OFFICIAL STATS
JACKSON - Senior quarterback
Chris Graves completed 27-of-39 passes for a career-high 336 yards and two touchdowns, and junior linebacker
Will Hawkins became the first Major since All-American Matt O'Bryant in 2003 to record 100 tackles in a season as Millsaps knocked off Birmingham-Southern in its season finale, 38-20.
With the victory, Millsaps picked up its 11th straight regular season home win dating back to 2007 and became just the second team in school history to post four consecutive 7-win seasons. In addition, the 2009 senior class finished with the most wins ever in a four-year career, boasting 33 total wins against 10 losses.
Graves' 300-yard performance marked his third this season and of his career, hitting 11 different receivers on the day. The senior hit
Alex Wills from 1-yard out and fellow senior
John Milazzo from 6-yards out for touchdown strikes, along with
Michael Galatas four times for a game-high 104 yards. His lone interception in the fourth quarter snapped an SCAC-record streak of 230 passes without a pick.
Hawkins' career-high, 17-tackle performance paced a Majors defense that allowed 97 yards through the air and held BSC to just 1-of-13 on third down conversions. The Panthers rushing duo, however, of Walter Arrington and Shawn Morris had fantastic days, running for 90 yards apiece on a combined 36 carries. Morris scored two of BSC's touchdowns on the ground, while quarterback Joe Thigpen had one.
Millsaps scored on its opening two possessions after defensive stops to take an early 14-0 lead, using senior
Kenny Metzger's 2-yard touchdown run and Wills' first collegiate score to cap a 10-play, 96-yard drive over 3:57.
BSC would capitalize on a 43-yard missed field goal from Millsaps early in the second to find its first score of the day, putting together an impressive 12-play, 74-yard drive that cut the lead to 14-7 with 4:28 left in the half.
After BSC forced a Major three-and-out on their first possession of the second half, Millsaps caught a break off the punt when Arrington was lit up by
Jeff Hampton and coughed up the football. The Majors would take over at the BSC 9-yard line, but couldn't find the end zone and had to settle for a
Taylor Russolino 37-yard field goal.
Shane Bowser would find the end zone for Millsaps just 5 minutes later to stretch the lead to 24-7 heading into what would be an exciting fourth quarter.
Morris scored his first of two fourth quarter TDs for BSC with 7:32 left in regulation, taking the Thigpen handoff 7-yards for the score. Millsaps, however, would respond on its ensuing drive, needing just five plays to stretch the lead back out to 31-14.
An 87-yard return from Arrington on the ensuing kickoff down to the Majors' 2-yard line set up an answering score, where Morris would stumble in from 2-yards out. The point after attempt sailed wide right and the lead for Millsaps was now 31-20.
The Majors would close out the scoring with 34 seconds left in the game on a 4th-and-3, as Graves connected with Milazzo from 6-yards away to wrap the 38-20 win. Graves' touchdown pass marked his 30th of the season, only the second Major in school history (Juan Joseph, 2008) to throw for 30 in a season.
Millsaps wrapped up its season at 7-3 overall, while BSC fell to 4-6.