Ground game and defense fires Choctaws to 1-1 start

By Datti Jinkiri

After getting shutout in their season opener against Albany State, Mississippi College’s football players quickly set their sights towards the matchup with the University of Fort Lauderdale. The team knew that their second game of the season would be a great opportunity to rebound. They rebounded, alright.

In the Choctaws’ final tune-up before GSC play, they eased to a 63-0 home win over the visitors from South Florida. They jumped out to a 35-0 lead in the first quarter and did not look back. The Choctaws’ rushing attack and defense was extremely dominant, and the win should give them confidence heading into conference play.

Balanced Ground Attack

The Choctaws currently lead the GSC with 246.0 rushing yards per game. After tallying only 141 rushing yards against Albany State, the Choctaws gashed Fort Lauderdale with 351 rushing yards. They also averaged 8.4 yards per carry, which was more than double the amount against Albany State.

The team’s eight rushing touchdowns are tied for second in the conference as well.  Freshman Ron Craten led the team with two rushing scores. Joshua Hernandez, Jonathan Cobb Jr., Cole Fagan, Marcus Williams, and Jairrice Pryor scored as well.

Joining them was redshirt sophomore Grant Collins. On Saturday, Collins ran six times for a team-high 105 yards and a touchdown. His 61-yard scamper in the fourth quarter was the Choctaws’ longest run of the game.

Defense

The Choctaws’ defense currently tops the conference with only 3.3 yards conceded per play. They held Fort Lauderdale to 70 total yards, including only nine rushing yards.

Linebacker Zach Hammann led the team with five total tackles in the game. Jarius Pruitt, Fred Walls, Gavin Franklin, DeShawn Washington, Jason Betz, and Gavin Greene also tallied sacks.

In addition, the ball-hawking defense of the Choctaws was everywhere on Saturday, forcing four turnovers in the process. Zadok Esters, Josh Miller, and Nick Grady each intercepted passes. Defensive back Braxton Hall, who was one of the GSC top’s newcomers, forced a fumble which was recovered by Ridge Futral.

Forcing turnovers will be important for the Choctaws if they hope to make some noise in the GSC this season.

Next Game

The Choctaws will host West Alabama in their GSC opener this Saturday. Kickoff from Robinson-Hale Stadium will be at 7:00 p.m, and the game will be streamed live on FloSports.