SEMO keys to victory against Charleston Southern

SEMO is gearing up for an exciting road trip to South Carolina to face Charleston Southern, looking to extend their impressive five-game winning streak. After a dominant 34-3 victory over Tennessee Tech, where quarterback Paxton DeLaurent shined with 400 passing yards and four touchdowns, the team is riding high on momentum. DeLaurent also set two school records during that game, further boosting the team's confidence. As they prepare for Charleston Southern, SEMO will aim to keep their winning streak alive and continue their strong offensive performance.

Charleston Southern sits at 1-5 on the season with their last game resulting in a loss to SEMOs OVC rivals as they lost to Lindenwood 29-14.

Keys to victory-

Attack the air early-

Last week, SEMO's Paxton DeLaurent had a historic performance, throwing for 400 yards and four touchdowns. The team averages 312 passing yards per game, and DeLaurent leads the OVC with 2,087 yards and 20 touchdowns. He has a talented receiving corps at his disposal, including Dorian Anderson, Tristan Smith, Cam Pedro, and tight end Mitch Sellers—each capable of making game-changing plays. With a banged-up running back group, DeLaurent will look to connect with his top targets early. However, they’ll face a challenge against Charleston Southern, which boasts one of the best pass defenses in the FCS, allowing only 169 yards per game through the air.

Stop Ison Autavius on the ground-

Sophomore running back Ison Autavius is one of the standout players for the Pirates, averaging over 100 rushing yards per game. With 650 yards and four touchdowns this season, he poses a significant challenge for SEMO's defense, which has allowed an average of 112 rushing yards per game. Leading the Redhawks' run defense will be Bryce Norman, the reigning OVC Defensive Player of the Week and team’s leading tackler, who has recorded 68 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. Norman will be crucial in the effort to contain Autavius and limit his impact on the game.

Protect DeLaurent-

Paxton DeLaurent and his offensive line have had an impressive season, allowing just 10 sacks thus far. This weekend will be no different, as they need to keep DeLaurent's jersey clean against a Charleston Southern defense that has recorded a total of nine sacks this season.

This road test for the Redhawks kicks off at 3:00 PM local time, which is 4:00 PM Eastern Time, as they’ll be playing in that timezone on Saturday.