JACKSON – Millsaps
is off to its first 2-0 start since 1996 after
an unattractive 34-14 win over cross-street rival Belhaven
College on Saturday night at H.T. Newell Field in front of an
announced 2,150 fans.
In
a sloppy, flag-filled game with 19 combined penalties and an
ejection, the game definitely
lived
up to the
theme of
the
night
as the
fourth annual "Riverside Rumble." Belhaven had won
all three meetings in the series by an average of 16.3 points
but came up with just 14 points on the night in a 20-point loss.
Although
senior QB Juan Joseph had an off night through the air, completing
just 14-of-37 passes for 227 yards, senior Eric
McCarty and
sophomore Michael Galatas picked up the slack offensively. McCarty
hauled
in five catches for 126 yards and Galatas followed with four
catches for 128 yards and two scores en route to 212 all-purpose
yards on the evening.
Belhaven
(0-3) lit up the scoreboard first behind a 2-yard TD rush from
Ricardo Bolton midway through the first quarter, complementing
a strong defensive stand which stuffed the Majors on a 4th-and-three
from its 23-yard line. The Blazers covered 77 yards in six plays,
using up just 1:56 on the clock for the early 7-0 lead.
After
three unsuccesful drives led to no points for the visitors, Millsaps
brought in backup QB Chris Graves and finally found the equalizer
at the 9:10 mark in the second quarter.
Graves connected with McCarty down the sideline for 52-yards
down to the 1-yard line before Schuyler
Huff plunged his
way forward for the TD.
Millsaps
(2-0) would score on its ensuing drive to take a 14-7 lead into
intermission, using a 52-yard bomb from Joseph to Galatas.
The score was set up by Michael
Sims a few plays earlier on defense,
picking off Andrew Carcich's pass and returning it to the Belhaven
48-yard line.
Belhaven
briefly haulted 14 unanswered points from Millsaps on its second
drive of the third quarter, using a 71-yard connection from backup
QB Jerred Wallace to Shaun Ector on a busted play, that set up
a Damian
Davis 2-yard score three plays later.
With
the Blazers' student section fired up in a 14-14 ballgame, the
Majors came right down the field on the next series and
retook the lead, 20-14, behind a 31-yard TD toss from
Joseph to Galatas. Taylor
Russolino's point after attempt was blocked by Eric Ducksworth
after Millsaps was penalized 5-yards for a false start.
The
turning point in the game came with 9:32 left in the 4th when
it seemed as if Belhaven was about to receive the ball in Millsaps
territory
to push for the go-ahead score.
Junior
William Lawrimore was set to punt after the Majors were forced
into a
three-and-out from their own 13-yard line and sent a school-record
77 yard boot down to the Blazers' 10-yard line where Anthony
Embry fielded
it and was immediately tackled. Millsaps' Marcus
Stokes recovered
a fumble on the 4-yard line the very next play from scrimmage
which led to the nail in the coffin for the visitors.
For
Belhaven, Ector, Embry and Kevin Dizer combined for 11 catches
for 243 yards but couldn't find the end zone on the night. Carcich
completed 13-of-25 passes for 122 yards and was sacked three
times before making way for Wallace who finished 8-of-18 for
106 yards.
Sims,
a D3football.com TOTW selection in Week 1 for
Millsaps, made a strong case for another weekly accolade, racking
up a
career-high
nine tackles to lead both teams in addition to two breakups and
an INT. Lee Klein followed with eight tackles, while Cap
White finished with seven and Kevin
Peters added six.
Millsaps
will put its four game winning streak on the line next weekend
at Harper Davis Field, playing host to conference opponent Austin
College at 1 p.m. The Majors have won 12 of their last 13 league
games overall and knocked off the 'Roos 43-10 a year ago in Sherman,
Texas.
Game
Notes:
There were 10 combined sacks in the game tonight
Belhaven drops to 3-1 all-time vs. Millsaps in the series
Millsaps' Lawrimore sets school-record with 77-yard punt
Millsaps' Harris moved into a t-fifth in career INTs with 12
