Sunday, September 22, 1996

McMurry loses to Millsaps College

JACKSON, Miss. - Millsaps College scored 13 fourth-quarter points Saturday, wiping out a 10-point McMurry University lead to take a 20-10 win over the Indians in a mistake-filled game at Alumni Field.

The Indians (1-2) lost their 10-7 lead early in the fourth quarter when Millsaps quarterback Beau Pollard hooked up with Brad Madden for a 53-yard scoring strike.

That score made it a 14-10 Majors' lead, and they followed it up 7:25 later when Troy Hilton picked off an Eric David pass and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown. The extra-point attempt failed, leaving McMurry just 10 points down with plenty of time to work with.

But the Indians could get nothing going offensively.

Their final three drives netted just 52 yards on 12 plays and they ended with, in order, a punt, an interception and the end of the game.

Neither team got anything going offensively in a game plagued by mistakes and turnovers on both sides.

McMurry managed just 183 yards of offense, 92 on the ground and 91 in the air. McMurry also had 14 drive-killing penalties for 123 yards, three turnovers and was able to convert just 4 of 17 third downs into first downs.

The Indians also failed to capitalize on two Millsaps missed field goals and six turnovers.

In the first half alone, the Indians forced turnovers on four straight Millsaps possessions, but all they got out of them were seven points on a Frankie Franz 5-yard TD run in the second quarter.

On drives after two of the takeaways, McMurry turned it back over to Millsaps to kill any scoring chances.

Millsaps didn't have much better luck offensively as it accumulated just 235 total yards in the ballgame. The Majors hurt themselves with six turnovers, three fumbles and three interceptions.
McMurry grabbed an early 3-0 lead when Mark Obleholtzer kicked a 48-yard field goal just three plays after a Millsaps fumble.

The lead grew to 10-0 when Franz scored from 5 yards out at the 7:55 mark of the second quarter.
The Indians' lead remained 10-0 until Millsaps running back Mike McKenzie scored on a 1-yard run with 11:15 left in the third quarter.

The Majors would go on to take the lead early in the fourth quarter and didn't give it back.
McMurry will host Hardin-Simmons University at Indian Stadium next Saturday. HSU was a 24-21 loser to Howard Payne University on Saturday.