM would stop the Sotrm on its next drive and tie the game for the first time when Leppert hit Bordelon for a 10 yard touchdown to knot the score at 42-42 with 12:40 to play.
 
Southeastern would march its next drive 70 yards in nine plays before Polite would plunge in from a yard out to regain the lead at 49-42.
 
The Weevils would again answer, this time capping a nine play 75 yard drive with a two yard Smith run to tie the game at 49-49 with 5:48 to play.
 
The Storm would then pull out its running game and drive the ball down the field on 11 straight runs to make it to the UAM two yard line and run 5:38 off the clock, leaving Walter a 19 yard field goal which he sent through the uprights as the horn sounded for the win.