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MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- In a battle of field position at Fargason Field on “National College Football Day” around the college football community, Millsaps used a 14-point fourth quarter to win its sixth consecutive game, edging past the Rhodes Lynx to improve to 6-3 overall and 5-0 in the SCAC.
As good, championship football teams always do, Millsaps found a way to win as they used a Juan Joseph 4-yard touchdown strike to Chris Jackson and a Ronnie Wheat 19-yard interception return en route to 14 points in a span of 0:37 in the final quarter.
The first half was a defensive battle, with both teams gaining little ground and scoring zero points. The Majors accounted for 97 total yards and eight first downs, while holding Rhodes to only two first downs and 82 yards of total offense.
For the Lynx (5-4, 2-3 SCAC), wide receiver Justin Sealand got the start behind center after scheduled starter Mark Oliver was sidelined with an injury. Sealand, who hadn’t taken a snap at quarterback all season, shared the quarterback spot with the freshman from Baton Rouge, La., Erik Miller.
On the opening drive of the game for Millsaps, it appeared as if Donnie Epps pulled in the catch from Joseph on third down and long, but the official from the opposite side of the field came running in to signal the pass hit the ground first, thus forcing the Majors to punt.
After a William Lawrimore punt set up the Lynx at their own 48 yard line, Rhodes looked to capitalize with great field position.
Three plays later it looked as if the Lynx were going to do just that, using a halfback pass from Tyler Lake to Tom Oliver that was broken up at the last second in the endzone by Joey Doxey, keeping the game scoreless.
Late in the first quarter the Majors had the Lynx pinned at their own 12 yardline on fourth down, but a booming 51-yard punt from Art Quinn set up Millsaps at its own 38 yardline instead of being in Rhodes territory.
Once again the Majors went three-and-out, as the drive stalled when Joseph was sacked for a loss of four yards. After giving up only two sacks all season, the Majors gave up two in the first quarter – three for the game – alone as Desmond Hendric and Mark Mattioli both got to Joseph before he could find an open receiver.
Rhodes’ next possession went nowhere as well and they were forced to punt, as Jackson returned the 34 yard kick from Quinn to the Majors 42 yardline before an illegal block penalty pushed the ball back to their own 12 yardline.
The next two series for Millsaps Joseph looked like the SCAC’s leading passer, completing 7-of-10 passes to five different receivers for 49 yards, yet the Majors still couldn’t break the defense of the Lynx and were forced to punt once again.
With Millsaps’ second to last possession of the first half, it looked as if they would finally put the first points on the scoreboard.
Joseph went hurry up and connected with Louis Conley back-to-back to push the ball to the Lynx 31 yardline, but a holding penalty and a botched center to quarterback snap pushed the Majors back to the 47, where Millsaps’ Lawrimore punted for the seventh time in the first half.
The two teams combined for 13 punts, nine penalties and only 10 first downs in the first half (Millsaps 8, Rhodes 2), as the top offensive team in the SCAC could only manage 97 yards of total offense, while holding Rhodes to 78.
The Majors used a short field to open the second half, yet were intercepted at the one inch yardline by Ben Hobbs, which is where the Lynx began their drive.
Millsaps held Rhodes to a quick three-and-out and received the Rhodes punt at the 44 yardline, where Jackson made a move, was hit and then fumbled. The fumble was forced by Matt Tenore and was recovered by Bryn Meredith at the Lynx 30 yardline, thus avoiding a Millsaps drive deep inside their own territory.
The Lynx couldn’t get anything going from there, giving it right back to the Majors after Denarold Anderson batted down the third down pass to force Rhodes’ ninth punt of the game.
Millsaps finally broke the scoreless tie with 10:15 left in the fourth quarter, when Joseph hooked up with Jackson for the eighth time this season to not only put the Majors on top 7-0, but tie a school-record for touchdown passes in a single-season with 19.
Less than a minute later on the second play from scrimmage for the Lynx, Ronnie Wheat picked up his first interception of the year, picking off the Sealand pass and scampering 19 yards for the score to put the Majors on top 14-0. The interception for Millsaps is its 10th in three games, as they continue to lead the league in total interceptions with 14.
When all the Majors had to do was keep the ball on the ground to run down the clock, they decided to go to the air. It proved costly, as Joseph’s pass was intercepted by Ben Hobbs for the second time of the game and returned down to the Majors 17 yardline.
The Lynx capitalized on the first play from scrimmage, as Sealand connected with a wide open Michael Hatcher in the back of the endzone to cut the Millsaps lead to 14-6. The extra point attempt was blocked by Cedric Lawrence, giving the Majors their fifth blocked kick of the season.
The ensuing onside kick for the Lynx was unsuccessful as Jackson fielded the attempt inside Rhodes territory.
The Majors kept the ball on the ground, ran the clock down to 1:12 and took the delay of game penalty before Lawrimore punted for the 10th time of the game down to the Rhodes 19 yardline.
With 1:06 left on the game clock, Rhodes strung together one last drive as Sealand completed 4-of-6 passes for 90 yards and took the Lynx down to the 3 yardline before the clock ran out. Sealand heaved up a last minute Hail Mary that was caught by Jeff Fryder for 40 yards before he was taken down by Marcus Harris in bounds much to the dismay of the Rhodes faithful.
Defense wins championships and it was present at Fargason Field on Saturday afternoon in Memphis, Tenn., as the Majors won a dogfight in the Lynx backyard.
Cedric Lawrence picked up a team-high nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a blocked PAT, while Canaan Farris and Shawn Gillenwater chipped in seven tackles each. Doxey and Wheat also had five tackles, while Wheat had two picks for 19 yards and a touchdown.
Offensively for Millsaps, Joseph completed 25-of-49 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown (19) to remain 24 yards shy of tying Beau Pollard’s record of 2,147 yards in a season set in 1997. Joseph connected with eight different receivers in Jackson (six, 59 yards), Louis Conley (four, 30), Burt Pereira (three, 41), Josh Hanna (three, 32), Tye Menist (three, 28) Kenneth Metzger (three, five), Donnie Epps (two, 18) and Tyson Roy (one, one).
The Majors will close out the regular season against No. 19 Trinity University next weekend at Harper Davis Field. Millsaps was already assured a shot at the conference championship, but today’s win makes the Nov. 11 Homecoming matchup that much sweeter, as the Majors and the Tigers are both 5-0 in the SCAC.
Game time is slated for a 2 p.m. start with Homecoming festivities scheduled before kickoff and during halftime.
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