SE Athletics
Matt Thomas, Sports Information Director
DURANT – Kenneth Burks ran for 102 yards and two scores while the defense forced three interceptions as Southeastern rolled to a 35-0 victory over Southern Nazarene on Thursday night at Paul Laird Field.
Sports presented by Indian Nation Wholesale.
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 1-0 on the year and 1-0 in Great American Conference play and is the second-straight shutout of SNU to open the season.
The win is the sixth-straight in the series as well.
“I thought that the process and all that was pretty solid,” said head coach Bo Atterberry, “Discipline was something we can work on, and any time we get a shut out at home is really nice.”
Burks’ 102 yards rushing led all runners as did his two rushing scores, while three others had at least 30 yards on the ground, including Austin Skinner who rushed for a score of his own.
Skinner also completed 12-of-16 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
Four of those passes went to Braxton Kincade who finished with 60 yards receiving and a touchdown, while Jaylen Sims hauled in five catches for 27 yards and a score.
Jacob Harper paced the defense with eight tackles and an interception, while Seu Luafatasaga added six stops.
Camerion Pumphrey recorded the team’s lone sack.
Larry Bridges and Tajawin Smith each added an interception as well while the Storm finished plus-three in turnovers.
Southeastern got on the board midway through the first quarter when Skinner connected with Kincade for a nine-yard hookup and the first score of the season to go up 7-0 with 7:40 to go in the quarter.
On the next Storm possession, they would take over with 5:22 to go in the first and would cash the drive in on the first play of the second quarter when Skinner hit Sims for a five-yard TD strike to push the lead out to 14-0 which is where it would stand at the half.
After SE would force a turnover on downs on SNU’s first possession of the second half, it would then march 85 yards on five play, bolstered by a 39 yard pickup from Skinner to Felton Hatcher before Skinner used his feet to scramble in from 11 yards out to open up a 21-0 lead.
Kahlee Woods would force and recover a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to give the Storm a short field and they would take advantage when Burks would punch it in from three yards out to push the lead to 28-0 with 4:57 to go in the third.
Jacob Harper would end SNU’s next drive with an interception in Crimson Storm territory with less than a minute to play in the third.
Southeastern would cash in the opportunity on the first play of the fourth quarter when Burks scored his second touchdown of the contest, opening up a 35-0 lead which would hold to be the final score.