SOUTHEAST FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Donnerson, Hill impress among veteran linebacking corps

Southeast Missouri State's Kendall Donnerson forces a fumble by Indiana State quarterback Isaac Harker during the first quarter Saturday at Houck Stadium. Southeast recovered the ball.

Fred Lynch

Sandwiched between a busted game-opening play and a final, heartbreaking Indiana State drive, the Southeast Missouri State football team played some pretty good defense Saturday. A lot of that had to do with the play of linebackers Kendall Donnerson and Terrance Hill.

Donnerson, an outside linebacker and pass-rusher in the Redhawks' 3-4 defensive scheme, posted a career-high nine tackles, a career-high three tackles for a loss, a sack and a forced fumble.

Hill, an inside linebacker alongside Roper Garrett, matched the second-best mark of his career with eight stops and picked up his first career interception.

And if the numbers indicate one of the better performances for a pair of veterans with 50 combined games under their belt, the eye test proved it as well, with the duo seeming to come up with big play after big play.

"Practice as you play," Hill said. "Practice makes permanent, and that's how I was able to do what I did."

Donnerson has quietly done his job well early in the season, but Saturday was a breakout for the junior. It started in the first quarter, when Donnerson got to ISU quarterback Isaac Harker, hitting him and jolting the ball loose for Garrett to recover. That set up Southeast in Indiana State territory, and the drive ended with a touchdown.

Late in the first half he hit Harker in the backfield on third-and-goal from the SEMO 3-yard line, preventing a touchdown and forcing a field goal.

Late in the final period Donnerson sacked Harker on a 2-point conversion attempt. At the time, it was a monumental play that kept it a five-point game.

Even on the final drive gone wrong, Donnerson was credited with a QB hurry.

"He had a great game." Southeast coach Tom Matukewicz said. "He's a playmaker. He runs like a wideout, so he's able to get in the backfield and he's difficult to handle."

After the game, Donnerson credited his coaches for putting the defense in a position to succeed; he then said he needs to get better at his job.

"Looking at the film, I thought it's going to be pretty easy to get in the backfield, but we were prepared for the plays they were going to run so we could get back there," Donnerson said.

"I feel like I need to get better at rushing the passer, getting back there so it's not so hard on the [defensive backs]. I understand it's hard to cover a receiver that long."

That sentiment felt pointed after Harker and the Sycamores made play after play on the final drive, but by the end of the night Donnerson wasn't just fighting ISU, but also his own body. Twice the linebacker went down with severe cramping and had to receive treatment.

"We had to send him in to get an IV in the third quarter," Matukewicz said. "He was exhausted and kept playing. I'm proud of the season he's having."

Hill had to overcome similar issues early in the week when he missed practice due to illness, but on Saturday he made his presence felt.

Like Donnerson, the senior had a knack for showing up at key moments. Late in the third quarter, Indiana State marched from its own 29-yard line down to the goal line. Facing third-and-goal at the 2, Hill put a big hit on a rushing Harker, stopping him short and forcing fourth-and-goal. When the Sycamores went for it, again Hill got in on the play, stuffing the run at the 1-yard line and turning the ball over on downs. At the time it felt like a game-changer -- SEMO had just taken a lead moments earlier -- even if it didn't play out that way.

"It was a big, big-time stop," Hill said. "We just have to sign off and finish and we have to play every down like we're losing."

On the next ISU possession in the fourth quarter, Hill ball-hawked to a deflected pass in the red zone and picked it off, again ending the Sycamore threat.

"I thought he had a great game," Matukewicz said. "That turnover was huge. He's a senior that's playing really well."

If things had played out differently in the final minute, it would have been the big plays by Donnerson and Hill that were the story of the game.

"It was our defense to the whistle, we run to the ball," Hill said. "I did as I was coached and as I practice. It's part of the culture.

"Our defensive performance, we were on top of our game."

Third-down improvement

Third-down conversions had been an issue for the Redhawks offense through the first two weeks. Entering Saturday's game against Indiana State, SEMO was a combined 8 for 33 (24.2 percent) on third downs, and the result was stalled drives.

In the home opener, Southeast changed that trend, converting 10 of 18 third downs. The reason was simple, according to senior Tremane McCullough.

"Executing and catching the ball," McCullough said. "Simple as that. Last week we weren't executing plays, we had a couple drops. This week we focused on third downs and we [practiced] a lot of routes on third downs."

McCullough should know -- he was a primary third-down target. On 18 third-down opportunities, the Redhawks went to eight different players. McCullough was utilized five times -- three passing, two rushing -- while the next closest player was used twice. Of McCullough's five third-down plays, three were successful (60 percent).

"He's exciting with the ball in his hands and he was able to get open a little bit there," Matukewicz said. "At the end of the day we're super glad he's on our football team.

"We can line him up anywhere. One of the third downs we had him matched up on a linebacker, and obviously that's a great scenario. Another he's at wideout and we run four verts. He's just a multiple player you can line up anywhere."

Running back rotation

After back-to-back 100-yard performances for senior running back Will Young, Southeast featured a heavy rotation in the backfield against ISU.

Part of that was due to a first-half ankle injury to Young, but the Redhawks' personnel deployment showed they're comfortable with a lot of different rushers.

Four different runners finished with at least eight carries, and it was clear the coaching staff was making a concerted effort to get quarterback Jesse Hosket involved in more designed runs. He carried the ball seven times.

Chase Abbington, the Missouri transfer, led all RBs with 12 carries, while Cameron Sanders had a team-high 59 yards. Abbington and Young both picked up their first rushing touchdowns for Southeast, while Young also found the end zone.

McCullough, who now spends many of his snaps split out as a receiver, ran the ball nine times for 54 yards.

"It's just depth," Matukewicz said. "I think both Cam and Will Young have ankle injuries and were hobbling towards the end of the game. Having that depth was really an asset."

As far as a rotation plan, the coaching staff likes to play things by ear.

"There's a little bit just seeing how the game's going and how they're feeling. We feel like all three [Young, Abbington and Sanders] will get in and play and it just depends [on the moment]."