MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- No. 17 Southeastern earned a statement road victory Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 13 St. Thomas 23–17 at AutoNation Field to snap a four-game skid in the series and improve to 6–1 overall and 3–1 in Sun Conference play.
After the Bobcats opened the scoring with a 38-yard field goal on a lengthy 15-play drive, the Fire quickly responded with a nine-play, 70-yard march capped by an eight-yard touchdown run from
Curtis Kimmons to make it 7–3 late in the first quarter. St. Thomas briefly reclaimed the lead early in the second after a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown, but Southeastern's offense found its rhythm and sustained momentum. Quarterback
Nate Mikell led an 11-play, 75-yard drive, connecting with
Kamonte Grimes on a 12-yard scoring strike to put SEU back in front, and kicker
Joel McGrath added a 24-yard field goal just before halftime to send the Fire into the locker room with a 17–10 advantage.
Kimmons found the end zone again midway through the third quarter on a two-yard rush, finishing off an eight-play, 74-yard drive to push the lead to 23–10. St. Thomas managed one final touchdown early in the fourth on a 44-yard pass play, but the Fire defense clamped down over the final ten minutes, forcing the Bobcats to turn the ball over on downs twice to seal the win.
The Fire controlled the game in every key metric, outgaining St. Thomas 394–245 in total offense while holding the ball for 37:20 compared to just 22:40 for the Bobcats. Southeastern's ground game dictated tempo behind 191 rushing yards on 47 carries, while its defense stifled the run, allowing only 33 yards on 14 attempts. SEU moved the chains 25 times, including 16 via the run, went 7-of-16 on third down, and converted both of its fourth-down tries. The Fire were also a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone, scoring on every trip inside the 20.
Quarterback
Nate Mikell efficiently managed the offense, completing 17-of-29 passes for 203 yards and one touchdown while adding 58 yards on the ground to total 261 yards of offense. The junior kept drives alive with his legs and directed a balanced attack that consistently controlled tempo and field position.
Running back
Curtis Kimmons powered the rushing effort with 19 carries for 70 yards and two touchdowns, recording his third multi-score performance of the season.
Jocquet Jiles added another 70 yards on 15 attempts, including several clock-chewing runs in the fourth quarter that helped the Fire close out the game.
Through the air,
David Pomales led all receivers with 45 yards on two catches, including a 41-yard strike that set up a scoring opportunity.
Chandler Jones added four receptions for 44 yards, and Grimes finished with three catches for 26 yards and the second-quarter touchdown.
Alex Reyes contributed 34 yards on two receptions, while Joe Key and
Tre McClellan each made key chain-moving grabs as part of SEU's 17 total completions spread across seven different targets.
Defensively, Southeastern delivered one of its most complete efforts of the season. The Fire's front seven controlled the line of scrimmage and set the tone early, with
Willie Hill leading the way with five total tackles and a forced fumble that swung momentum in SEU's favor.
Brady Nowlan followed with four stops and steady coverage in the secondary, helping contain St. Thomas's quick passing game.
Up front,
Thomas Ibrahim recorded three tackles, including two tackles-for-loss that disrupted key drives, while
Ian Jolly,
Michyl Shaw,
Zander Altieri,
Cole Highsmith, and
Carlos Gerardino all added three tackles apiece. Altieri also came up with a critical fumble recovery in the second quarter to halt a Bobcat possession deep in SEU territory.
Together, the defense held St. Thomas to just 33 rushing yards on 14 carries and only one third-down conversion on nine attempts. The Bobcats' 17 total points were their fewest in a home game since 2020, underscoring the Fire's ability to frustrate one of the NAIA's most potent offensive units.
Southeastern will now return home for the first time since October 11, hosting Warner University on Saturday, November 1 at 7 p.m. at Victory Field. The matchup will also serve as Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night, as the Fire look to continue their strong stretch of play and build momentum in the Sun Conference title race.
