SE Athletics
Matt Thomas, Sports Information Director
DURANT – Southeastern was dominant on both sides of the ball as the defense held Northwestern Oklahoma State to 134 yards of total offense, while the offense posted 388 yards of offense en route to a 37-9 victory on Saturday afternoon on Paul Laird Field.
Sports presented by Indian Nation Wholesale.
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 3-2 on the season and in Great American Conference play heading into a road matchup on Oct. 6 against Southwestern Oklahoma State at 4 p.m. in Weatherford, Okla.
The SE defense was stifling, allowing Ranger quarterbacks just seven completions for 27 yards with an interception.
Zac Scott paced the defense with 10 stops, including one for a loss and a forced fumble. Conner Swope was right behind with seven tackles and a forced fumble, while Seu Luafatasaga chipped in six tackles, 2.5 TFL and an interception. Troy Parker added a sack and two fumble recoveries.
Offensively, Rollin Kinsaul got the start at quarterback and finished the day 13-of-24 for 196 yards and two scores, with Jaylen Sims as his favorite target with six catches for 114 yards and a score. CJ Shavers hauled in the other touchdown reception.
Kenneth Burks led the Storm rushing attack with 62 yards on 19 carries with three touchdowns, posting the first three score outing for SE since Sims did it against Arkansas-Monticello a season ago. Ryan Taylor added 43 yards on nine totes, while Kinsaul picked up 27 on five carries.
The Storm defense stepped up out of the gate and stopped NWOSU on fourth down on its opening two drives, both times on SE’s side of the field.
Southeastern would take the second possession gained that way and march 62 yards on six plays with Burks scoring from a yard out for a 7-0 lead at the 7:26 mark of the first quarter.
On the following drive Swope would force a fumble which was recovered by Parker at the Storm 38-yard-line.
The following SE drive was bolstered by a 35 yard Kinsaul to Sims pass, the longest completion of the night, and was capped by another Burks score, this one from three yards out with 17 seconds to go in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead.
Early in the second quarter Luafatasaga would step in front of an Isaiah Weed pass at the 15 and SE would take over at the Ranger 12 yard line.
Two plays later Kinsaul would hit Sims for a 12 TD toss and the Storm would take a 21-0 lead with 10:39 to go in the first half.
The defense would strike again on the next NWOSU drive with Scott forcing a fumble that was recovered by Parker at the NWOSU 27 yard line.
Six plays later Burks would score his third rushing touchdown of the day, but Joel Carlos’ PAT was blocked and the Storm lead stuck at 27-0 which is where it would stand at the halftime break.
NWOSU would get on the board with 7:19 to go in the third quarter with a Zave Goodrich 37 yard field goal to cut into SE’s lead at 27-3.
SE would remain scoreless in the third, but wasted no time in the fourth with Kinsaul hitting Shavers for a nine yard toss on the first play of the final frame to push the lead out to 34-3 with 14:51 to play.
The Storm would tack on a Carlos field goal from 21 yards out to stretch the edge to 37-3 with 5:30 to play.
The Rangers would get the final word as Horatio Smith would return the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, the first kick return TD against the Storm since the 2015 season, but the PAT would miss and the final score was set at 37-9.