LAKELAND, Fla. -- A slow start turned into a statement finish for No. 17 Southeastern, as the Fire overcame an early 10-point deficit to power past Reinhardt, 41-20, Saturday night at Victory Field in the NAIA Network Featured Game of the Week.
The Eagles struck first, knocking through a 44-yard field goal on their opening drive before capping an 84-yard march late in the first quarter with a one-yard touchdown run to go up 10-0.
From there, momentum shifted sharply in favor of the Fire. On the first play of the second quarter, quarterback
Nate Mikell connected with
Alex Reyes for 45 yards to set up
Curtis Kimmons' one-yard score, putting SEU on the board. Just two minutes later,
Jamil Jones grabbed the first of his two interceptions, setting up a short field that
Jocquet Jiles turned into a go-ahead touchdown run.
The Fire added another just before halftime when
Tre McClellan took a handoff 21 yards to the end zone, giving Southeastern a 21-10 lead at the break.
Southeastern wasted no time extending its lead after halftime. On the second play of the third quarter, Jiles broke multiple tackles and powered his way 39 yards into the end zone, electrifying the crowd and stretching the margin to 28-10. Reinhardt briefly cut the deficit to 28-17 midway through the third, but Southeastern responded with an 82-yard drive capped by Mikell's 21-yard touchdown strike to
Daithan Davis, keeping the Fire firmly in control.
The Eagles managed a long field goal early in the fourth to close within 35-20, but the Fire delivered the knockout blow minutes later when Kimmons punched in his second score from 14 yards out.
Southeastern's ground game proved unstoppable, racking up 305 yards on 39 carries (7.8 yards per attempt). Jiles finished with 127 yards and two touchdowns, while Kimmons added 60 yards and two scores. Mikell contributed 57 rushing yards in addition to his efficient passing line of 8-for-11 for 128 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Fire held firm after the opening quarter. Jones' two interceptions stalled promising Reinhardt drives, while the defensive front notched four sacks and six tackles for loss to keep constant pressure on the Eagles' quarterbacks.
With the victory, Southeastern improves to 2-0 overall, remaining unbeaten through its opening stretch of the season.
The Fire will hit the road for the second time this season, traveling to Montgomery, Ala., to face Faulkner University on Saturday, September 20. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST.
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