The Southwestern Pirates football team endured a long night in Jackson, Mississippi in their game against the Belhaven University Blazers. Thunderstorms rolled into Jackson around the second quarter and put the two teams in a two-hour rain and lightning delay. Despite the long delay, the Blazers gave the Pirates all they could handle, avenging their loss to Southwestern from the 2021 season.
Belhaven received the first possession of the game but punted the ball away after a short six-play drive. On the Pirates' ensuing drive the offense moved the ball from their own 25-yard line to the Belhaven 37. With no success on third down the Pirates elected to try for a field goal at the Belhaven 37-yard line, a 53-yard field goal attempt for the sophomore kicker, Charlie Fournier.
But Fournier wouldn't have the chance to show off his leg as the kick was blocked by the Blazers and returned into Southwestern territory to give Belhaven excellent field position. In the next play, Belhaven scored on a long touchdown pass, giving them a 0-7 lead.
On the following drive, the Pirates would make another costly mistake, fumbling the ball at their own 27-yard line. A few plays later, Belhaven capitalized on the Pirates' error by throwing another touchdown pass to make it 0-14.
The Pirates were unable to get anything going offensively for the entirety of the first half. Although the Pirates' defense held strong after numerous scoreless Blazer drives, the lack of production on offense gave the Blazers too many chances and the half ended with a score of 28-0, Blazers.
The Pirates were able to hold Belhaven scoreless in the third quarter. Southwestern put together nine points, first off of a 28-yard field goal by Fournier. Then, junior quarterback Damian Gomez threw a touchdown to tight end, Joey Robinson with three minutes left in the third. However, a failed two-point attempt left the Pirates in a 9-28 hole going into the fourth quarter.
Hope for the Pirates came two minutes into the fourth quarter when they were able to sustain an 8-play, 72-yard drive down the field. Gomez capped off the drive on a touchdown pass to wide receiver Kolby Bartlett to make it 15-28, but another failed two-point attempt left the Blazers with a 13-point lead.
The energy that came with the Pirate's touchdown was immediately taken away by a sixty-yard touchdown run by Belhaven runningback Kolbe Blunt, putting the Blazers up by 20 points with nine minutes left in the game. Despite their best efforts, the Pirates would not score again in the fourth quarter and another Belhaven touchdown with seven minutes left sealed the game for the Blazers.
Belhaven rushed for 325 yards in the game averaging nine yards a carry and almost three 100-yard rushers. The Blazers amassed 477 yards of offense on the night on only sixty plays. While the Pirates had eighty plays during the game, the Belhaven defense was in the face of the Pirate quarterbacks and the offense all game, causing seven sacks, thirteen tackles for loss, and forcing a fumble. Both teams were heavily penalized in the matchup, Belhaven giving up 112 yards to the Pirates in penalties but the Pirates negated most of those, giving the Blazers 98 yards in penalties of their own. All in all, a stout Belhaven defense and early mistakes from the Pirates allowed the Belhaven offense to control the game, leading them to a 42-15 win.
The Pirates will need their A-game this week as they face the defending national champions, the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders on Saturday, September 17th at 6:00 pm.
Photo by Carlos Barron