LAKELAND, Fla. -- No. 15 Southeastern delivered a powerful and timely statement on Homecoming night at Victory Field, shutting out Ave Maria 24–0 to close the regular season with the type of complete performance that could resonate with the NAIA Football Championship Series selection committee. With the national field set to be revealed Sunday, November 16 at 7 p.m. ET on the NAIA YouTube channel, the Fire used their final opportunity to strengthen their postseason case—and did so emphatically in their second shutout of the season.
Before kickoff, SEU honored its senior class, many of whom have played key roles in the program's rise and helped build the culture that has sustained Southeastern's success. By the end of the night, those same seniors walked off their home field after one of the Fire's most dominant performances of the year, sending the Homecoming crowd home with a complete effort worthy of the occasion.
The defense set the tone from the opening series and controlled the game throughout. SEU limited Ave Maria to just 96 total yards, including only 12 rushing yards on 27 attempts. The Gyrenes averaged 1.6 yards per play, struggled to break the line of scrimmage, and never advanced the ball inside the Fire red zone. SEU's front seven was relentless, producing eight tackles for loss, two sacks, and eight quarterback hurries.
Cole Highsmith led the unit with seven tackles,
Thomas Ibrahim added six with 1.5 tackles for loss, and
Chris Sharpe recorded five tackles and a sack. Southeastern's pressure and discipline forced Ave Maria's quarterbacks into checkdowns and hurried throws, contributing to a 15-for-33 passing line for only 84 yards.
Offensively, the Fire found their rhythm behind a strong running game and efficient passing attack. SEU rushed for 176 yards on 41 attempts, with
Curtis Kimmons leading the way at 87 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Jocquet Jiles nearly matched him with 86 yards on 17 carries, giving Southeastern a dependable ground presence that controlled tempo and kept the offense on schedule. Quarterback
Nate Mikell finished 18-of-25 for 199 yards and two touchdowns, responding when needed and delivering several of the night's biggest plays.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Fire broke through midway through the second. SEU marched 94 yards in 13 plays, a drive fueled by smart decision-making and physical running. Kimmons capped the possession with a hard-nosed 1-yard touchdown plunge to give SEU the lead. As the half expired, kicker
Joel McGrath added a 46-yard field goal to extend the advantage to 10–0.
The Fire wasted no time adding to their lead in the second half. On the opening drive, after a pair of strong runs by Kimmons, Mikell connected with receiver Joe Key on a 38-yard strike down the right sideline, pushing the margin to 17–0. Key finished with 52 yards on three catches, and receivers
Kamonte Grimes,
Rick Penick, and
David Pomales made key contributions throughout the night.
Southeastern put the game completely out of reach in the fourth quarter with a methodical 12-play, 75-yard drive. Jiles and Kimmons continued to churn out tough yards behind a dominant offensive line, and Mikell capped the march with an 18-yard touchdown pass to
Daithan Davis with 5:55 remaining.
The statistical edge reflected SEU's control in every phase of the game. The Fire outgained Ave Maria 375–96, executed cleanly in the kicking game, and limited penalties. It was the type of balanced, disciplined effort that programs hope to display during their final push before postseason selections.
With the victory, Southeastern closes the regular season 8–2 overall and 5–2 in Sun Conference play. Now all attention turns to Sunday night's selection show. The Fire entered Homecoming looking to make one last impression—and in securing their second shutout of the season, they delivered.
