Busch Stadium was converted into a football stadium as Southeast Missouri State takes on Southern Illinois University in the first football game to be played in Busch Stadium III in St. Louis on September 21, 2013. UPI/Bill Greenblatt
Southeast Missouri (0-3) battled back to tie the game with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Snyder to Paul McRoberts midway through the third quarter, but Southern Illinois (2-2) responded with 17 unanswered points to pull away with a 36-19 victory Saturday afternoon in the first NCAA football game at Busch Stadium. 14,618 was the announced attendance for the game.
Southeast trailed, 19-13, when Snyder hit McRoberts in stride. A native of St. Louis, McRoberts secured the ball after it was tipped by a Saluki defender and dashed to the end zone to tie the game with 7:34 left in the third quarter. Alex Knight, however, missed the PAT that would have given the Redhawks the lead.
Southern Illinois University’s Thomas Kinney kicks a extra point in the fourth quarter against Southeast Missouri State at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on September 21, 2013. The game is the first football game at Busch Stadium III. Grounds crews will work overnight to replace the turf since the St. Louis Cardinals return to play in the facility on September 23. UPI/Bill Greenblatt
“I thought we gave a great effort and had our chances,” said Southeast head coach Tony Samuel. “This was a great experience for our team to get to play in a game at Busch Stadium. We are still working on some things and are looking forward to opening up Ohio Valley Conference play at home.”
After that, SIU responded with a 25-yard field goal by Thomas Kinney and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including an 18-yard pass from Kory Faulkner to MyCole Pruitt and a 9-yard run by Malcolm Agnew to grab the victory.
(Recap courtesy of Southeast Missouri Athletics)
The attendance was the largest in a game the Redhawks have played against SIU as the home team. A total of 26 different Redhawks from the metropolitan St. Louis areas returned home to play in a football game at Busch Stadium.
