CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College football team improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2010 with a 34-9 victory over Southwest Baptist University on Saturday night at Robinson-Hale Stadium.

While the Choctaws improved to 2-0, the Bearcats fell to 0-2.
 

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TURNING POINT
- With the Choctaws leading 7-3 and just 38 seconds remaining in the first half, linebacker Trey Thompson picked off a pass and two plays later Ja'Mori Mark paid it off with a 10-yard touchdown run to grab a 14-3 advantage.
- The defense would force another turnover on the first play of the next drive, and Drake McCarter hit a 44-yard field goal as time expired to give the Choctaws a 17-3 lead at the break.
 

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HOW IT HAPPENED
- After the Bearcats opened the scoring with a 36-yard field goal, the Choctaws would grab the lead for good as Kenzie Phillips took a handoff up the middle and went 36 yards for a touchdown to give the Choctaws a 7-3 advantage.
- The lead would remain just four points until MC forced a pair of turnovers that led the 10 points in the final 36 seconds to make the score 17-3 at halftime.
- McCarter opened the second half the way the first half ended, drilling a 21-yard field goal to make the score 20-3 with 9:53 to go in the third quarter.
- The back-breaker came on the next drive as Detric Hawthorn dropped a beautiful throw down the sideline to Drew Croegaert for a 54-yard touchdown pass, making the score 27-3.
- Mark would put the game away with 6:36 to go in the game, taking a pitch 78 yards for a touchdown and giving the Choctaws a 34-3 lead.
- The Bearcats would score on their final drive of the night, but the Choctaws would go on to pick up their second straight victory to open 2018.
 

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KEY STATS
- The Choctaws rushed for 328 yards on 45 carries, averaging 7.3 yards per carry with three touchdowns.
- Mark led the MC rushing attack with 100 yards on five carries and the two touchdowns.
- Hawthorn went 4-of-5 as a passer for 66 yards and a score, also rushing for 75 yards on 11 carries.
- The MC defense held SBU to 326 total yards, only putting up 4.3 yards per play.
- Sergio Ayon led the Choctaws with eight tackles, while Dalton Frederick had five tackles with 1.5 for loss and a sack.
- Eric Knight led the Bearcats with 66 yards on 21 carries, while Bryse Salik came off the bench to pass for 114 yards and a touchdown in the second half.
 

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GAME NOTES
- The Choctaws are 2-0 for the first time since 2010 when they opened the season with victories over Millsaps (27-23) and Belhaven (21-14).
- The 34 points scored is the most for a Choctaw team since they put up 41 in a 42-41 loss to Valdosta State on October 15, 2016.
- The 328 rushing yards is the most for a Choctaw team since they rushed for 500 yards on 55 carries against Belhaven on Sep. 19, 2015.
- The Choctaws have now scored eight touchdowns in 2018, more than half the total (14) of the entire 2017 season.
- The nine points allowed is the fewest for a Choctaw defense since they shut out Shorter on November 5, 2016.
- The last time the Choctaws defeated a team from Missouri was when they beat Southeast Missouri State on September 16, 1989. MC would go on to win the Division II national championship game that season.
 

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and will be competing for conference and national championships beginning with 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.