The Blinn College football team kicked off its season one week later than usual Friday night, and the Buccaneers showed just how eager they were to get going.
A big first half was virtually all Blinn needed to dismiss Transformation With Athletics College 45-0 at Cub Stadium in Brenham, Texas.
“We got out there and worked on some things and saw some things that we need to clean up moving forward,” Bucs head coach Ryan Mahon said. “We got the win and the big thing for us was that we also came out of the game injury-free.”
Blinn (1-0) started slowly on offense, due in part to Mahon’s pre-game decision to limit some of his offensive starters – including sophomore quarterback Rylan Wooten – to just one series. That sluggish beginning to the ballgame was made moot by a spirited Blinn defense that scored two consecutive touchdowns in the first quarter.
(Pictured: Blinn freshman quarterback John Seibert throws a pass during a game against TWA College on Sept. 7, 2024)
On their second drive of the game, the Battlecats were pinned deep in their own territory. An errant snap to the TWA quarterback, who was standing in his own end zone, led to a fumble and a scramble for the football. Blinn freshman defensive end CJ Anizor snatched it to put the Bucs on the board at the 9:55 mark. Sophomore kicker Max Nowak’s extra point made it 7-0.
Blinn’s defense struck again on TWA’s subsequent drive when freshman defensive back Kolin Garner picked off a pass and returned it 22 yards for a score. Nowak connected again to make it 14-0 with 8:57 left in the first.
“I’m really excited about the way the defense played tonight,” Mahon said. “A lot of guys got some opportunities to shine and it was great to see them cash in the way they did. That’s really encouraging moving forward.”
Nowak later drilled a 22-yard field goal just 5 seconds into the second quarter to push the lead to 17.
In the second quarter, sophomore running back Jalen Washington scored Blinn’s first offensive touchdown of the season when he raced into the end zone from 35 yards out with 10:06 remaining in the first half.
Freshman quarterback John Seibert hit freshman wide receiver Rae’G Dailey for a short 2-yard TD pass late in the second quarter, and Washington crossed the goal line for a second time on a 3-yard burst to make it 38-0 just before the break.
Freshman running back Quinton Jones closed out the scoring with a 1-yard scamper with 9 minutes to go in the third quarter.
(Pictured: Blinn sophomore running back Jalen Washington cruises into the end zone during a game against TWA College on Sept. 7, 2024)
Blinn will now enter a bye week before hitting the road for its Southwest Junior College Football Conference opener against New Mexico Military Institute at 7 p.m. CST on Saturday, Sept. 21, in Roswell, N.M.
The Bucs will not have another bye starting with its game against the Broncos.
“We’re going to start game planning for NMMI and take advantage of the extra week of preparation,” Mahon said. “We’re going to make sure we apply what we learned about our team tonight and get ready for a long run until the conclusion of the season.”
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 49 national championships since 1987
