SCOOBA, Miss. – After a tough loss to East Central, the Indians rebounded with a dramatic 36-34 victory over East Mississippi, sealed by Eli Burciaga's (Corinth) game-winning 27-yard field goal with 23 seconds remaining. The win evoked memories of the Indians' 2012 victory over the Lions.
The Lions (1-3, 0-2 MACCC North) took a 34-33 lead on a five-yard touchdown run with under two minutes left. The Indians (3-1, 1-0 MACCC North) responded quickly, driving 60 yards in five plays to set up Burciaga's clutch kick.
East Mississippi appeared poised to extend its 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but Chuck Taylor (White Haven, FL) intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 89 yards for a touchdown, with Burciaga adding the extra point to tie the game at 7-7.
The Lions regained the lead early in the second quarter with a 14-yard rushing touchdown. However, Tyran Mosley (Kosciusko) returned the ensuing kickoff 69 yards, setting up a 15-yard touchdown pass from Ty Davis (Fulton) to Chris Reed (Orlando, FL). A missed PAT left the Lions ahead 14-13 at halftime.
Davis connected with Mosley on a 24-yard touchdown pass and found Reed for a 71-yard strike, giving the Indians a 27-14 advantage with 5:05 left in the third quarter. East Mississippi answered with a four-yard rushing touchdown and a 44-yard passing touchdown, reclaiming the lead at 28-27 early in the fourth.
After the Lions fumbled a punt, the Indians capitalized with a three-play, 43-yard drive, capped by Davis' three-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Minor (Southaven), making it 33-28.
A facemask penalty on fourth down kept the Lions' next drive alive, and they capped a 13-play, 61-yard possession with a five-yard rushing touchdown to go ahead 34-33 with 1:52 remaining. Davis then scrambled and found Mosley for a 46-yard completion, moving the ball to East Mississippi's 17-yard line. Key contributions from Jaylen Foster (Greenwood) and Zae Davis (Rienzi) set up Burciaga's game-winner.
The victory snapped the Indians' 10-game losing streak to the Lions, dating back to their 24-23 win in 2012 when Tyler Jackson (Oxford) hit a 43-yard field goal in the final seconds.
STAT LEADERS
- Passing: Ty Davis – 17 of 31, 4 TDs, 3 INTs
- Receiving: Tyran Mosley – 6 receptions, 128 yards, 1 TD
- Chris Reed – 4 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TDs
- Defense: Jaiyden Thompson (Okolona) – 18 tackles (11 solo), 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 pass breakup, 2 QB hurries
- Chuck Taylor & Zae Dilworth (Nettleton) – 1 INT each
- EJ Stovall (Houston) – 1 fumble recovery
- Special Teams: Carson Langford (Saltillo) – 44.4-yard punt average, 2 inside the 20, 0 return yards allowed
UP NEXT: The Indians will host Mississippi Delta (1-2, 0-0 MACCC North) on All-American Heroes Night. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., with the pregame show starting at 6:30 p.m. on SuperTalk 101.9 FM and LetsGoICCTV.com/red. The Trojans are coming off a 23-7 Homecoming win over Hinds.
