Tough Second Half Sinks Savage Storm Opener

DURANT, Okla. – Luke Hohenberger threw two touchdowns and ran for another, but Southeastern saw a 10-point halftime lead disappear in the second half of a 36-31 loss on Thursday night in the season-opener versus Southern Arkansas at Paul Laird Field.
 
The loss means the Savage Storm opens the season 0-1 heading into the first road trip of the season to take on Henderson State on Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. in Arkadelphia, Ark.
 
"I was proud of the ways the guys battled back," said head coach Bo Atterberry. "There was a lot of adversity. I thought the team faced it well, but there was that time period where it was just too long and they (SAU) held the momentum."
 
Hohenberger started the opener, earning his first career start and hitting 7-of-14 for 168 yards and two scores, adding 15 yards on the ground and a touchdown on five carries before suffering an injury just before halftime which ended his game.
 
Cergio Perez would come on in the second half and completed 10-of-19 through the air for 100 yards.
 
Kobe Jennings Led the Storm receivers with 78 yards on four catches with a touchdown, while Victor Taylor Jr. had the offensive highlight of the night when he snagged a deflected pass from Hohenberger and took the 65 yards to the house. He would finish with the one catch for 65 yards.
 
Matthew Nunez grabbed four catches as well for 34 yards, while Gabe Corona had a pair of 70 yards.
 
DJ Brown paced the Storm rushing attack with 72 yards on 21 carries, while Hohenberger and Ryan Hirt each added rushing touchdowns.
 
Dylan Cox would connect on a 30-yard field goal and went 4-for-4 on PAT tries.
 
Tyveon Williams led the SE defense to the tune of a game-high 13 tackles, while Braeden Winters added nine, including two tackles for loss.
 
Jalen Hughes chipped in seven and Vernon Grant added six, while Michael Hookfin tallied four stops and an interception.
 
The Storm defense would force a Mulerider punt on the opening drive of the game and answer by marching 73 yards on seven plays before Hohenberger connected with Jennings for a 26-yard touchdown strike to take a 7-0 lead.
 
SAU would answer with a nine-play drive and a Judd Barton to Jakarion Lockett 10-yard TD pass to knot the game at 7-7 which is where it would stand at the end of the first quarter.
 
Southeastern would capitalize on Hookfins pick early in the second when Hohenberger rushed up the middle for a seven-yard TD scamper to push the lead to 14-7.
 
The teams would struggle to get the ball down the field over the next seven minutes and the Storm looked to be ending a second-straight scoreless drive when a third-and-six pass from Hohenberger ricocheted off a Mulerider defender right into the arms of Taylor who would race up the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 21-7 with 2:20 to play in the first half.
 
SAU would answer quickly with a four-play, 66-yard drive that ended in a touchdown, but Southeastern would push the ball deep into SAU territory, thanks in large part to a Corona 38-yard reception down to the visiting five-yard line.
 
The Storm nearly lost that momentum when Hohenberger was sacked and looked to fumble the ball on what would have been the final play of the half, but after reviewing the play, officials ruled him down with a loss of 11 yards, but left one second on the clock which was enough time, following a timeout, to set up a Cox 30 yard field goal to take a 24-14 lead at the half.
 
After a three-and-out to open the second half by SE, the Muleriders would cut into he Storm lead with a 72-yard drive that ended in a Jariq Scales 28 yard touchdown run, but the missed PAT would lead Southeastern in front 24-20.
 
No one would find paydirt again in the third quarter, however SAU would open the fourth with a field goal, after a three-and-out would see Kadyn Roach haul in an 82-yard touchdown pass from Barton, and after a Storm fumble on the ensuing kick would tack on a Scaled rushing score to take a 36-24 lead with 10:32 to play in the contest.
 
After the teams traded scoreless drive, Southeastern would take the ball 44 yards thanks to a Perez to Corona 32-yard connection that set up a two-yard Hirt TD run to close the gap to 36-31 with 3:14 to play.
 
Unfortunately, SE was unable to get the stop they needed on defense to get the ball back, making the final 36-31.