Lindenwood QB Cole Dugger fires a pass during Saturday’s game against Southeast Missouri. (Photo: Cedric Williams)

DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer

Every Big South-Ohio Valley Conference team was in action on Saturday, including the first conference matchup of the season, the “Game Ball Brawl” between Lindenwood and No. 14-ranked Southeast Missouri. In addition, the Association went 5-0 in non-conference FCS match-ups. Below are recaps and box scores of each contest.

#14 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 45, LINDENWOOD 7 | BOX SCORE
Paxton DeLaurent threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns, Geno Hess ran for 115 yards and two scores and Damoriea Vick had 101 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead #14 Southeast Missouri (1-1, 1-0) to a 45-7 rout of Lindenwood (1-1, 0-1) Saturday night at Houck Field.

https://twitter.com/BigSouthOVCFB/status/1700662751876522016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1700662751876522016%7Ctwgr%5E2ed2ef354103a1896fb3a340e7ad2a4454b3e862%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbigsouthovcfootball.com%2Fnews%2F2023%2F9%2F9%2Fbig-south-ovc-football-recap-sept-9.aspx

GARDNER-WEBB 34, ELON 27 | BOX SCORE
 A touchdown from Ephraim Floyd and an interception by Jimmy Bowdry in the final minute of the game pushed Gardner-Webb over Elon 34-27.  Narii Gaither rushed for 95 yards, moving past Frank Taylor for the fifth-most career rushing yards in Gardner-Webb history. Gaither has now rushed for 2,612 yards in his GWU career. With a half sack in the fourth quarter, Ty French set the new Big South record for career sacks, passing Chima Uzowie of Liberty (2012-15) with 25.5 sacks in his career. French is 3.5 sacks away from tying Gabe Wilkins for the Gardner-Webb sack record (29.0)

https://twitter.com/BigSouthOVCFB/status/1700653705459016030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1700653705459016030%7Ctwgr%5E2ed2ef354103a1896fb3a340e7ad2a4454b3e862%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbigsouthovcfootball.com%2Fnews%2F2023%2F9%2F9%2Fbig-south-ovc-football-recap-sept-9.aspx

UT MARTIN 38, MISSOURI STATE 31 | BOX SCORE
Sam Franklin ran for 259 yards and three touchdowns, the last coming with 1:45 to play, as UT Martin topped Missouri State 38-31. Franklin scored on an 81-yard run ont he first play from scrimmage and also scored from 49 yards out in the fourth quarter. QB Kinkead Dent threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Skyhawks. Aidan Laros continued the spectacular start to his Skyhawk career as the redshirt sophomore from Cape Town, South Africa booted four punts to a 44.5-yard average and made a 29-yard field goal. He also split the uprights on all five PAT attempts.

https://twitter.com/BigSouthOVCFB/status/1700665172111569309?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1700665172111569309%7Ctwgr%5E2ed2ef354103a1896fb3a340e7ad2a4454b3e862%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbigsouthovcfootball.com%2Fnews%2F2023%2F9%2F9%2Fbig-south-ovc-football-recap-sept-9.aspx

ROBERT MORRIS 31, SAINT FRANCIS 21 | BOX SCORE
The Robert Morris football team opened the home portion of its 2023 slate Saturday at Joe Walton Stadium, garnering a 31-21 victory over in-state rival Saint Francis in front of 3,412 fans. The Colonials evened their overall record during the 2023 season at 1-1 (.500), and snapped a 12-game losing streak dating back to last season.  Trailing, 14-10, in the second quarter after Cole Doyle hit Casey McKinney for a 53-yard touchdown pass with 6:51 left before halftime, the Colonials rattled off 21 consecutive points to open up a 31-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.

https://twitter.com/BigSouthOVCFB/status/1700650824823701547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1700650824823701547%7Ctwgr%5E2ed2ef354103a1896fb3a340e7ad2a4454b3e862%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbigsouthovcfootball.com%2Fnews%2F2023%2F9%2F9%2Fbig-south-ovc-football-recap-sept-9.aspx

BRYANT 21, LONG ISLAND 10 | BOX SCORE
Zevi Eckhaus passed for 274 yards and two touchdowns as Bryant scored a touchdown in each of the first three quarters to top Long Island 21-10. Robert Crockett III picked up his second interception in as many games. Kenny Dyson Jr. had two sacks, 2.5 TFL, and one forced fumble. Chris Yates also had a FF. Darnel Shillingford and Michael Otty both tallied one sack. The Bulldog defense forced three turnovers.

