Osborne leads Charleston Southern over Southeast Missouri State 23-17

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Zolten Osborne threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score to help Charleston Southern hold off Southeast Missouri State 23-17 on Saturday.

In the second quarter, Osborne ran for a 4-yard touchdown and threw a 14-yard TD pass to Rashawn Cunningham as Charleston Southern built a 20-3 halftime lead.

Cole Ruble’s 1-yard touchdown burst pulled Southeast Missouri State to 20-10 early in the third quarter, and Jax Leatherwood’s 40-yard TD pass to Cam Pedro made it 20-17 early in the fourth.

The Buccaneers’ Zach Gordon kicked his third field goal of the game, a 25-yarder with 2:54 to play. Leatherwood then drove the Redhawks near midfield on their final drive but he threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-10 with 2:02 remaining.

Osborne completed 17 of 35 passes for 302 yards for Charleston Southern (4-6, 3-3 OVC-Big South). Jamil Bishop caught four passes for 99 yards, and Cunningham caught four for 70 yards.

Leatherwood was 27-of-49 passing for 274 yards to lead Southeast Missouri State (3-6, 2-3).

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