Fire Best Bobcats on the Gridiron in Momentous Road Win

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- Key defensive stops and special teams' miscues played a major part in the Southeastern University football team defeating the No. 23 St. Thomas University Bobcats 24-21 on the road Friday to win their third-straight game. The victory marked Southeastern's second win over an NAIA Top-25 program this season, marking the first time the Fire have ever defeated multiple nationally ranked teams in a single season.
 
The Fire defense set the tone early, as junior defensive back Khalid Scott became just the second player to pick off Bobcats' quarterback Tyler Thomas this season, returning a pick on the opening STU drive 66 yards all the way down the St. Thomas three-yard line.
 
SEU senior quarterback Cooper Jones turned the turnover into immediate points, connecting with redshirt-senior wide receiver Myles Henderson for an eight-yard touchdown to help put the Fire up 7-0 with 11:57 to go in the first quarter and push Henderson's season TD total to five.
 
The Bobcats answered to even things up 7-7 at the 9:20 mark in the first via a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown.
 
Jones logged his second touchdown of the opening quarter by connecting deep with Wendell Harris Jr. for a 70-yard touchdown with 3:32 to go. The touchdown was the third of the season or Harris Jr. and marked the longest receiving touchdown of the season for the Fire. Wendell finished the night hauling in three catches for 96 yards.
 
The Bobcats logged a 10-play 74-yard scoring drive that ended in a 13-yard rushing touchdown to even things up 14-14 late in the second quarter, which is where the score stood heading into the locker room at halftime.
 
Tristian Connell connected on a 43-yard field goal with 11:11 remaining in the third quarter to pull SEU back ahead 17-14.
 
A high snap on a Southeastern punt attempt with five minutes to go in the third quarter traveled all the way down to the SEU two-yard line, where the Bobcats punched in the go-ahead touchdown to take their first lead of the contest 21-17 with 2:52 remaining in the third.
 
The Fire found themselves as the benefactor of the exact same special team's sequence at a pivotal part of the game, as a high snap on a Bobcats' punt attempt with 2:00 remaining in the fourth quarter sailed over the punter's head down to the STU three-yard line. On the next play, Lorine Parker punched in what proved to be the game-winning score.
A potential 49-yard game-tying field goal for St. Thomas with 35 seconds remaining in regulation came up short.
 
SEU freshman linebacker Frank Williams stepped up to lead the Fire in tackles with seven. Junior defensive end Trenton Surloff made it a long night for the Bobcats in the backfield, logging six tackles and three sacks.
 
The Fire return to Victory Field next Saturday afternoon for a non-conference game against the St. Andrew's University Knights for Senior Night. Kick-off is set for 4:30 p.m.