Big Play Defense Leads SE to 42-22 Win

SHAWNEE, Okla. – The Southeastern defense forced five turnovers and cashed in with 28 points off those takeaways en route to a 42-22 road win over Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday in Shawnee, Okla.

The win lifts the Savage Storm to 2-1 on the season and in Great American Conference play heading into a Sept. 24 matchup with Southern Nazarene at 2 p.m. at Paul Laird Field for SE's homecoming.

Luke Craddock snagged a pair of interceptions and Raheem Wilson added another, snagging his 15^th career pick to move within one of tying the career record for interceptions at Southeastern.

The Storm also recovered a pair of fumbles on consecutive punts in the first quarter.

Nicholas Sierra, Larry Bridges, Jarrett Ingram, Brickey Reed, Bobby Jackson and Reggie Marshall each logged a team-best six tackles, while Jacob Charvoz, Damarius Lavender and Rob Gardner added five apiece.

Wilson also forced a fumble in addition to his interception, while Marshall recorded the team's lone sack.

The offense picked up 210 yards on the ground with five rushing touchdowns, led by Devlon Wortham who finished with 109 yards on 19 carries with a pair of scores.

Ronnie Green added a pair of touchdowns with 80 yards on 15 carries, while CB Cantwell scored the first rushing TD of his career and finished with 22 yards on six carries.

Cantwell had another efficient day passing, finishing 12-of-19 for 195 yards and a touchdown.

Justin Walker and Bryce Steele had three catches each for 37 and 30 yards, respectively, while Kaymon Farmer beat his career long catch from a week ago, going 74 yards for a touchdown and finishing the game with two catches for 93 yards.

Four other receivers had a catch each.

The Storm took advantage of the first special teams takeaway when Wortham cashed in on a two-yard touchdown run to cap a two play, nine yard drive to take a 7-0 lead with 9:07 to go in the first.

The Bison would answer less than two minutes later to knot the game at 7-7.

Wortham would later in the first score his second touchdown of the game, again taking advantage of a special teams takeaway, this time scoring from three yards out to cap a seven play, 21 yard drive for a 14-7 lead which would hold through the end of the opening quarter.

On the second Storm play of the second quarter Cantwell would find Farmer for a 74 yard TD strike to open up a 21-7 lead with 13:53 to go in the half.

OBU would answer with a 75 yard, 15 play drive to score, but a missed PAT would leave SE up 21-13 with 7:47 to play in the half.

That was where the score would stay after two quarters of play.

Southeastern would keep the Bison off the board to open the second half before marching the ball 70 yards on 10 plays before Green would score from three yards out to push the lead out to 28-13 with 6:27 to play in the third.

Wilson would bring the next OBU drive to an end with an interception which looked to be in the endzone, but was spotted at the SE one yardline.

Cantwell would be sacked on the first play of the ensuing drive by Levi Jennings for a safety to cut into the Storm lead at 28-15 with 4:12 to play in the third.

A Craddock interception would end the ensuing Oklahoma Baptist drive inside the SE 30 yardline and the following SE drive would carry into the fourth quarter before Green capped a 12 play, 76 yard drive with a 31 yard touchdown run to open up a 35-15 lead with 10:19 to play.

Craddock would end the next OBU drive as well with an interception which he returned 36 yards to the Bison eight yardline.

A penalty tacked on would set up the Storm first and goal at the four and it took Cantwell just one play to score with his feet from four yards out to stretch the lead to 42-15 with 8:35 to play.

OBU would use an 11 play, 79 yard drive to answer and cut the SE lead to 42-22 which would hold to be the final score.