• Official Stats
CLINTON – Trailing 24-3 at the half, visiting Millsaps College used 31 second half points, including a career-long 47-yard field goal from junior kicker \#Taylor Russolino\# as time expired, to force overtime before falling 47-44 in a shootout to cross-town rival Mississippi College in "Backyard Brawl X" at Robinson-Hale Stadium.
In a 3-hour and 27-minute thriller in front of 4,348 fans, the Majors and Choctaws laid everything out on the field and battled it down to the wire in a pair of season-openers. MS College improved to 29-13-6 all-time versus Millsaps, and took a 5-4 lead in the gridiron series since it was renewed in 2000 after a 40-year hiatus.
The Choctaws wasted little time making a statement, taking their opening drive of the game 46 yards in 13 plays over 7:08 and capitalizing on a Brannon Walls 31-yard field goal. The key play in the drive was a 4th-and-1 rush for Steven Knight, who caused fits for the Majors all night.
Millsaps' opening drive of the night stalled out at the MS College 27 after a missed field goal, but the Majors would come right back down the field their next possession in knotting it at 3-3 on Russolino's 32-yarder – his first of three on the night.
MS College would score 21 unanswered in the second quarter behind Knight's 2-yard run, Adam Shaffer's 7-yard touchdown toss and an electric, 65-yard punt return from Josh Jackson to take a commanding 24-3 lead into the half.
As expected, Millsaps made some second half adjustments and played a spectacular second half but had a ton of ground to make up. A quick, 14 points in a span of 5:53 off senior \#Chris Graves\#' 32-yard touchdown pass to \#Michael Galatas\# and a 60-yard fumble recovery had the Majors within a touchdown at 24-17 midway through the third quarter.
The Choctaws stretched their lead back out 34-17 with 10 unanswered, scoring with 33 seconds left in the third and again on their opening drive of the fourth on another Walls field goal, this one from 35 yards.
Millsaps needed just 18 seconds to respond, getting a 36-yard kickoff return from Galatas out to the 42 with a personal foul penalty putting it into Choctaw territory. Graves then found a streaking \#Gary Davis\# on the first play of the drive from 43 yards out to cut it to 34-24 with 8:42 remaining.
The Majors' defense then came up with a huge stop on the Choctaws' next possession, forcing a fumble that was recovered by \#Will Hawkins\# to take over. Three plays later, thanks to \#Jason O'Rear\#'s big 53-yard reception, Graves found Galatas in the back of the end zone to cut it to a field goal game.
MS College started its final drive of regulation with 2:16 remaining and looked to be able to run the clock out with Millsaps down to its final two timeouts, but a botched snap on 4th-and-12 with 4 seconds left gave the Majors one shot to tie it and send the game into overtime. Russolino then calmly knocked through a career-long 47-yarder as time expired for the equalizer.
In the first overtime, both teams found the end zone, with MS College getting the ball first and scoring on Shaffer's 11-yard toss to Matt Burke and Millsaps tying it at 41-41 with Graves' 16-yard connection to fellow senior, \#John Milazzo\#.
Back-to-back penalties on the Majors forced them into a 3rd-and-24 situation in the second overtime, getting a 20-yard pickup from \#Shane Bowser\# but having to settle for the go-ahead 36-yarder from Russolino -- Millsaps' first and only lead of the night.
MS College then went back to Knight and Shaffer on the offensive end, scoring five plays later on senior Renard Ellis' 6-yard touchdown reception for the game-winning touchdown score and 47-44 double overtime victory.
Defensively, senior \#Mason Burrell\# shattered a career-high with a game-high 15 tackles (nine solo) and 3.0 tackles-for-loss, while both senior \#David Dale\# and Hawkins added a career-high 13 and 10 tackles. \#Kenny Reeves\# also had a 60-yard fumble recovery.
Graves led the Majors' offense by completing 16 of 28 passes for a career-high 331 yards and four touchdowns, connecting with nine different receivers on the night, including Galatas five times for 98 yards and two scores.
Despite a valiant, 21-point comeback from Millsaps, the loss snapped a 10-game road winning streak and a 12-game regular season winning streak dating back to the 2007 season. The Majors are, however, 26-5 in their last 31 overall.
The Majors will return to Jackson next weekend, hosting NAIA-foe Belhaven College at 1 p.m. at Harper Davis Field. That game, as well as all football games, will be broadcast live at www.gomajors.com under the "Web Casts" link.
