ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Southeastern rallied from an early 14-0 deficit, including a 21-7 advantage in the second half to pick up a big Great American Conference win over Henderson State, 35-27, on Saturday afternoon in Arkadelphia, Ark.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 7-2 overall on the season heading into the final home game of the regular season versus Southern Arkansas at 2 p.m. at Spend Life Wisely stadium on Nov. 7.
 
The win also snaps SE's longest losing streak to any opponent, ending a 15-game losing streak and picking up a win over the Reddies for the first time since joining the GAC.
 
"After the game last week," said head coach Bo Atterberry, "I got a little upset and it went initially to we'll have to withstand the initial surge.  Keep it about us. Go to the deep end and we'll take care of it at that point and that's exactly what we did"
 
"It's been a little rough the past couple weeks," he continued, "And I'm just proud of those guys and they way they came out and fought and finished."
 
Kameron Lockhart set a new school record and matched the conference and NCAA record with a 100-yard kickoff return in the first half.
 
He would add 44 yards on 12 carries on the ground as well as 23 receiving yards on three catches.
 
Jaylen Holloway led the rushing attack for the Storm with 73 yards on 15 carries, while Levay Duncan added 33 yards and two scores on seven rushes.
 
Duncan added 38 yards passing on 3-of-7 attempts.
 
Luke Hohenberger led the passing attack with 152 yards and two scores on 12-of-18 passing.
 
Colton Simpson and Jax Sternberger hauled in four catches each, with Simpson picking up 84 yards and a touchdown, while Sternberger finished with 36 yards.
 
Lockhart's three catches matched Trevin Hohenberger who finished with 20 yards, while Coby Ray Short had one catch for 26 yards and a TD.
 
The defense turned in four sacks on the day, led by two from Jordan Hood and one each from William Wallis and Josh Johnson.
 
Prince Dweh lead all tacklers with 10 stops, while Isaiah Murphy was next in line with eight, and each of them had a tackle for loss as the Storm finished with eight.
 
Kole McKnight logged his fifth interception of the season and SE finished with four pass breakups on the stat sheet.
 
Southeastern found itself in a hole early as the Reddies took the opening drive 75 yards on five plays for a score and after blocking a field goal on the first Storm possession would add a score a play later on a reverse to take a 14-0 advantage.
 
The Storm responded on its second drive, first picking up a first down on a 14-yard Hohenberger to Lockhart connection before capping the four-play, 53-yard drive with a 40-yard connection to Simpson to close the score to 14-7 with 1:52 to play in the first quarter.
 
HSU tacked on a 28-yard field goal early in the second quarter, pushing their lead to 17-7.
 
Lockhart took the ensuing kickoff 100-yards to the house for the first kickoff return TD of the season, closing the gap to 17-14 with 11:09 to play in the second quarter.
 
His return sets a new school record, breaking the previous best of 97 yards held by Jerome Hewitt, Richard Peterson, and Lamar Lowe. It matches the GAC and the NCAA record for kickoff returns.
 
Henderson State would tack on another field goal, this one from 45 yards out with 7:35 to play in three half, making the score 20-14 which would hold as the score at the halftime break.
 
The Storm had the first possession of the second half and took advantage, opening the drive with a 46-yard Holloway run to the Reddie 29-yard line.
 
Four plays later Duncan would score from three yards out and SE would take a 21-20 lead with 12:58 to play in the third quarter.
 
HSU would move into Storm territory on its ensuing drive, but Kole McKnight would bring it to an end with a pick in the endzone, his fifth of the season.
 
Southeastern then marched 80 yards on 11 plays and burned 6:32 off the clock with Duncan finding Short with a 26-yard TD pass to push the lead to 28-20 with 3:32 to play in the third quarter.
 
The Storm took the eight-point lead to the fourth quarter and added to it on their first drive of t he fourth frame, using 11 plays to move 47 yards and taking 6:25 off the clock before Duncan scored from three-yards out to extend the lead to 35-20 with 8:09 to play.
 
HSU took its next drive 75 yards on just four plays before converting a 27-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Storm leas to 35-27 with 6:50 to play.
 
SE would go three-and-out on its next drive, giving the ball back to HSU with 5:59 to play.
 
The Reddies converted three third downs to march the ball from their own 29 yard line down to the Southeastern six to set up first and goal.
 
Jacob Geddes and Brandon Green Jr. combined on a six-yard TFL on first down, and Dweh limited the second-down gain to three yards.
 
Geddes would for a rushed throw and McKnight nearly snagged an interception to force a fourth-down play.
 
And with the game on the line Hood would come around the right side on a stunt and end the game with a 10-yard sack to preserve the 35-27 victory.