CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Rashad Haynes was only yards away from a touchdown.

But after he intercepted his second pass of the game and returned it 86 yards, Southeast Missouri running back Timmy Holloman tackled him at the Redhawks’ 12.

Haynes’ second interception, and fourth of the season, showcased his speed and ability to be in the right place at the right time in Eastern’s defensive package.

But it also showcased another aspect of Eastern’s defense: the Panthers’ defensive line.

SEMO backup quarterback Steve Callanan’s pass hit off SEMO wide receiver Miles Edwards, and Haynes intercepted the ball on the tip. The interception wouldn’t have been possible if not for the pressure coming from Eastern’s defensive line.

The starting front four of Tim Kelly, Jeff Sobol, Michael Torres and Pierre Walters were in the backfield on nearly every second-half play in Eastern’s 31-16 win at Houck Field.

“You’ve got a D-line like ours, and it’s easy to get pressure on the quarterback – he’s going to have to throw the ball fast,” Haynes said. “He might not be set, he might not get a good read, and he’ll have to rush his throw.”

Callanan completed 7-of-18 passes for 60 yards, while starter Victor Anderson went 0-for-7 with one interception.

The 6-foot, 200-pound Callanan can deliver a hit. In SEMO’s loss last week at Samford, he was listed as a safety on the depth chart. But for much of Saturday night’s game, Callanan was receiving hits from the Panthers defensive line.

“They were flying around and getting through,” Callanan said. “It was my job to try and get rid of the ball, so the shots I took, I was prepared to take them.”

Sobol said he and his fellow linemen knew coming into the game they had a chance to dominate. SEMO’s offensive line had a 39-pound advantage on the Panthers, but Sobol said the Panthers’ speed was evident in the second half.

“You could tell they were getting tired,” he said. “We knew we were superior, and we just needed to show it. And towards the end of the game, our conditioning really stepped up.”

Callanan played much of the second half with SEMO trailing because head coach Tony Samuel said he presented a better throwing option.

But Anderson did hurt the Panthers defense at times, converting a quarterback draw for 19 yards that set up Jason Spada’s 38-yard field goal, which put SEMO ahead 16-14 in the third quarter.

The difference in quarterbacks changed how the defensive line rushed the passer, Sobol said.

“With (Anderson) in there, you’ve got to keep an eye on him at all time,” he said. “You don’t want to get upfield and then have him run straight up the middle. But (Callanan) wasn’t so much a running threat, so you didn’t have to worry about him running as much so you could get a better pass rush.”

The versatility of the defensive line, Eastern’s most experienced unit coming into this season, was displayed throughout the game. On one drive, Walters knocked down a Callanan pass at the line of scrimmage. Two plays later, Sobol and Walters broke through the line and forced Callahan into intentional grounding.

Even the second-string lineman got in on the action. Sophomore Trevor Frericks burst through the line in the first quarter and brought down Holloman for a three-yard loss.

The Redhawks had 256 yards of total offense, but Holloman was limited in the second half. The 6-foot, 190-pound junior, who came into the game seventh in the nation in rushing, rushed for 133 yards in the game, but only 20 after halftime.

Kelly had two tackles for loss, while Walters, Sobol and Frericks all had one.

“They rose up,” Eastern head coach Bob Spoo said. “Somebody had to. You’ve got to get 11 guys thinking they’re going to make a play. When they do, they’re going to make a play, and we did. And we shut them down, and we did a hell of a job in that second half.”

For NCAA rankings on total defense click here.

Pierre Walters, junior defensive end, celebrates after sacking Southeast Missouri State’s quarterback Saturday night at Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The Panthers defense held up strong in the second half holding the Redhawks to a field goal. Amir

(more…)