Eastern’s second touchdown in its 24-21 victory against Southeast Missouri on Saturday afternoon at O’Brien Stadium was set up by a stellar play on special teams.

A failed flea flicker by the Panthers early in the second quarter for a loss of eight yards set up a third and 14 even a completed pass from red-shirt junior quarterback Bodie Reeder to red-shirt senior running back Travorus Bess couldn’t pick up.

Eastern red-shirt sophomore punter Kevin Cook came in for the punt and shanked the ball 17 yards down the right side of the field. Cook meant to punt the ball low so it would roll deeper into SEMO territory but did not catch the ball clean and it took off wobbly down the field.

Eastern caught a break when the shanked punt hit SEMO senior safety Victor Anderson.

The ball deflected off Anderson and into the waiting hands of Eastern senior cornerback Adrian Arrington.

“My job is to look back and see where the ball is and let the gunner know what’s going on,” Arrington said of his punt coverage responsibilities. “I saw it hit the guy, so I went back and retrieved it.”

Eastern freshman running back Desmin Ward scored four plays later. The Panthers nearly scored three more points three minutes later after another solid special teams play.

Eastern’s defense forced a three-and-out for the Redhawks’ offense to bring in SEMO junior punter Doug Spada. Spada got a bad snap and was forced to run the ball until he was flattened by Eastern red-shirt sophomore defensive end Rashaad Rigsby for a 13-yard loss. The Panthers then took possession on the Redhawks’ nine-yard line.

“That blocked punt was our fault,” SEMO head coach Tony Samuel said. “That was a bad snap. That was a critical error by us. In a close game like this, you can’t allow those kinds of things.”

However, SEMO’s defense held tight to force a field goal attempt by Eastern red-shirt senior kicker Tyler Wilke, but Wilke shanked the kick wide right.

“He hasn’t missed many, I don’t think, this year,” Eastern head coach Bob Spoo said. “You can’t make them all, but you’d sure like to make the short ones.”

Eastern also got good special teams’ effort in the second half on kick return coverage. Eastern junior kicker Austin Signor booted a kickoff to the SEMO five-yard line late in the third quarter, and freshman cornerback Kenny Kinchen dragged SEMO freshman running back Jacob McKinley two yards backward to force the Redhawks to start their drive from their own three-yard line.

Eastern defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni said he wanted the Panthers’ defense to take more advantage of Eastern’s strong special teams play. He said Eastern has been pinning opposing teams deep, but the Panthers’ defense had not been keeping them pinned deep.

“We just wanted to repay the special teams by keeping field position for the offense,” Bellantoni said.

Eastern red-shirt senior defensive end Pierre Walters said special teams play is becoming more important as teams in the Ohio Valley Conference become more competitive.

“You need X-factors like special teams and big plays like that,” Walters said. “I think it’s obvious that definitely helped us win this game.”

Scott Richey can be reached at 581-7944 or at srrichey@eiu.edu.