Red Out Ready: Fire Set for Home Opener

LAKELAND, Fla. -- No. 17 SEU Football returns home to Victory Field on Saturday, September 13, 2025, for a 7 p.m. kickoff against Reinhardt in what promises to be one of the early marquee matchups of the season. The contest marks Southeastern's home opener and will feature a RED OUT, with fans encouraged to pack the stands in Fire red. Adding to the excitement, the matchup has been selected as the Sun Conference Game of the Week and is one of just three NAIA-UEN Featured Games of the Week, putting SEU on the national stage.

Single-game and season tickets are still available for the home opener and the rest of the 2025 slate. Fans looking to elevate their gameday experience can grab the VIP Tent Experience add-on package, which includes reserved parking in the Destino lot, access to the shaded VIP Tent, and a catered meal with entrée options, Coke products, dessert, and more.
 
Fans who can't make it out to Lakeland can still catch the action live. The game will stream on the Urban Edge Network app and online at fire.seu.edu/watchuen. As one of the NAIA-UEN Featured Games of the Week, it will also be available nationally on the NAIA Network. Live, in-game statistics will be provided at fire.seu.edu/sidearmstats/football.

Stat Sparks: SEU Team Overview
Southeastern comes into its home opener 1-0 after a 40-7 win over Fort Lauderdale in the season opener. The Fire posted 384 total yards on offense, powered by 208 rushing yards and 176 passing yards, ranking 35th nationally in total offense and 20th in scoring offense at 40.0 PPG.

Defensively, SEU enters the week as one of the top-ranked units in the NAIA. The Fire are 4th nationally in total defense (139.0 YPG), 4th in passing defense (96.0 YPG), and 4th in scoring defense (7.0 PPG), while allowing just 43.0 rushing yards per game, which ranks 9th in the nation.

Fact Fired: Did You Know?
Southeastern is 1-0 all-time on September 13, defeating Warner 31-7 at home in 2014. The Fire own a 76-28 all-time record and have been strong in non-conference play with a 30-14 mark. Historically, SEU is 25-10 in games played during September, 71-27 on Saturdays, and an impressive 10-1 in game twos. At home, the Fire are 45-14 at Victory Field and 61-21 overall in games played in Florida.

Poll Patrol
Southeastern enters the week with plenty of recognition in the national polls and computer rankings. The Fire opened the season ranked No. 17 in both the NAIA Preseason Top 25 and the VSN Top 25 Ranking. Following their season-opening win, SEU currently sits at No. 22 in the NAIA Football Coaches' Poll.

Computer models are equally high on the Fire, with Massey Ratings placing SEU at No. 31 nationally and the Versus Sports Simulator ranking them at No. 27 heading into Saturday's matchup.

Series Sparks: SEU vs. Reinhardt
Saturday marks the fourth all-time meeting between Southeastern and Reinhardt, with the Fire holding a 2-1 advantage in the series. SEU has won the last two matchups, including a 28-10 victory at Victory Field last season and a 23-20 road win in Waleska in 2023. The series began in 2016, when Reinhardt claimed a 52-22 win in the inaugural matchup.

Through the Air: Passing Leaders
Nate Mikell leads the Fire's passing attack, completing 17 of 26 passes (65%) for 165 yards and one touchdown in the opener. He currently ranks second in the Sun Conference in both passing yards per game (165.0) and passing efficiency (123.69). Zachary Pleuss added an 11-yard touchdown pass on his lone attempt, giving SEU two passing scores in Week 1.

Ground Control: Rushing Leaders
Curtis Kimmons spearheads the rushing attack with 81 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, averaging 5.4 yards per attempt. He currently ranks second in the Sun Conference in rushing yards per game (81.0). Supporting the run game, Jocquet Jiles added 35 yards on 10 carries, while Z'Orey Cotton contributed 26 yards and a touchdown on just two attempts.

Targets Locked: Receiving Leaders
Kamonte Grimes leads the Fire in receptions with five catches for 45 yards. David Pomales adds a vertical threat, recording 44 yards on two receptions, including a 27-yard touchdown grab. Chandler Jones also found the end zone, turning his lone catch into an 11-yard touchdown.

Defensive Sparks: Tackles & Sacks
Thomas Ibrahim leads the Fire defense with eight total tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, tying him for second in the Sun Conference in sacks after Week 1. Deondre Cunningham followed with four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one sack. Linebackers Trever Dorris and Michyl Shaw each added four tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss, contributing to a defense that held Fort Lauderdale to just 139 total yards.

Special Delivery: Special Teams Leaders
Joel McGrath was reliable in the kicking game, hitting 2-of-3 field goals and finishing a perfect 4-for-4 on extra points to total 10 points. He also averaged 52.0 yards per punt, placing both of his kicks inside the 20-yard line. Jamil Jones sparked the return game with 71 punt return yards on two attempts, including a 41-yard return. On kickoffs, Joseph Key averaged 34.0 yards on his lone return, while Lucas Williamson added nine yards on his only attempt.

On the Horizon
After Saturday night's showdown with Reinhardt, the Fire will hit the road for their first conference trip of the season. Southeastern travels to Montgomery, Ala., to face Faulkner on Saturday, September 20, 2025, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. EST.
 

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