DURANT, Okla. – Levay Duncan rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another while the Southeastern defense forced three turnovers and scored a touchdown as the Savage Storm pulled away for a 35-10 victory over Arkansas Tech on Saturday afternoon on Paul Laird Field at Spend Life Wisely Stadium.
 
The win moves SE to 4-1 on the season, matching the best start through five games since the 2021 season.
 
The Storm will be back in action in the first of back-to-back-road contests when it squares off with No. 2 Harding on Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. in Searcy, Ark.
 
Duncan finished with 98 yards passing and a touchdown on 11-for-19 passing, while adding 77 yards on the ground with a pair of touchdowns.
 
Chancy Lester Jr. led the offense on the ground with 120 yards on 11 carries, highlighted by the longest run from scrimmage on the season of 71 yards.
 
Kameron Lockhart added 47 yards and a score on the ground while the Storm finished the contest with a season-best 278 yards rushing.
 
Colby Ray Short led the receiving corps with 46 yards on five catches, while Lockhart added 26 on four grabs. Colton Simpson snagged one catch for a four-yard touchdown.
 
Prince Dweh led the defense with nine tackles, including two for a loss, while Jacob Geddes was right behind with eight stops with four tackles for loss, including a sack.
 
Dweh and Geddes each forced a fumble, while Dweh had a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
 
Kole McKnight added the defensive highlight of the day, picking off an ATU pass and returning it 77 yards for a touchdown, the team's third defensive score of the season.
 
The teams remained scoreless through the first quarter and over the first five minutes of the second period before the Wonder Boys Fernando Ventura connected on a 24-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
 
Southeastern answered on the ensuing drive, moving 82 yards on eight plays without taking a third-down snap, with Duncan capping the drive with a five-yard TD run with 6:06 to play in the first half.
 
The Storm defense forced a three-and-out and needed just three plays on it next drive with Duncan breaking free for a 52-yard touchdown run, pushing the SE lead to 14-3 with 3:49 to play in the half, which would hold up as the halftime margin.
 
Southeastern opened the second half with a 50-yard Lockhart kickoff return and proceeded to march the remaining 39 yards on six plays with Duncan hitting Simpson for a four-yard TD pass to take a 21-3 lead.
 
ATU answered with a 63-yard drive over four plays with Carter Hensley hitting Omyryn Hickson for a 52-yard touchdown, closing the Storm lead to 21-10 which was the score after three quarters.
 
SE ended the first Wonder Boy drive of the fourth quarter with a McKnight interception that was returned 77 yards for a score, pushing the lead to 28-10.
 
The Storm defense forced another turnover on the next ATU drive, this time in the red zone as Dweh forced and recovered a fumble at the SE nine-yard line.
 
Lester opened the ensuing drive with a 71 yard run down to the Arkansas Tech six yard line and Lockhart would cap the drive three plays later with a one-yard rushing score to take a 35-10 lead.
 
The Southeastern defense had one last thing to say, ending the following drive as Geddes forced a strip-sack that was recovered by Jordan Hood with 5:43 to play to help secure the 35-10 final.