CLINTON, Miss. --- Junior Matt Brasher nailed a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give the Mississippi College football team a 27-26 win over Cumberland (TN) on Saturday night at Robinson-Hale Stadium.

"I'm so proud of the way these guys fought all night long," said head coach John Bland. "The team pulled together in the final minute and got the win. What a clutch kick by Matt."



The Choctaws (2-2) had a 24-20 lead in the final minutes, but Phoenix (1-3) quarterback Dezmon Huntley rushed in from 13 yards out to grab a 26-24 advantage with just 54 seconds remaining.

Senior quarterback Sharone Wright and the offense took over at their own 36-yard line after a 13-yard kick return by sophomore Keith Harison.

Wright completed 13-yard passes to seniors Marcel Newson and Rashad Turner and rushed for 18 yards of his own to move the ball to the 20-yard line with just four seconds remaining.

Brasher, who missed a 27-yard field goal earlier in the quarter, stepped up and knocked the 37-yard kick through as senior Michael Hodges Jr. handled the snap.

"I got a little nervous when I saw the ball hit the ground," said Brasher. "But I know that Mike (Hodges) has always got me, and he set it right where it needed to be."

Newson led the MC offense on the night, rushing for 76 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown run, and catching five passes for 91 yards and a 64-yard score. He also had two kickoff returns for 69 yards, including a 58-yard run to open the game.

When the contest started, it appeared it would be heading toward a high-scoring affair as sophomore Chakel Gates caught his first touchdown pass of the season, scoring from 20 yards out on a pass from Wright.

The Phoenix answered right back as a 63-yard run by Kendall Johnson set up a touchdown, but a missed extra point kept MC with the 7-6 just three minutes into the game.

Both teams scored on their next possessions, as Wright found Newson with a beautiful ball down the MC sidelines for a 64-yard score. The Phoenix again responded with an 8-play, 64-yard drive and with a two-point conversion following the touchdown, the game was tied 14-14 with 8:07 remaining in the first quarter.

The scoring slowed a bit, but MC's first play of the second quarter saw Newson go 75 yards for a touchdown to give MC the 21-14 advantage.

The MC defense would stand tall the rest of the half, but an MC fumble set up a 6-play, 74-yard drive that saw Huntley rush in from 12 yards out. The extra point hit off the upright and MC would take the 21-20 lead into the break.

The second half was a stalemate for both teams as neither team scored in the third quarter. The next points came with 11 minutes remaining when Brasher hit a 26-yard field goal to push the lead out to 24-20.

The Choctaws continued their stout defensive play after the first quarter, but the Phoenix took over at their own 12-yard line with 2:27 remaining and a 43-yard pass from Huntley to Michael Green put them in scoring position quickly.

Huntley would cap off the drive with a touchdown run, setting up the offensive heroics and Brasher's game-winning kick as time expired.

Junior Steven Bradley led the Choctaws with 11 tackles, while freshman Julian Charles posted eight stops with a 1.0 tackle for loss. Sophomore R.J. Arnold forced and recovered a fumble to go along with seven tackles.

Nathan Jernigan and Donovan Norfleet each led Cumberland (TN) with eight tackles apiece. Huntley had a big night for the Phoenix with 134 rushing yards and three scores to go with 202 passing yards.

Sophomore Alizee Chubbs shined on the ground for the Choctaws, carrying the ball 14 times for 75 yards.

The Choctaws will be back in action on Thursday night when they travel to Cleveland to face rival Delta State at 6:00 p.m. The game is the GSC-TV Game of the Week and will be streamed on ESPN3.

Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC is recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and will be competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.
 
The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
 
For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu
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