After back-to-back road losses at DePauw University and Huntingdon College, Millsaps College (5-3, 4-1 SCAC) has put together consecutive wins to put itself in a position for a fourth consecutive conference championship when it travels to Sewanee-University of the South (0-7, 0-4 SCAC) for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff at Harris Stadium.
Millsaps will secure a co-championship with DePauw and Centre if both teams win their remaining games, or could possibly win it outright if either team slips down the stretch. DePauw hosts Austin College on Nov. 7, while Centre has two remaining games vs Rhodes and at Trinity. There are several scenarios still to play out, however a third playoff berth in four years for the Majors is a longshot to say the least.
With Millsaps' 24-0 shutout win over then No. 25 Centre last weekend, the Majors have now won 10 consecutive regular season home games at Harper Davis Field and have won four of their last five against ranked opponents.
Road games, however, have not been friendly ground this year for Millsaps, as the Majors have gone 1-3 and fallen behind by double digits in each contest before rallying late. A trip to Sewanee, who have yet to win a game this year, should be just what the Majors need to get back on track.
Last Year's Meeting (Millsaps 38, Sewanee 17):
After their opening possession stalled on six plays, the Majors scored on four of their next five drives to take a 24-3 lead into the locker room.
Despite not throwing a touchdown pass in the first half, senior QB Juan Joseph finished 20 of 29 for 246 yards and two TDs and hit 13 different receivers on the afternoon. His passes included touchdown strikes to senior Eric McCarty and sophomore Michael Pivnick late in the third quarter that pushed the Millsaps lead out to 38-3.
With the game well in hand for Millsaps with under nine minutes to play in the fourth, the Tigers put together two solid, 10-play drives, capped off by back-to-back touchdowns by way of a 21-yard Bruce Bentley reception and a Brient Hobbs 5-yard run. Hobbs' run with 10 seconds left in regulation capped the Tigers' best drive of the day, a 10-play, 76-yard drive that spanned 3:06.
Sewanee was outgained on the afternoon just 344-237 in total yards and earned one less first down (18-17), doing a majority of its damage late in the game with the outcome already decided.
Scouting the Tigers:
Sewanee has lost 14-straight games overall dating back to last season, and has dropped all four of its league games this year by an average of 18.3 ppg. Three of the Tigers' four SCAC losses have also been shutouts, with its best performance a 31-21 loss to Austin College.
The Tigers are averaging a conference-worst 8.3 ppg and have scored just eight touchdowns in seven games, four on the ground, three through the air and one by way of a 79-yard kick return. They are giving up 30 ppg, including 15 rushing touchdowns.
Offensively, Sewanee runs a pair of quarterbacks in senior Patrick Shelton and freshman Robert Ratliff. Shelton has completed 28 of 75 passes for 329 yards and one touchdown against seven interceptions, while Ratliff has connected on 22 of 51 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Michael Porch has had a solid freshman campaign, rushing for 382 yards and a pair of scores.
Junior Chalankis Brown is the Tigers' primary weapon, playing on both defense and offense. He led the SCAC with seven interceptions last season as a defensive back and garnered first team honors. This season, Brown is the team's fourth leading tackler with 34 tackles and a team-best two interceptions, while hauling in a team-leading seven catches for 124 yards and two scores.
Scouting the Majors:
Millsaps is one win away from a fourth consecutive conference championship, a feat the senior class would have never imaged several years ago with four consecutive losing seasons prior to their arrival. They would like nothing more than to go out on top and complete a spectacular 24-2 record in SCAC games the last four seasons.
Will Hawkins has had a breakout junior campaign in leading the Majors' defense, posting four straight games with 10 or more tackles to take over the conference lead. Along with teammate Kevin Peters, Hawkins is coming off D3football.com National Team of the Week honors, becoming the fourth and fifth different defensive players to earn the weekly recognition.
Offensively, Millsaps is second in the league in scoring offense at 31.4 ppg and has scored at least 20 points in 30 consecutive games dating back to 2006. Senior QB Chris Graves leads the Majors' offensive attack, completing a league best 149 of 265 passes (56.2 pct) for 1,954 yards and 26 TDs against just five interceptions. His primary targets are junior Michael Galatas and senior John Milazzo, who've each caught 26 passes for 435 and 349 yards, respectively.
Junior kicker Taylor Russolino tied a Millsaps career record with his 24th make last weekend against Centre, banging through a 36-yarder late in the fourth quarter. In just three seasons, Russolino already owns career records in PAT makes (110) and attempts (119) and is second in field goals attempted (35) behind Derrick McNeal's 38 from 1999-2001. His teammate, senior punter William Lawrimore, now has 176 career punts, just second behind Dale Keyes' 227 from 1969-72.
Where They Rank in the SCAC:
Scoring Offense - Millsaps 2nd, Sewanee 8th
Scoring Defense - Millsaps 4th, Sewanee 7th
Total Offense - Millsaps 4th, Sewanee 8th
Total Defense - Sewanee 5th, Millsaps 6th
Rushing Offense - Millsaps 7th, Sewanee 8th
Rushing Defense - Millsaps 5th, Sewanee 7th
Turnover Margin - Millsaps 2nd (7th nationally), Sewanee 7th
Red Zone Offense - Sewanee 1st, Millsaps 2nd
Red Zone Defense - Sewanee 2nd, Millsaps 4th
Series History:
This year's game will mark the 63rd overall meeting between the two teams, with Sewanee leading the all-time series 34-25-3. Millsaps dominated the matchup from 1966-88, owning a 19-4 advantage, and have now won three-straight and six of the last eight dating back to the 2001 season.
The Head Coaches:
Millsaps College is led by fourth-year head coach Mike DuBose (Alabama `74), who brings a 55-33 (.625) career record into Saturday's game against Sewanee and 31-10 mark at Millsaps. He's also gone 11-1 in SCAC road games, winning by an average margin of 26.2 ppg. Robert Black (Sewanee, '89) is in his third year for the Tigers, owning a 3-23 (.115) career mark.
What to Watch For:
Millsaps ranks seventh in the nation in turnover margin (+14) and has forced at least one turnover in 7 of 8 games this year, including nine in the last three games. Look for Millsaps to force several turnovers against a Sewanee team that is minus-6 in the turnover game and coughed it up seven times last week in a 34-17 defeat to Birmingham-Southern.
Senior QB Chris Graves has thrown for 17 touchdowns and no interceptions his last 164 passes, and is just six touchdowns shy of tying All-American Juan Joseph's single-season record of 32 last year. Junior Michael Galatas is also 13 kick return yards away from setting a new single-season record, after going the last two weeks without a return thanks in large part to a stifling defense.
How to follow the action:
Millsaps Webcast: http://www.sportsnation360.com/schools/webcast/Millsaps-College