JACKSON, Miss. — The Millsaps football team fell to Hendrix College, 36-27 in a hard-fought, back-and-forth battle at Harper Davis Field on Saturday.
The game doubled as the Hall of Fame Game, which saw the Majors honor Erica Cook '11 (Track and Field / Volleyball), John Fox '05 (Baseball), Mike Galatas '11 (Football / Track and Field), Jason Hadley '07 (Baseball), Christina Sharp Bost '06 (Softball), and John Shivers '10 (Football) at halftime.
Long-time supporter of Millsaps College Athletics, Faculty Athletics Representative, and Millsaps College professor Dr. Timothy Ward was also recognized as the recipient of the Sam Knox Distinguished Service Award.
Saturday's game was close throughout with neither team able to lead by more than one possession until a lateral play that turned into a fumble-recovery touchdown on the game's final snap.
The Majors produced 278 rushing yards on 52 attempts. Hendrix completed 25-of-35 passes for 387 yards and had 76 rushing yards.
Millsaps finished with 22 first downs to Hendrix's 17 and recorded two interceptions and a fumble recovery. The Warriors converted three-of-four red-zone trips compared with one-of-two for the Majors.
Senior quarterback Quez Goss finished with 127 passing yards and a one touchdown thrown through the air in his first start of the season. He also netted 26 rushing yards.
In the ground game, classmate Tameron Patterson carried the load with 29 rushing attempts for 173 yards and a touchdown.
At wide receiver, junior Sean Johnson hauled in five passes for 57 yards while scoring his first touchdown as a Major.
On defense, junior Cole Williams led the Majors with nine tackles, while classmate Kyle Veal Jr. recorded seven tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. Veal Jr. returned the fumble 40 yards for a touchdown and also registered a quarterback hurry.
Juniors Myles Johnson (sack) and Ellias Allen, alongside freshman Anden Millet, all registered five total tackles each.
On special teams, third-year student Connor Babin booted five kickoffs for 324 yards (64.8-yard average), including four touchbacks.
Junior W.H. Carver recorded two kickoff returns for 82 yards with a long of 65 yards.
Hendrix (1-1) opened the scoring on the Warriors' first offensive play, which was a 73-yard touchdown pass up the middle.
Millsaps (2-1) immediately answered on the ensuing possession after freshman Carl Reed Jr. scampered for a 43-yard rushing score, finding a hole in the middle of the Warriors' defensive line.
The game remained tied until Hendrix scored two minutes into the second quarter off a 7-yard touchdown pass to the right side of the end zone.
Millsaps responded again when Goss found Johnson in the back-right corner of the end zone, tying the game at 14-14 after a Babin PAT.
Defensive pressure stepped up soon after as junior Decorian Warren forced a fumble that was recovered by Veal Jr. 40 yards out, who returned it down the left sideline for a touchdown.
After a missed PAT, Hendrix drove down the field and used a 3-yard passing touchdown to take a 21-20 lead moments before halftime.
The Warriors eventually added another touchdown, which was a 58-yard passing completion. The PAT try hit the left upright, keeping the score at 27-20.
Both teams couldn't find control as the Majors eventually reached the Warrior 5-yard line with 11 minutes remaining in the game, but came up short on fourth down.
Millsaps pushed back on its next possession as Patterson scored a 34-yard rush up the middle, tying the game at 27-27 with 8:08 to play.
Then with 3:57 left, Hendrix regained the lead on the following drive after connecting on a 25-yard field goal.
The Majors looked to tie or take the lead, but Hendrix forced another turnover on downs, leaving on 1:05 on the clock.
Millsaps would get the ball back once more with two seconds remaining. After a series of laterals, the Warriors grabbed one of the tosses of a bounce and returned it for an additional six points. Hendrix managed to escape with a 36-27 victory.
The Majors enter their bye week and will return to begin conference play on Saturday, Oct. 3. Millsaps hosts Rhodes College for a 5 p.m. kickoff, with live coverage available at FloCollege and live stats 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.
