(STATS) – The season of giving that is underway was preceded by more than three months of taking by the Southeast Missouri defense.
The resurgent Redhawks rank No. 1 in the FCS in turnovers gained (36) and turnover margin (plus-24).
“We were unselfish and played hard for each other,” said their defensive leader, junior linebacker Zach Hall. “From a defensive standpoint, we take a lot of pride in going after the ball and it means a lot that we led the nation in turnover margin because that shows we give our offense more opportunities to score points.”
Hall contributed six takeaways – four interceptions and two fumble recoveries – and forced four fumbles as the Ohio Valley Conference team went 9-4 for its first winning record since 2010 and posted its first-ever FCS playoff victory. When opposing ball carriers held onto the ball, Hall was there to stop them. He posted an FCS-leading 168 tackles, including a career-high 22 against FBS member Arkansas State – the most by an OVC player in 10 years.
Hall is one of three players who have been invited to the announcement of the STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award at the national banquet Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas. The others up for national defensive player of the year are Montana junior linebacker Dante Olson and Sam Houston State senior defensive end Derick Roberson.
Hall’s season was a continuation from 2017, when he posted double-figure tackle totals in five of the final six games. The OVC defensive player of the year did the same in 10 of 13 games this year.
“Every time I go out there I feel like I leave everything on the field,” Hall said, “not just for myself, but for my teammates, family and simply the love of the game. I think that shows in how hard I play and how hard we work to get this team where it needs to be.”
Add A Comment