FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Major Rev]

It was good to meet you today, Ron.  Trinity DID play their guts out as did the Majors!  I do hope that last play makes it to ESPN; it even beats the Cal-Stanford version!

These seemed to be two pretty equal teams, and both played with lots of heart.  I doubt either team will be very excited about how they played - lots of turnovers, lapses on defense - but it was a well-fought game.  It was one of those where somebody had to win and somebody had to lose, and it came down to the last two ticks of the clock.  Millsaps had their chance to win and didn't pull it off.

Now I'm going to find some Maalox.  If I were going to become a drinking man, today would be the day!

[trinityfan]

It really is too bad Millsaps didn't win that MC game.  It sure would be nice -- no matter if TU goes to the playoffs or not -- if the SCAC could get two representatives into the playoffs.  Losing the way they did and having only one loss, no doubt they get in.  Two losses?? I doubt it. 

Anyway, amazing win today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HunterT]

well sounds like I missed one heck of a ballgame. can't wait to see highlights.

as for Rhodes, I don't want to say i saw it coming, but this game scared me a lot (and I did say that earlier in the week). I would never pick against my own team in a toss up game, but this was the week I was really tempted to do so.

It's frustrating that after Rhodes gets a little publicity and a little respect that they have to go and lay a goose egg. I haven't seen stats yet, but I'm sure it'll be purely lack of offense and a few turnovers. Defense can't score points all the time.

[HunterT]

found out what it was for Rhodes, 1 big play (90 yd TD pass) and two interceptions that gave Centre the ball inside the 30 both times which both led to scores.

you have to take care of the ball... simple as that.

[frank_ezelle]

The last play was an amazing play, I heard that there were 14 laterals involved and even if you practice something like that, it is hard to pull off.  While that last play will be remembered, it is what came before that decided the game.

On the drive that got Trinity within 2 points, they converted a 4th and 10 and a 4th and 6.  Also, it seemed like all day Millsaps had trouble getting their typical pressure on the quarterback so you have to give credit to the o-line for the work they did all day.  All in all, while it certainly was a game that Millsaps could have won, Trinity did enough all day to leave themselves in position for the win.  Ultimately, and I haven't seen the stats so I'm going on memory, I think it was the inability of Millsaps to score consistently in the red zone and the Trinity ability to stop Millsaps in the red zone that decided the game.  Trinity is now 1st in the league in red zone defense and Millsaps is 8th in the SCAC in red zone offense, so this has been the norm all year.

There is one thing at the end of the game that did surprise me and it's easy to say I would do it different in hindsight.  Millsaps got the ball on the Trinity onside kick, there was about 2:07 on the clock, and Trinity was out of timeouts.  Millsaps put Burt Pereira in at quarterback and I thought they were going to go to an all out pass protection and just let Burt stay in the pocket and scramble to run time off the clock.  Instead they ran 4 fairly conventional running plays which allowed Trinity to get the ball back with 2 seconds on the clock.  I have to say that I had a really bad feeling when Trinity got their hands on the ball one last time, and give them credit for taking advantage of the opportunity.

[Ron Boerger]

Sorry I didn't meet up with you today, Frank - there was just no room on the top row of the home side so I went and sat at the 45 in the mixed section on the visitor side.  Good view from over there. 

Checked the official stats - you're right, it was Periera and not Joseph and I'll send a note to Pat to change that in the story linked from the home page.   You hate to second guess but why Burt wasn't just told to run backwards like h*ll for eight seconds at the end is a mystery.

Red zone - you nailed it.  Millsaps 3-of-7 vs. Trinity 3-of-4.  An interception in the end zone, an interception at the four, and that odd one into a pack at the ten.  And the kicker woes that bedeveled the Majors earlier this year returned (1-of-3 with the two misses being 40 yards or less). 

I was very impressed by Denarold Anders.  He was only officially credited with 4 QBH but surely had at least a couple of more.  He singlehandedly disrupted several Trinity drives.  They don't allow a lot of sacks because Barmore is mobile (as you saw). 

Total yards allowed by the #6 defense in the nation:  476.  Total yards allowed by the #20 defense:  316.  Was very surprised at the early success Trinity had running the ball (and happy for Chris Baer [20-126] who has fought injuries his entire career). 

Coach Mohr said it best after the game:  you could run that play for five or 50 years and not score again.  A tough loss for a team that still has a very, very bright future.  And I can't help but wish that Millsaps had but one loss, because with today's showing as the only loss they'd certainly get a bid. 

[TigerDad]

Hey, all you SCAC fans ... here's a YouTube link to the "Miracle in Mississippi"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHbzQoXuxdU

Count 'em ... 14 laterals in 62 seconds (0:02 on the clock and sixty after the clock expired!
The video quality is not the best, but ... well, you'll get the idea!!

Congratulations to our Trinity Tigers ... and to Millsaps ... you guys played a heckuva game!

[Ralph Turner]

History Major will remember the night that Coach Mike Zuffuto was the color man on the Plano East John Tyler 1994 playoff game.  This commentary reminds me of that video.

Thanks for the video!

[AF4]

Tiger Dad... i didn't have a dog in the fight...  i was mildly pulling for yall cause of the MC game (i didn't like millsaps losing that way....but hay... i live in alabama and don't care much for the millsaps coach....  common malady in this state)... but what can anyone say... i watched it on U-Tube.... it needs to b on ESPN

just AWESOME... thanks for the post

way to go TRINITY

[DPULefty22]

Doesn't seem like the Millsaps players adhered to the first commandment of football: "PLAY UNTIL THE WHISTLE BLOWS." Is it my imagination or did they quit on that play? Nobody seemed all that interested in going after Curry once he got the ball for the last time. What was that all about?

Not that that wasn't one of the sickest things I've ever seen. TU looked like the freaking Harlem Globetrotters on that play. I got chills watching it (seriously). But I just wonder why the Majors defenders seemed to stop dead on the 12th lateral.

[Ron Boerger]

That last lateral skipped off the ground, and it's possible some of the MC players thought play was dead at that point. 

[scaccommish]

ESPN has it and word is, it may run tonight.

[frank_ezelle]

Ron--I think you are correct that some players thought the play was dead.  Also, when I looked at my photos on the play I thought that some of the players had stopped and I then realized that they were hanging back some to try to cover the potential receivers of the laterals.  As for your point about Burt just running around for the last 8 seconds on 4th down, I thought about that also or simply run for 4 seconds and then throw the ball as high and far as you can out of bounds.  The clock would run until the ball hit the ground and at worst the ball comes back to the line of scrimmage.  But then again, who thought Trinity would come up with a touchdown play in 2 seconds.

I'm also sorry I didn't get to meet you.  I get so busy shooting photos at the games that I don't find any time to speak to anyone.  Between 10 this morning and the end of the game, I shot 1,700 photos of the Hall of Fame banquet, the cheerleaders, the signs around the field, the Homecoming Court, the fans, and of course the game.  Add that with about 400 photos from volleyball last night and an anticipated 800 or so from tomorrow's soccer games, and it looks like another week of burning up vacation time.  I'm not sure if my back, my eyes, or my mouse clicking finger will give out first, or maybe they'll just all go at once.

[Li'l Giant]

History Major will remember the night that Coach Mike Zuffuto was the color man on the Plano East John Tyler 1994 playoff game.  This commentary reminds me of that

It's funny. I was thinking the same thing. I didn't hear anyone say "Good gosh almighty" in there, though. 

[PA_wesleyfan]

Espn showed it as a bonus play of the day