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The Mississippi College defense scored 22 unanswered points to come from behind and get a 32-26 win over the offense in the football “Spring Game” on Saturday afternoon in Robinson-Hale Stadium.
“This was just a really good day,” said head coach John Bland. “Sometimes when you split up offense and defense, it can be tough to create that chemistry you need to have a good team. The coaching staff and I are proud of the way the guys came together throughout the spring. I believe they competed well against each other today, but I know they will fight for each other going forward.”
The offense got things going early as Matt Brasher nailed a 39-yard field goal on the first series, but the defense bounced back with a three-and-out to take a 4-3 advantage. The defense was able to score points with stops and turnovers on the day.
On the next possession, running back Greg Brassfield scampered in from nine yards out to take a 10-4 lead, but the defense came back with another three-and-out to cut the score to 10-8.
The offense put two straight drives together as running back Alvin Fairley punched it in from a yard out and Brasher hit another 37-yard field goal to push the lead out to 20-8.
The defense put things together with three straight three-and-outs and the score was tied 20-20 after nine series. With five series remaining, the defense got another stop for one point to push the advantage out to a 21-20.
Overall, MC’s defense would score 22 straight points after a couple more three-and-outs and a missed field goal.
With the game out of reach, quarterback Walker Meadows found wide receiver Rashad Turner for a 20-yard touchdown on the final play of the game. After a missed two-point conversion, the defense finished with the 32-26 victory.
“I thought the game was competitive all day long,” said Bland. “Both teams did some great things, and the kicking game was solid outside of a missed field goal late in the day. We have seen a huge improvement from the end of last season to now. I believe we have put ourselves in a better position to compete in the Gulf South Conference.”
“Overall, we came out pretty healthy in the spring,” Bland went on. “We had an injury-free game today and just a few minor injuries over the month.”
“What an outstanding crowd we had today,” said Bland. “This was a great day for the past, present and future of MC football. The alumni, players, signees, recruits and current students really gave us a great atmosphere today.”
The Choctaws now open the 2016 season on September 3rd when they will host Point University at 2:00 p.m. at Robinson-Hale Stadium.
