The Blinn College football team returns to the gridiron this week and will do so with a new face leading its offense.
When the Buccaneers take on Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) foe Northeast Oklahoma A&M (NEO) College at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, in Miami, Okla., first-year quarterback Rylan Wooten will make his first collegiate start.
The freshman from Brenham, Texas, earned the nod after a strong second-half performance against Tyler Junior College on Oct. 14. Wooten tossed two touchdown passes and led two other scoring drives as the Bucs scored all of their 27 points against the Apaches with the dual-threat signal caller under center.
“The productivity was evident,” Blinn head coach Ryan Mahon said. “Watching Rylan being productive against Tyler’s starting defense and seeing the offense click with him out there, that was more than enough to warrant the move. He made plays with his feet, he showed tremendous effort, and the team responded around him.”
Wooten played sporadically prior to his appearance against Tyler, but his time against the Apaches was his longest stretch of the season.
“Give coach Mahon the credit for believing in me and putting me in the game in that situation against Tyler, and to my teammates for helping me out in that moment as well,” Wooten said. “My number one goal entering that game was to let people know that we’re still here and that we’re not going to quit. I’m going to continue showing that competitiveness and try to help this team win some games.”
(Pictured: Blinn College freshman quarterback Rylan Wooten)
Blinn (2-5 overall, 0-5 in the SWJCFC) is coming off its lone bye week of the season and takes on a Golden Norsemen team that has had its own struggles this season. NEO is 0-7 overall and winless in five SWJCFC contests. They have scored just 39 points and been shut out three times.
“They’ve certainly been competitive in a few of their losses, but it’s just one of those things where the ball didn’t bounce their way in certain situations,” Mahon said.
Mahon suggested that the matchup between his offense and the NEO defense will be key to the outcome of the game.
“It’s going to come down to us and our willingness and ability to execute when given the chance,” he said. “What they do defensively, it’s going to be about our ability to show up and make plays.”
Saturday’s forecast is calling for rain, which could lead to both teams relying on their respective running games to move the football. The Bucs have a clear advantage in that category with freshman running back Antonio Martin. The first-year ball carrier has racked up 590 yards and five touchdowns this season. In total, Blinn has amassed 1,495 rushing yards with 23 TDs.
“We need to focus on what we do well,” Mahon said. “Everything else will hopefully take care of itself.”
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 44 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
