Football

November 1, 2008

Millsaps Beats Trinity in Battle of Top 10 Teams

Trinity (7-1) had its 37-game home winning streak in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference games snapped on Saturday, and also lost to a Division III team at home for the first time in 13 years in the regular season.  The last loss at home during the regular season came in 2004 against NAIA's Azusa Pacific University, while Centre (in 1995) was the last Division III team to beat Trinity.

The 56 points allowed by the Tigers is also the most given up by Trinity since the 1986 season, and is tied for the ninth-most points allowed in school history.

Millsaps quarterback Juan Joseph accounted for nearly 500 yards of offense and five total touchdowns in this game, leading the team in both passing and rushing.  Joseph completed 30-43 for 370 yards and three touchdowns, and also ran 12 times for 91 yards and two more scores.

Tiger quarterback Bryant Wilson completed 18-31 for three touchdowns, but did throw two second-half interceptions.  Wide receivers Chris Coleman and Riley caught five passes each, with Coleman's 67 yards receiving leading the team.

Eric McCarty of MIllsaps finished with nine catches for 115 yards and a touchdown to lead all receivers, while Raymece Savage chipped in with six catches for 49 yards.  Michael Galatas also had a solid game for Millsaps, grabbing four receptions for 82 yards and a score, as well as returning six kickoffs for a total of 196 yards in the game.  Galatas had two kickoff returns over 50 yards long in the game.

Trinity scored first in the game on a 12-yard reception from Trinity's Al Furlow midway through the first quarter, but Joseph had a touchdown pass and a touchdown run in the final five minutes to give Millsaps its first lead.

After a Trinity field goal early in the second, the Tigers then pulled ahead on Wilson's second TD pass of the game - this one to Curry with 8:15 left until halftime.  The Majors again scored a pair of late-quarter touchdowns, though, taking a 28-17 lead into the locker room.

Millsaps opened the second half scoring on the first drive of the third quarter to seemingly take command of the game.  After Trinity's Peter Licalzi knocked in another field goal, the Majors answered with another touchdown to make it 42-20.

The Tigers, though, scored in just over two minutes before the third quarter expired and seemed to be poised to make a comeback - especially after Trinity's defense got its first stop of the second half on the next Millsaps possession.  Trinity began its next possession looking to cut into the 42-27 lead, highlighted by a 33-yard play to end the third quarter.

Just two plays later, though, Millsaps got an interception on a nice play by defensive back Jacob Hanberry to stop the Tigers 19 yards away from paydirt.  The Majors promptly marched down the field for another touchdown to push the lead back over 20 points, taking the wind out of the sails for Trinity. 

After another Millsaps interception on Trinity's next possession, Joseph lead the offense on an 11-play scoring drive that used nearly seven minutes of the clock and left Trinity with almost no time to even attempt a comeback.

Trinity will travel to Centre next weekend to continue SCAC play.  The victory for Millsaps assures them of at least a tie for the SCAC Championship, which will be the third consecutive for the Majors.