JACKSON – For the final time, the Millsaps Majors will take on the Trinity Tigers in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference game this Saturday afternoon at Harper Davis Field. When these two teams have met, a championship has generally been on the line.
“It's really become one of the premier rivalries in the conference,” says second year Head Coach Aaron Pelch. “It's a game that everyone looks forward to throughout the conference every single year.”
“It's a competitive game everyone looks forward to,” adds Head Coach Steve Mohr who is in his 23rd season as coach of Trinity. “It brings something out of one another that is not shared with other teams in conference competition.”
Between the two, they have combined to win 20 SCAC Championships since the SCAC was established in 1991. The two teams have shared the title twice. There has only been two seasons where Trinity or Millsaps have not won or shared the SCAC Championship. In the last 20 meetings, Trinity holds a 12-8 advantage while Millsaps holds the all-time advantage 19-15. Though the two could still meet in non conference or postseason play, this is the final time these two rivals will meet in a conference matchup as Millsaps moves to the Southern Athletic Association next season while Trinity remains in the SCAC.
“This game means a lot to everyone,” Pelch adds. “There is so much emotion wrapped up in each team because of the history between the two teams.”
“We approach it as a significant game,” says Mohr. “Our players know this is an important game.”
The two teams played for the first time in 1974, the Majors took that matchup 7-3 and went on to win the next two games in 1975 and 1976. Trinity got its first win over the Majors in 1977, 14-6, before making it two straight by knocking off Millsaps again in 1982. From 1982 on, the two teams met every year.
From 1983 to 1988 the Majors took six out of seven from the Tigers before both teams joined a new conference called the Collegiate Athletic Conference. After the Majors took games in 1989 and 1990, the CAC became the SCAC.
Millsaps won the first conference championship in the SCAC in 1991 before neither team won it in 1992. Trinity ended a five game losing streak to Millsaps in 1993, taking them down 21-19 as they won their first outright SCAC Championship on the final game of the year in San Antonio.
The two teams split the title in 1996 when Millsaps upended the Tigers 13-10 at home and snapped a three game losing streak. Trinity continued to build dominance, putting at least 40 points on the Majors from 1997-1999 in route to conference championships each year.
In 2000, Millsaps was celebrating its Centennial Season and closed the year with a home game against Trinity. The Tigers came in at 8-1, looking to win the title outright while Millsaps was at 4-5 and trying to finish at .500. The Majors went on to upset Trinity 35-28 on that day as the Tigers were forced to share the title.
Trinity went on to win five in a row over Millsaps, winning the conference title every year which included the 2002 National Runner Up team, who went all the way to the Stagg Bowl where they eventually fell to Mount Union.
On November 11, 2006, Millsaps and Trinity came into the final game of the year with 5-0 records at Harper Davis Field. It was the first time in SCAC history that the winner of final game of the year would decide the outright champion. Trinity came into the matchup winning 13 consecutive conference championships while Millsaps was looking for their first since 1996 and their first playoff berth since 1975. Millsaps would not be stopped on this day, jumping to a 27-0 lead. The Major defense caused five turnovers and went on to take down the Tigers 34-12 to take the title.
The following season, on October 27, 2007, the Majors hosted another home contest against Trinity. Millsaps was on its way to its second consecutive title with a 24-22 lead and two second remaining, and then history was made. Trinity completed the amazing 15 lateral play and the two teams shared the title. The play became known as the Mississippi Miracle
Millsaps responded a year later in San Antonio on November 1, 2008. Both teams came into the game with 7-0 records on the season. The Majors avenged the 15 lateral play with a 56-27 beat down on Trinity's home field. It snapped the Tigers' 37 game conference home winning streak that dated back to 1995 and it was the most points ever put up by one team between the two. Millsaps went on to finish the season 10-0 and a No. 3 ranking in the nation.
Millsaps domianated next year's meeting, 24-6 at home as they went on to share the conference title in 2009 and then took a third consecutive game from the Tigers in 2010, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter to win 27-23.
At the end of the 2010 season, it was the first time since 1992 that Trinity or Millsaps did not have at least a share of the SCAC Championship.
On the past games, Pelch says, “It's been a lot of great games and many firsts for the conference.”
“Were going to miss playing a team in conference that looks forward to playing Trinity University every year,” Mohr explains.
The final game is set for 1 p.m. at Harper Davis Field. It is the first conference game for Millsaps as Trinity is currently 1-0 in the conference. The game will also be live here. As history as shown, a win over the Majors or the Tigers can put them in prime position for a championship.
