JACKSON, Miss. — The Millsaps College football team put up a terrific fight before ultimately falling to No. 18 Trinity University, 28-21 during Homecoming on Saturday.
Freshman quarterback Carl Reed Jr. was tasked with the start, completing 6-of-9 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. He added 148 yards rushing and two rushing yards off 14 carries as well. Sophomore Grant Bizjack saw time as well, including the final potential game-tying drive when Reed Jr. exited with an injury.
Senior running back Tameron Patterson posted 88 yards on the ground off 19 carries.
Junior Isaiah Sinclair hauled in one pass – a 56-yard touchdown reception – to lead the receiving corp.
Defensivley freshman Ben Barron tallied a game-high nine tackles, including a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble.
Senior Christian McCoy tallied the second-most tackles for the Majors with six on the day.
Junior Davis Dare had a great outing in special teams, returning four kickoffs for 98 yards. Classmate Connor Babin made all three PATS, while averaging 63.8 yards off four kickoffs. He kept Trinity's returners at bay, sailing three of those kickoffs for touchbacks.
Millsaps (5-2, 3-1 SAA) got the 2,850 fans in attendance fired up scoring on the game's opening possession. Reed Jr. completed a 76-yard drive with a 15-yard rushing tally to Millsaps out front, 6-0. Babin's PAT made it 7-0 in a day that featured several missed kick attempts both ways.
Trinity (6-1, 3-1 SAA) used a narrow 295-262 rushing yard advantage and 123-121 passing yard differential to their favor. The Tigers answered on the next drive with a 59-yard rush down the right sideline, cutting the deficit to 7-6. Trinity's PAT, however, was missed.
The Majors fired back immediately when Sinclair exploded for a 56-yard passing score from Reed Jr. Babin successfully made it 14-6 moments later.
Continuing the scoring fest early, Trinity connected on a 43-yard field goal to only trail 14-9 under two minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
In the second quarter, the Tigers looked to cut further into the deficit once more with a completed short pass. However, the ball would be forced free by Barron and recovered by junior Justin Smith at Trinity's 46-yard line as the Majors defense stood tall.
Babin looked to complete a 41-yard field goal after Trinity turned the ball over but would come up short as the ball sailed away from the goalpost.
Trinity regained possession and grabbed its first lead of the contest following a 6-yard passing score and converted PAT, making it 15-14.
Trinity would be unable to respond to a blocked punt that started a drive at the Millsaps 26-yard line. The Tigers also forced a fumble of their own on a promising Millsaps drive at midfield. However, no scoring materialized as the Tigers clung to a 15-14 lead entering halftime.
Babin opened the third quarter, kicking the ball for 65 yards on a kickoff for a touchback. The Majors added pressure with graduate Zabian Boutan boasting a quarterback hurry forcing Trinity to commit a turnover on downs.
Teams traded defensive stops before Trinity added to its lead with an 82-yard drive in the last two minutes of the quarter. The Tigers punched in a 1-yard rushing score to the right side to make it 22-14 after a PAT.
The visitors attempted to put the game out of reach by scoring on the first drive of the fourth quarter. Another 1-yard rushing score made it 28-14 after another missed PAT.
Millsaps and Trinity again both would be stopped offensively before Reed Jr. downed the Tigers with a 91-yard rushing touchdown up the middle. After pushing through the lines, Reed Jr. made a final defender miss at the 25-yard line by cutting to his right powering his way into the endzone as the Majors attempted to make a comeback down 28-21.
A defensive stand then held the Tigers to a mere 5-play drive on the ensuing offensive possession, giving the Majors the ball back with 2:43 remaining and needing a touchdown to tie the game.
Bizjack entered after a hard hit forced Reed Jr. to the sideline. A series of penalties pushed the Majors back from the Tigers' 29-yard line. Undaunted Patterson and Bizjack provided short rushes to set up 3rd-and-4 with less than a minute remaining.
After an incomplete pass on third down, Bizjack would be forced into throwing an interception after a tipped ball. With 29 seconds remaining, the Tigers would kneel the ball as they secured the victory against the Majors on Saturday.
The Majors will next make the trek to Georgetown, Texas to challenge Southwestern University on Saturday, Oct. 31. Opening kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. with live video available at FloCollege.com and live stats provided at gomajors.com.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps football program this year follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.
Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
