CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Interstat) — Johnny Weber passed for 283 yards and two touchdowns and Brandon Epton Jr. rushed for two scores to lead Southeast Missouri State to a 28-12 victory over Tennessee State on Saturday at Houck Field.

The Redhawks (1-4) snapped a four-game losing streak and handed the Tigers (1-4) their fourth consecutive loss in a game where both teams entered seeking their first win against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent this season.

Weber, a 6-foot-5, 213-pound quarterback from Kenosha, Wisconsin, efficiently directed the Redhawks’ offense, completing 24 of 39 passes. His favorite target was Cam Pedro, who caught eight passes for 94 yards. Kalvin Gilbert added five receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown, while Donnie Cheers caught three passes for 33 yards and a score.

Southeast Missouri State established control early, scoring on its first two possessions. The opening drive was a methodical 15-play, 80-yard march capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass from Weber to Cheers with 5:57 remaining in the first quarter.

After forcing a Tennessee State punt, the Redhawks needed just four plays to find the end zone again. A 35-yard run by Cole Ruble set up a 36-yard touchdown sprint by Epton Jr., giving Southeast Missouri State a 14-0 lead with 1:15 left in the opening period.

Epton Jr., a running back from Dallas, finished with 69 yards on 16 carries and also caught two passes for 39 yards. Ruble provided a significant spark out of the backfield, rushing for 93 yards on just 12 attempts.

The Redhawks extended their lead to 21-0 in the second quarter with another sustained drive. Weber engineered a 15-play, 80-yard series that consumed over six minutes, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown run by Epton Jr.

Tennessee State, which struggled to sustain offensive momentum for most of the game, got on the board just before halftime. A 21-yard completion from Byron McNair to Amari Southall set up a 36-yard field goal by Freddy Perez with 1:04 remaining in the second quarter, making the score 21-3 at the intermission.

The Tigers added another Perez field goal, this one from 36 yards, in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 21-6.

Tennessee State showed a brief spark early in the fourth quarter when Zack Simmons-Brown broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run, pulling the Tigers within 21-12. The extra point attempt was unsuccessful.

Simmons-Brown led the Tigers’ ground game with 55 yards on seven carries, all of which came on his long scoring run.

Any momentum for the visitors was short-lived, however, as Southeast Missouri State responded with an authoritative 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Weber connected with Gilbert on a 10-yard touchdown pass with 10:23 remaining to seal the victory and push the lead to 28-12.

The Tennessee State offense never found a consistent rhythm. Starting quarterback Byron McNair, from St. Louis, completed 15 of 32 passes for 175 yards and was intercepted once. Backup Caleb McCreary of Wetumpka, Alabama, entered the game at times and completed 3 of 8 passes for 50 yards with one interception.

Devaughn Slaughter was the Tigers’ leading receiver with six catches for 55 yards, while Justin Hughes had three receptions for 57 yards.

Defensively, both teams created turnovers. The Redhawks intercepted two passes, with Slade Dollar and Adrian Patterson each recording one. For Tennessee State, Byron Davis and Brendan Hale each came away with an interception.

The game was a departure from the preseason projections. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a narrow 36-35 victory for Southeast Missouri State, while its ELO system gave the Redhawks a 79.70 percent probability to win.

Both teams will continue their schedules next Saturday. Southeast Missouri State will host Eastern Illinois, while Tennessee State returns home to face Howard.