The Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) Redhawks football team embarked on a challenging journey to New Mexico to face the New Mexico State Aggies in a thrilling non-conference matchup. Traveling from their home base in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, the Redhawks had a long trek ahead to take on the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent.
Paxton DeLaurent made a strong return for the Southeast Missouri (SEMO) Redhawks, passing for 295 yards and a touchdown, but his efforts weren’t enough as SEMO fell 23-16 to New Mexico State in a hard-fought contest on Saturday. DeLaurent, who had been sidelined with a shoulder injury, completed 27-of-45 passes and orchestrated several key drives that kept the Redhawks in contention until the final moments.
The Redhawks held the lead for much of the game, showcasing their offensive potential and defensive resilience. Dorian Anderson had a career night, racking up 115 receiving yards and a touchdown, including a 51-yard scoring strike from DeLaurent that put SEMO ahead 7-0 in the first quarter. Anderson averaged an impressive 19.2 yards per catch, marking his first 100-yard receiving game.
SEMO’s defense also stepped up, with Justus Johnson securing an interception that led to a 53-yard field goal by DC Pippin, extending the Redhawks’ lead to 13-10 in the third quarter. Pippin added two more field goals, including a 48-yarder, to keep SEMO ahead 16-10 early in the fourth quarter.
However, the Redhawks couldn’t hold off the late-game surge by the Aggies. New Mexico State scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including a game-winning touchdown by Seth McGowan with less than two minutes to play. SEMO had one final opportunity to reclaim the lead, but DeLaurent’s pass was tipped and intercepted, sealing the victory for NMSU.
Despite the loss, SEMO showed strong performances across the board. Defensively, Khalani Riddick led the team with a career-high 11 tackles. SEMO also dominated the passing game, outgaining the Aggies 295-60 through the air. The Redhawks now turn their focus to their Big South-Ohio Valley Conference opener against UT Martin on September 7th, looking to build on the positives from their performance.
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