Road rally keeps Indians in thick of OVC race

RICHMOND, Ky. -- Forgive Eastern Kentucky's Colonels if they don't want to play Southeast Missouri State University at home again.

EKU rarely loses at Roy Kidd Stadium -- and before last season the Colonels hadn't lost to Southeast anywhere.

But the Indians shocked EKU on its field for the second year in a row -- and perhaps revived their season in the process -- in a wild 41-38 triumph Saturday afternoon.

A 39-yard field goal by St. Vincent High School product Derek Kutz with 9.9 seconds remaining -- after Southeast rallied from an early 21-7 deficit and given up a late 38-24 lead -- boosted the Indians to their second straight win after an 0-5 start.

More importantly, the victory lifted Southeast to 2-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play. EKU fell to 3-5 and 2-2.

"This is huge," Southeast coach Tim Billings said. "The tradition Eastern Kentucky has is amazing. It goes to show our program has come a long way.

"What a wild and exciting game. There were so many key plays, but our guys showed so much character. Getting down 21-7 here, not many teams could come back from something like that."

That the Indians were able to shake off the slow start shows how much they've grown as a team, said linebacker O.J. Turner, a Central High School graduate.

"The team showed a lot of heart. We kept our composure. We've definitely grown up," Turner said. "It's a great feeling to win here two years in a row."

Southeast, which trailed 21-7 early in the second quarter and 21-17 at halftime, finished off a 31-3 run on Jack Tomco's 26-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Gilliam that gave the Indians a 38-24 lead with 8:09 to play. But EKU stormed back with 14 straight points, taking advantage of a late Southeast fumble that led to Matt Guice's 39-yard touchdown strike to Andre Green with 1:03 remaining for a 38-38 tie.

"We could have really gotten down after that, but we kept our composure," said Tomco, who passed for 352 yards and three touchdowns.

After EKU's tying touchdown, Southeast took over on its 24-yard line with 59 seconds left. Two plays later, the Indians faced a third-and-4 at their 30.

Tomco, who had several nifty scrambles to elude EKU's rush during the game, was under heavy pressure but got out of trouble and found a wide-open Gilliam for a 48-yard completion to the EKU 22.

Tomco spiked the ball to stop the clock on first down, then threw two incompletions. On came Kutz, whose 39-yard field goal into a strong wind barely snuck over the crossbar with 9.9 seconds left.

"I knew the wind was in my face and I just wanted to kick the ball like I have been," Kutz said. "Tomco told me he was going to get me down there, and Gilliam said he'd catch a pass to get my down there, so they both came through."

Thus ended a thrilling back-and-forth affair that featured all kinds of momentum swings.

EKU scored a touchdown just 1:06 into the game after returning a fumble to Southeast's 6-yard line.

Tomco's 16-yard pass to Chris NesSmith midway through the first quarter made it 7-7, but EKU threatened to break things open by going up 21-7 in the second quarter. Perhaps the game's biggest play took place just moments later.

Facing third-and-17 from the Southeast 10-yard line, Tomco hit Brandon Amick on a bomb that resulted in a 68-yard gain for the Indians' longest pass play of the season. Soon after, Jamel Oliver scored on a 1-yard run, making it 21-14 with 4:47 left before halftime.

So instead of being forced to punt from deep in its territory and perhaps seeing EKU open up a 21-point lead, the Indians were within seven.

"I should have taken it to the house," said Amick, a walk-on from Scott City. "But it was a big play to get us out of the hole. Jack threw a perfect ball."

A 21-yard Kutz field goal with 16 seconds left in the first half -- set up by freshman Antonio Scaife's 30-yard punt return to midfield -- made it 21-17 at the intermission.

The Indians took their first lead of the game 1:54 into the second half. Kelvin Jones blocked a punt, giving Southeast possession at the Colonels' 9-yard line. On second and goal, Tomco hit Jackson High School product Ray Goodson with a 1-yard touchdown pass and a 24-21 advantage.

Then it was the defense's turn to set up a score when linebacker Chaun Tate sacked Guice and forced a fumble, which Michael Irving recovered at EKU' 19-yard line.

Tomco hit Amick for 18 yards on first down, then Oliver scored from a yard out for a 31-21 lead with 2:49 remaining in the third quarter. The touchdown capped a 24-0 Southeast run.

After EKU pulled to within 31-24 on a field goal early in the fourth quarter, Southeast appeared to secure the win on Tomco's 26-yard touchdown pass to Gilliam with 8:09 remaining.

But Guice, who passed for a school-record 392 yards, had other ideas. He hit Andre Ralston on a 68-yard touchdown pass with 7:52 left, making it 38-31.

Southeast appeared to be moving in for at least a game-clinching Kutz field goal, but EKU recovered Oliver's fumble at its 28-yard line with 2:25 remaining. Guice then hit Green from 39 yards out at the 1:03 mark to tie things.

"I thought we would be going into overtime, but it wasn't in the cards," EKU coach Danny Hope said. "Tomco is a great quarterback, possibly the best in the OVC. He made the clutch plays."