By Will Brown

Sports Editor

Last Thursday night, the Millsaps Majors football team lost their season opener to the Belhaven Blazers by a final score of 42-37. 

Millsaps got off to a slow start in the first quarter, quickly falling behind 21-7. However, a strong second quarter allowed them to get back into the game, and they led 29-28 at the half. In the third quarter, Belhaven’s Isaiah Blackmon returned an interception for a touchdown to give the Blazers the lead back. Millsaps got a safety in the early fourth quarter to cut Belhaven’s lead to 35-31, but with 5:23 to go in the game, Belhaven completed a 77-yard touchdown pass to go up 42-31. Millsaps’ quarterback, Chance Clowers, threw a touchdown pass to receiver Andrew Jarreau less than a minute later to bring Millsaps back within five points. Neither team scored for the rest of the game, and Millsaps lost 42-37.  

Millsaps finished the game with 267 passing yards and 145 rushing yards and had 412 yards of total offense. Millsaps used three different players as quarterback, and Chance Clowers led the team with 135 yards and a touchdown. Millsaps also ran for 177 yards as a team, with Andrew Warren leading the way with 56 yards. Andrew Jarreau led the team in receiving with 76 yards and a touchdown. Belhaven gained all their yards passing, and quarterback Hunter McEachern led the way for the Blazers with 263 yards and 4 touchdown passes.  

Rainy conditions played a role in the game. On Thursday, Jackson was hit hard by rain showers that were a result of Hurricane Harvey. A tailgate party put together by the Millsaps Department of Athletics was scheduled to occur in Whitworth Circle before the game, and afterward those in attendance were planning to march together to the Belhaven campus to cheer on the Majors. The tailgate was cancelled due to the bad weather, and it rained all throughout the evening. 

Millsaps’ next game is on Saturday, September 9, when the Majors travel to Fort Worth, TX to play Texas Wesleyan.