Cross-town rivals Millsaps College and Belhaven College will both be seeking its first win of the 2009 season on Saturday, Sept. 12 in the 5th Annual Riverside Rumble, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. at Harper Davis Field on the campus of Millsaps.

The Majors are coming off a 47-44 double overtime loss at Mississippi College after rallying from a 24-3 halftime deficit, while the Blazers look to rebound from a 47-3 drubbing by the hands of Division II West Alabama two weeks ago.

Belhaven leads the all-time series 3-1, with Millsaps' lone win coming last season at H.T. Newell Field behind a pair of 100-yard receiving nights from Eric McCarty and Michael Galatas. Senior \#William Lawrimore\#'s 77-yard punt early in the fourth quarter, with the Majors leading 20-14, proved to be the difference maker as the defense forced a fumble the next play and would score two plays later for a two touchdown advantage.

Scouting the Majors:
Led by fourth-year head coach \#Mike DuBose\#, who is 26-8 all-time at Millsaps, the Majors are led offensively by senior QB \#Chris Graves\# who threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns on 16 of 28 passing vs MC and junior receiver \#Michael Galatas\# who caught five balls for 98 yards and two scores and also averaged 26.2 yards per kick return.

On the defensive end, seniors \#Mason Burrell\# and \#David Dale\# and junior \#Will Hawkins\# each set new career-highs last week in tackles, while Millsaps as a team had 14.0 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks as a team in the season-opener. 

Scouting the Blazers:
Belhaven is led by first-year head coach Joe Thrasher, a member of the Blazers' football team from 1998-2000 and assistant coach in 2005. Thrasher spent the last three years at Bacone College (Muskogee, Okla.) where his offense ranked among the best in the NAIA in multiple categories.

Offensively, the Blazers are paced by freshman QB Alex Williams who was 20 of 37 for 175 yards and two INTs in his first collegiate start, senior RB Ricardo Bolton (17 carries, 65 yards) and junior WR Cordario Calvin (seven catches, 76 yards). Junior defensive back Jeffrey Maxwell and senior linebacker Reggie Lumpkin lead the Belhaven defense.

What to Watch For:
Third down conversions could be a key stat to watch in Saturday's contest, with Millsaps 0 for 10 and Belhaven 2 for 17 in their season-openers. Special teams play will also be an area to watch, with skilled punters on both sides. 

Both teams are also giving up 47.0 ppg, a rarity for the Majors as of late, so look for an offensive outburst from both sides if the defenses don't settle in.

Where to Listen/Watch Saturday's Game:
Millsaps will offer live audio and video by clicking here
Belhaven will offer live audio by clicking here