CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College football team erased a 10-point halftime deficit and scored the game-winning touchdown in the final minute to grab a 24-17 win over Albany State on Saturday night at Robinson-Hale Stadium.

The Choctaws improved to 1-1 on the season, while the Golden Rams dropped to 0-2.
 

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HOW IT HAPPENED
  - Albany State got off to a fast start with a 15-play, 74-yard opening drive that took over eight minutes and ended with a four-yard touchdown pass from Kelias Williams to Michael Green that put the Golden Rams ahead 7-0.
  - After the teams traded punts, ASU extended the lead to 10-0 as Gabriel Ballinas nailed a 32-yard field goal in the opening minutes of the second quarter.
  - MC would punt on their first three possessions, but the Golden Rams missed a pair of field goals in the final minutes of the first half to keep the lead at 10-0 through 30 minutes.
  - The Choctaws got off to a quick start in the second half with a 39-yard kickoff return from senior Cole Rotenberry that set up a six-play, 58-yard touchdown drive.
  - Junior Ja'Mori Mark capped off the scoring drive with a 26-yard touchdown run after a late pitch by senior Detric Hawthorn on the option play.
  - MC would score on all four drives in the second half, including a nine-play, 44-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown run from Mark to give the Choctaws a 14-10 advantage, their first lead of the night.
  - The Choctaw defense came up big on ASU's next possession, stopping the Golden Rams on downs as senior Turner Rotenberry broke up a pass on 4th down at the end of the third quarter.
  - Senior Drake McCarter pushed the lead out to 17-10 with 8:13 remaining in the game as he hit a 27-yard field goal, completing his pefrect night with three PAT's and the field goal.
  - The Golden Rams answered, however, on their next drive with an eight-play, 68-yard drive that finished with a 31-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-10 from Williams to Green.
  - The Choctaws responded as they did all second half, getting a 31-yard kickoff return from Rotenberry to set up a 59-yard scoring drive for the Choctaws.
  - Junior Jaylin Jones capped off the seven-play drive that gave the Choctaws the game-winning score, going in from five yards out with 27 seconds remaining.
 

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KEY STATS
  - The Choctaws rushed for 203 yards on 45 carries, averaging 4.5 yards per carry on the night.
  - Hawthorn led the way with 90 yards on 23 carries, including a long of 19 yards.
  - Mark scored a pair of touchdowns with 44 yards, while Jones scored the game-winning touchdown and rushed for 21 yards.
  - The Golden Rams outgained the Choctaws, 324-227, but 11 penalties for 96 yards and two missed field goals cost ASU.
  - Tracy Scott rushed for 71 yards on 16 carries, while Williams piled up 51 yards on the ground.
  - Williams also threw for 164 yards and two scores, completing seven passes for 102 yards to Green.
  - Quentin Frazier and Fred Walls led the Choctaws with seven tackles apiece, while Frazier added a tackle for loss.
  - Senior Derric Hawthorn and junior Jonathan Jones each had six tackles, while Rotenberry racked up four tackles with two pass breakups.
  - McCarter averaged 50.3 yards per punt and tied a career-high with a long of 61 yards on the night.
 

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NEXT UP
  - The Choctaws will open Gulf South Conference play next Saturday night when they host North Greenville at 7:00 p.m. in Robinson-Hale Stadium.
 

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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 began 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.