Blinn College football got off to a rough start in conference play Saturday after a last-minute rally came up short and sealed a 21-16 loss to New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, N.M.
The Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) setback dropped the Buccaneers to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
“We missed opportunities across the board,” Blinn head coach said. “I thought our defense played really well, especially after we put them in some bad situations, but they still gave us an opportunity to win the game.”
The Bucs had a chance at the lead in the final 50 seconds of play, starting their final possession at their own 34-yard line before moving all the way down to the Broncos’ 22. A 26-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Rylan Wooten to freshman wide receiver Jakerrian Roquemore put Blinn at the NMMI 22 with 5 seconds remaining. Wooten dropped back to pass on the final play of the game, and his throw to freshman receiver Austin Abram III was knocked away as time expired.
“The game shouldn’t have come down to that final drive, but that was the situation we put ourselves in,” Mahon added. “We started to get some things figured out in the second half, but moving forward we have to make sure we put a full 60 minutes together.”
The Broncos got on the board right out of the gate, starting with the football at their own 35 and ending the game’s opening drive with a 19-yard scoring pass. The PAT made it 7-0 at the 12:43 mark in the first quarter.
Blinn struck back in the second quarter, starting at its own 30-yard line with 13:13 showing in the second quarter and capping the 70-yard drive with a 7-yard scamper from Wooten.
The PAT was off target as the Bucs climbed to within 7-6 with 8:13 left in the half.
Blinn took the lead in the second half following a missed Broncos field goal. The Bucs marched from their own 30-yard line to the NMMI 1, and sophomore running back Jalen Washington put his team on top with a run up the middle. Sophomore Max Nowak nailed the PAT to make it 13-7 with 9:04 left in the third.
The Broncos regained the lead for good in the third quarter on an 8-yard rushing TD with 5:43 to go in the third.
A 32-yard TD pass pushed the NMMI lead to 21-13 with 11:46 left in the fourth quarter.
Blinn’s final score of the game came off the foot of Nowak, who booted a 35-yard field goal with 8:41 remaining.
The Bucs continue their season with a tough conference home tilt against No. 6 Navarro College at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, at Cub Stadium in Brenham, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 49 national championships since 1987.
