Ty Leonard comes in the clutch for No. 6 SEMO

SEMO defensive back Ty Leonard intercepts a pass against Gardner-Webb on Oct. 26.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

In a game in which No. 6 Southeast Missouri State defeated Gardner-Webb 30-24 on homecoming Saturday, the turnovers can be the difference between winning and losing.

SEMO defensive back Ty Leonard swooped in and intercepted Gardner-Webb quarterback Tyler Ridell not once but twice, evening him with the number of picks Paxton DeLaurent threw.

More important than Leonard's interceptions is the timing of them. The first pick came just at the end of the first half. The Running Bulldogs had a chance to tie the game entering halftime in response to SEMO taking a 21-14 lead. A defensive pass interference had G-Webb two yards away from the goal line.

That's where Leonard came in. An interception in the endzone maintained the Redhawks' lead and momentum in the final seconds of the second quarter.

"From the start, when he snapped the ball, the No. 2 receiver had ran out. At that point, I just see the quarterback rolling out," Leonard said. "He tried to force the throw in there. So it kind of played in my favor."

The second interception just fell right to him. On the Running Bulldogs' last chance to come back and potentially win the game in the fourth quarter, a distressed Ridell threw a desperate pass from the end zone to a heavily covered receiver. The ball bounced off the entangled wideout and sailed in the air long enough to fall into Leonard's arms, which sealed the game.

"I'm so proud of Ty," SEMO head coach Tom Matukewicz said. "We talk a lot about turnover margin and trying to win that. And so we end up at least going even two and two, and there's nobody happier for Ty Leonard than this football program."

Leonard, who increased his season total to a career-high three interceptions, has been a fixture on the SEMO secondary since his freshman season. As a member of a unit with fellow upperclassmen, the chemistry among the defensive backs has kept them in position to make an impact.

"I think our connection in the room and everything else just kind of keeps everything going," Leonard said. "We all have each other's backs and everything else. We just work as a team."

The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for SEMO. The Redhawks have battled injuries throughout the season, losing one key piece after another. With each win, SEMO has been the prime example of the "next man up" mantra in sports.

Or in the Redhawks' case, "Brick by Brick."

"Everybody does their job, regardless of what the score is," Leonard said. "Everybody has a piece to the puzzle."