A hard-fought battle between Blinn College and New Mexico Military Institute fell in favor of the visiting Broncos on Saturday at Cub Stadium in Brenham, Texas.
New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) earned a 17-14 victory over the Buccaneers in a battle of Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) foes.
The defensive battle between Blinn (2-2, 0-2 SWJCFC) and the Broncos came down to the final minutes of the game. The Bucs, with the ball deep in their own territory, were unable to gain any ground toward a potential tying or go-ahead score and turned the ball over on downs with 2:32 left to play. NMMI then got a first down and salted away the contest’s final seconds.
“We’ve made mistakes that have kept us from winning two conference games,” Blinn head coach Ryan Mahon said. “I told our guys that we are a good football team, but we have to eliminate those mistakes. A football game is typically broken down into about seven big plays, and if you’re not on the positive side of those plays, that’s a problem and you end up where we are right here. We just have to persevere and fight through this.”
The Bucs faltered behind a handful of key moments that went NMMI’s way.
(Pictured: Blinn running back Antonio Martin, 5, runs for a 50-yard touchdown against New Mexico Military Institute on Sept. 23, 2023)
A Blinn interception on a pass in the end zone thwarted a potential Bucs scoring drive; an ill-advised touch of the football after the Bucs defense had forced the Broncos to punt led to an NMMI recovery and kept the Blinn offense sidelined; and an apparent Bucs passing touchdown with no time on the clock in the second quarter was instead ruled incomplete.
“We have to capitalize on things that are given to us, and we just haven’t done that consistently enough at this point,” added Mahon.
The Bucs continued to show promise with their running game and a stingy defense.
Freshman running back Antonio Martin provided one of the game’s highlights with a burst of speed on a 50-yard touchdown run on Blinn’s second offensive snap of the game. His TD and the subsequent point after made it 7-0 Bucs with 12:54 left in the first quarter.
Blinn would maintain its one-touchdown edge until late in the first half when NMMI knotted things up with a short rushing score.
In the second half, the Broncos used a red zone touchdown to grab a 14-7 advantage at the 12:22 mark of the third quarter, but that lead was short-lived.
The Bucs’ ensuing drive elapsed more than seven minutes and ended on freshman quarterback Khalib Johnson’s 4-yard burst into the end zone. A helping shove from members of the Blinn offensive line helped Johnson break the plane for the score with 5:11 to go in the third period.
NMMI would later jump ahead for good on a field goal at the 1:21 mark of the third.
Mahon praised his team for battling until the end and gave a nod to his defense, which came away with another takeaway in the form of freshman defensive back Javon Bejarano’s interception. Blinn has allowed just 43 points this season, including 18 ½ across two conference tilts.
“They’re absolutely playing their butts off,” Mahon said. “It’s time for us to make good on their efforts.”
Up next, Blinn takes a road trip to battle Navarro College at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30, in Corsicana, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 44 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
