The Buccaneers put the game away in the first half, racing out to a 34-point lead before using a variety of reserves to finish off its first win of the season.
“We left some things out on the field tonight, but as a roster, up and down we saw a lot of talent and we know our mistakes are fixable,” said Blinn head coach Ryan Mahon. “We talked with our team before the game, ‘You may have all the talent in the world, but are you productive?’ Tonight, I think our guys really were.”
The Buccaneers got to producing right out of the gate as they used their first offensive possession to drive 71 yards for a touchdown.
First-year starting quarterback Brock Bolfing scored his first collegiate touchdown with 7:01 left in the first period when he shoved his way to the goal line before falling to the turf for the score.
(Pictured: Blinn College running back Willie Eldridge, center, runs through a Louisiana Community Christian defender on his way to a touchdown Saturday)
After freshman kicker Kelson Kotner tacked on a 34-yard field goal at the 4:50 mark of the quarter, freshman running back Willie Eldridge bulldozed a would-be LCC tackler before lunging into the end zone for a TD at the 12:52 mark of the second quarter.
Bolfing later added to his night with his first touchdown pass, a 27-yard connection with sophomore wide receiver Canen Adrian that made it 24-0 with 5:49 left in the opening half.
“We had a really good showing; it was a special night, and we got a lot of people involved,” Bolfing said. “We have a lot of things we can get better at, but good teams improve each week and I think we’re going to do that.”
Blinn kept the pressure on in the first half when speedy freshman wideout Troy Oliver returned an LCC punt return for a score with 3:41 left before halftime.
Another Kotner field goal, this time from 19 yards, made it 34-0 as the first-half horn sounded.
On defense, the Buccaneers terrorized the Husky defense with a barrage of sacks, fumbles, and interceptions.
(Pictured: Blinn defensive back Daniel Onwuachi, 22, celebrates after intercepting a pass Saturday)
Freshman defensive lineman Johnathan Brown recovered an LCC fumble in the second quarter, while sophomore defensive back Daniel Onwuachi reeled in an incredible interception off a deflection that appeared to land in his hand while they were behind his back.
Freshman defensive back Mikado Hinson Jr. also picked off a Husky pass, and sophomore defensive back Erick Young fell onto a fumble late in the third quarter.
Darrius Govan, one of several Bucs who took down an LCC quarterback for a sack Friday, was thrilled with the Blinn defense’s performance.
“We came together as a unit and started getting to them from the get-go with our pass rush,” Govan said. “The defensive line, the linebackers, and the secondary all came together to play as one and execute our defensive gameplan. This was huge for us because we want to show how much different this Buccaneer team is going to be this year, and this was a great first step.”
Blinn continued the blowout in the second half starting with a 25-yard touchdown pass from freshman backup quarterback Hayes Gibson, who hit receiver sophomore Jashawn Sheffield in the air inside the end zone. Midway through the fourth quarter, freshman quarterback Roland Harvey replaced Gibson and went on to scramble 38 yards for a touchdown. Harvey added a 10-yard pass to freshman tight end Caleb Godfrey in the corner of the end zone to close the scoring with 3:45 remaining.
Blinn stays home to host Rezolution Prep in Week 2. The two teams will battle starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 3 at Cub Stadium.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
