Southeastern football enjoyed its much-needed bye after a disappointing Homecoming loss vs. Texas A&M-Commerce two weeks prior. 

The Lions came into Burgess-Snow Field at 3-3, needing a win to break above .500 on the season. Jacksonville State sported a 6-1 record and remains in first place in the Atlantic Sun after the out-of-conference clash. 

JSU entered the contest averaging 437.7 yards and 37.4 points per game coached by the well-known Rich Rodriguez, who has had head coaching stops at West Virginia, Michigan, and Arizona during his illustrious career. 

After a scoreless first quarter of play, both teams picked it up in the second, as Jacksonville State led 14-13 heading into halftime. 

The Gamecocks scored on two long plays of 53 and 64 yards. The Lions went on a 12-play 80-yard drive for their lone touchdown of the half while adding a pair of Riley Callaghan field goals.

The third quarter was also scoreless, setting up what was thought to be a dramatic fourth-quarter finish. However, SLU was having none of that as they outscored JSU 18-0 over the final 15 minutes of the ball game (TD & two-point conversion, field goal, another TD & PAT).

Cephus Johnson III earned himself his second Southland Offensive Player of the Week award of the season in his return to his home state of Alabama, as the senior signal caller threw for 76 yards and two touchdowns, (10-13  passing), while also adding 91 yards on the ground.

This was Johnson’s first game back from injury since the Murray State game on Oct. 1. 

Senior transfer running back Carlos Washington Jr. ran for 74 yards and a score on thirteen carries as fellow senior backfield mate, Jessie Britt, found the end zone via a six-yard pass on third and goal from Johnson. 

Tight end Ivan Drobocky also found paydirt from five yards out to give Southeastern the lead in the fourth quarter that they wouldn’t relinquish. 

Next up for the Lions is another road trip, this time closer to home, as the team will travel to Lake Charles to take on McNeese State in a Southland Conference showdown. 

SLU volleyball bounced back emphatically from their two-game road losing streak by defeating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and HCU on Thursday and Saturday 3-1 (15-25, 25-13, 26-24, and 25-23) and 3-0 (25-19, 25-22 and 25-21) at the University Center. 

With the two wins, the Lady Lions find themselves in a three-way tie for second place in the Southland Conference standings at 7-4, just a game behind first-place HCU and McNeese, who are both 8-3. 

Junior Kailin Newsome was the catalyst as her strong play earned the outside hitter her third Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week award of the season. 

Newsome racked up 29 kills and 19 digs over seven sets of play, including her tenth double-double of the season vs. first-place HCU (11 kills and 10 digs).

UNO is SLU’s next opponent on the schedule. The Privateers are 7-4 in conference play like the Lady Lions as both sides look to position themselves amongst the top of the Southland standings. The game will take place Thursday at the UC at 6:30 p.m. 

Southeastern soccer took care of business this past week with two victories over in-state foes Nicholls and McNeese. 

The Lady Lions took down the Colonels 2-0 on Friday in Thibodaux, then returned home for Senior Night to thrash the Cowgirls 5-1 at Strawberry Stadium on Sunday. 

The Green and Gold used a goal in either half from freshman forward Emma Ramsey (43’) and junior midfielder Kelsey Fuller (60’) to defeat Nicholls State on the road.

SLU exploded in their final home game of the campaign vs. McNeese State for five goals, the most the squad has scored all season long. 

Fittingly, all five goals were scored by seniors. After a scoreless opening half hour of play, Southeastern netted three times in the span of six minutes (Mackenzie Maher 31’, Mya Guillory 33’ PEN, and Victoria Brackmann 37’ PEN) to go up 3-0 at the half.

The Cowgirls drew a goal back in the 67’ from Matilde Tesgaard before the Lady Lions put the game to bed, scoring two straight goals, incredibly, in 38 seconds late in the second half. 

Hannah Moffit joined the goal party before Maher finished her second, both in the 82’. 

SLU will take on second-place Northwestern State in Natchitoches on Friday at 7 p.m. for their regular season finale. 

It will be a chance for the squad to get used to the scenery as the Lady Demons will also host the Southland Conference Tournament, which starts next Wednesday and will conclude on Sunday (Nov. 2-6). 

Southeastern golf concluded its fall season last Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 15-16) in Killen, Ala., at the TVA Community Credit Union Invitational. 

The Lions placed sixth out of 10 teams overall and posted three top 25 individual finishers in juniors Grayson Glorioso (T12th: +9) and Michael Landry (T18th: +11), along with sophomore Charlie Forster (T23th: +15). 

Sophomore Patrick Blaum shot +20 and senior Sam Tarpley was +29 to round out SLU’s participants. 

Viewers will have to wait until Feb. 27-28 to catch the golf team when they resume play for their spring season in Diamondhead, Miss. at the Gulf Coast Collegiate.