TENNESSEE STATE 24, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 14 | BOX SCORE
James Green returned a block field goal attempt 92 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter as Tennessee State topped Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the 34th annual Southern Heritage Classic at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Jalen Rouse led all Tigers rushers with 91 yards in the contest, picking up 5.4 yards per carry. Deveon Bryant also added 80 yards on the ground, averaging 8 yards per carry.

BOWLING GREEN 38, EASTERN ILLINOIS 15 | BOX SCORE
Bowling Green went up two scores midway through the second quarter and kept Eastern Illinois at a distance the remainder of the game during a 38-15 win.   Both teams moved to 1-1 on the season as EIU returns home next weekend for its home opener against Illinois State in the Mid-America Classic. EIU ended the day with 325 yards of offense. Kevin Daniels rushed for 78 yards.   Smith had four catches for 83 yards.

NEW MEXICO 56, TENNESSEE TECH 10 | BOX SCORE
The early going was positive for the Tennessee Tech football team on Saturday night. The Golden Eagles forced turnovers, moved the ball and ended the first stanza all square at 7-7.

That changed in the second quarter as New Mexico outscored Tech 21-3 before the half, then scored 28 unanswered points in the second half as the Lobos out of the Football Bowl Subdivision Mountain West Conference defeated the Golden Eagles 56-10.  Ethan Roberts took a few shots, but stayed strong in the pocket, throwing for 164 yards on 17-of-29 passing with a six-yard touchdown pass to Metrius Fleming in the first quarter. Hayden Olsen extended his Tech-record PAT streak, then added a 37-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. 

#25 CLEMSON 66, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 17 | BOX SCORE
Charleston Southern football made its first ever trip to Death Valley Saturday afternoon, falling to the 25th-ranked Tigers 66-17. The Bucs led 14-7 late in the first, but Clemson answered the call down the stretch. JD Moore had the main number in CSU backfield today, using just nine total yards to find pay dirt as the lone offensive touchdown. Tyree Taylor stood as the longest reception through the air, catching one pass for 23 yards.

BigSouthOVCFootball.com contributed to this story.

Week 3 Big South-OVC Football Schedule — Saturday, September 16, 2023

AwayHomeTimeLocationLinks
BrownBrownBryantBryant3:00 PMSmithfield, R.I.TV: ESPN+ Stats Video
William & MaryWilliam & MaryCharleston SouthernCharleston Southern3:00 PMCharleston, S.C.TV: ESPN+ Stats Video
North AlabamaNorth AlabamaTennessee TechTennessee Tech6:00 PMCookeville, Tenn.TV: ESPN+ Stats Video
Robert MorrisRobert MorrisYoungstown StateYoungstown State2:00 P.M.Youngstown, OhioTV: ESPN+ Stats Video
Illinois StateIllinois StateEastern Illinois Eastern Illinois3:00 P.M.Charleston, Ill.TV: ESPN + Stats Video
Gardner-WebbGardner-WebbTennessee StateTennessee State5:00 P.M.Nashville, Tenn. (Conf.)TV: ESPN+ Stats Video
Houston ChristianHouston ChristianUT MartinUT Martin5:00 P.M.Martin, Tenn.TV: ESPN+ Stats Video
Southern Illinois Southern IllinoisSoutheast MissouriSoutheast Missouri6:00 P.M.Cape Girardeau, Mo.TV: ESPN+ Stats Video
LindenwoodLindenwoodWestern IllinoisWestern Illinois6:00 P.M.Macomb, Ill.TV: ESPN+ Stats Video