JACKSON, Miss. – During the days leading up to start of the fall sports seasons, Millsaps Athletic Communications will preview football, soccer, volleyball, cross country and golf. The first in this set of previews is football.

The kickoff to the 2018 college football season is exactly one week away, and the Millsaps Majors begin the year on the road at rival Belhaven University. This year's Riverside Rumble features a twist, beginning this fall the winner of the game will be presented with a sword as their trophy to keep until the next year's meeting. The Battle for the Sword, which references the fact that both institutions feature a sword as part of their athletics' brand images, is the new tagline for the Riverside Rumble.

Senior defensive back Malcolm Ben said, "Going through fall camp knowing that the season starts with a rivalry game really kept the team energized from start to finish."

Head Coach Aaron Pelch has a veteran roster returning in 2018. He pointed to senior quarterback Chance Clowers as someone he is counting on to provide leadership to an offense that is expected to put a lot more points on the board in 2018. Building on his performance in fall camp, John Bourgeois is emerging as a threat at the wide receiver position, and after a strong summer, senior Andrew Warren enters with high expectations at running back.

The defensive focus is on getting off the field on third down and limiting the opponent's big plays. The unit features many sophomores who all played a lot as freshman last season. These players will be asked to provide maturity and become playmakers all over the field. At safety, Hooch Jeansonne is one of those young sophomores who will make an impact this year. Last season he was second on the team with three interceptions and won one SAA Defensive Player of the Week award. Reid Evans is back at linebacker after leading the team with 59 tackles last year, and up front Liam Vincifora returns after making 25 tackles 2017, including four tackles for loss and one sack.
 
It all gets underway with the Riverside Rumble, which kicks off at 7:00pm Thursday across the street on the campus of Belhaven University.

Looking ahead to the rest of the schedule, Millsaps will welcome non-conference opponent Westminster College to Jackson on September 8^th for the first home game of the season. The Southern Athletic Association portion of the schedule begins in week three with a trip to San Antonio for a matchup with Trinity University.

The 2018 Homecoming Weekend features a 2:00pm kickoff against Austin College on Saturday, October 13^th.