ROME, Ga. ---- Mississippi College rolled into Rome, Ga. on Saturday afternoon and took care of business in a win over Shorter by a final of 30-14 in conference play.
The win was a major milestone for Choctaw head coach
John Bland, as the victory over the Hawks secured his 100th win as a head coach in his career.
"Today was a great win for our program. We have lost several close ones this year and to bounce back and play the way we did in all three phases was really impressive. As far as the 100th win as a head coach, there are so many players and assistant coaches that are responsible for that milestone. It is something to be proud of and a blessing for all of us. All praise and glory goes to God. Go Choctaws!"
In the first quarter, Shorter took the early lead at 12:32, with the Hawk's Justus Durant scoring to give the home team the 7-0 start.
The Choctaws quickly responded with 7:28 in the first quarter, as Ben Pledger's field goal attempt from 43 yards was successful, putting MC on the board with a score of 7-3.
The momentum continued to swing in the Choctaws favor, scoring again at 2:59 in the first quarter, as Cameron Davis delivered a pass to Javier Batiste, resulting in a 51-yard gain and a touchdown to put MC up 10-7.
In the second quarter, MC continued to put points on the board, scoring another touchdown at the 10:50 mark, as Davis connected with Orien Thompson for a 6-yard pass, as MC gained a 17-7 advantage.
With 5:06 left to go until the break, RJ Wilson added to the Choctaws lead, with a 29-yard rushing touchdown, as the Blue and Gold went up 24-7, taking the 17-point lead into the half.
As the third quarter began, Mississippi College showed no signs of slowing down, connecting a field goal from Ben Pledger with 11:00 on the clock. Pledger's 40-yard attempt gave MC a 27-7 lead before adding another 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to make it a 30-7 contest.
The Choctaws went on to win the GSC matchup by a final of 30-14 over the Hawks. MC finished with 429 yards of total offense on 68 plays with 225 rushing yards and 204 passing yards.
Davis finished 19-of-26 with 204 yards through the air and two passing touchdowns. Marcus Williams led MC with 141 rushing yards on 22 attempts, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
Javier Batiste finished with three catches for 58 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. RJ Wilson tallied one touchdown rush on on 15 carries, for 65 yards on the ground.
Defensively, Grant Watts led the effort with seven tackles. Jaylen Gipson and Bryson Baker each collected one sack a piece.
Mississippi College improves to 2-3 overall on the season and 1-2 in GSC play as they get a week off with next weekend's open date. The Choctaws return to the gridiron on October 14 for a home contest versus Valdosta State. The Choctaws and Blazers are set for a GSC showdown with kickoff set for 2 p.m. at Robinson-Hale Stadium.
