The Brandon Lechtenberg era at Millsaps is off to a blazing start with a 23-21 upset over crosstown rival Belhaven in the annual Riverside Rumble.
Lechtenberg, a former defensive coordinator for the Majors who returned in January after seven years on the Division I and Division II levels to lead the Division III program, said that a different kind of effort would be seen from his side of the field. He warned that Millsaps, which only won one game a season ago, would fly around on both sides of the ball and be one of the hardest-hitting teams in the country.
He wasn’t wrong. At least from watching Thursday’s season opener.
The Majors immediately made their presence known on defense. With big hits from players like Malachi Pasteur and Nehemiah Coalson along with a constant pursuit of the football, the Millsaps defense was determined to not let this year’s rivalry game end up like the 47-7 Belhaven beatdown in 2023.
While the Blazers were able to find the end zone twice during the first quarter, it did not look like they had fun in the process. The hits were constant on Millsaps’ side, whether it was defense, special teams, or up front on the offensive line.
Momentum eventually began to shift to the Millsaps offense when freshman quarterback Cole Canatella marched the unit down the field with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer Chase Jacobs rumbling into the end zone. Jacobs – listed at 5-foot-8, 235 pounds – delivered his fair share of blows throughout the night, too. Millsaps kicker Ty Miller, who had his first attempt of the night blocked, knocked one through the uprights from 29 yards out to make it 14-10 in favor of Belhaven at the half.
With rain coming down in the third quarter, Canatella and company drove down the field. A fake handoff to Jacobs on 3rd and goal turned into a slip pass to Kaiden Reese for a 17-10 Millsaps lead. Jacobs followed it up on the first possession of the fourth quarter with another score to make it a two-possession game at 23-10.
That’s when things got wild.
Halfway through the fourth, Blake Kirby connected with RJ Garrison for the pair’s second touchdown of the night, pulling the game within two points. After forcing the Majors to punt, Belhaven’s first opportunity to win ended in a Darren Labit interception. The Blazer defense stepped up when called upon and forced a three-and-out deep in Millsaps’ territory.
Driving a short field with under two minutes left to play, Belhaven running back Devin Daniels kept getting first downs as the clock kept ticking. As a slow death for Millsaps’ first win over Belhaven in five seasons loomed, a bad snap happened. Over Kirby’s head and the Majors recovered the ball with less than 30 seconds left to play. Victory formation ensued and Millsaps, maybe with a little bit of help from the football gods, found a way to win in game one under a new head coach.
The Takeaways
Millsaps on a major trajectory
After being picked by conference coaches to finish last in the Southern Athletic Association, those same coaches might be asking for a redo after watching Thursday’s game. By no means is Millsaps instantly on the same level as Berry and Trinity, but if they play as they did in game one, 2024 could turn into Millsaps’ first winning season since 2013.
Canatella can move
Not many people outside of the program knew what to expect from the freshman signal-caller out of New Orleans. However, Canatella did not disappoint. Against a statistically good defense in Belhaven, he totaled 126 passing yards, 75 rushing yards, and one touchdown. More impressively, the youngster looked wise beyond his years. When the pocket collapsed, he used his feet to make plays. He slid when necessary, avoiding senseless hits. And he knew when not to force the ball into coverage, barring one interception.
Freshmen effect
Speaking of Canatella, his classmates stepped up as well. Coming into the season with 62 freshmen reporting to fall camp, Lechtenberg said some would play significant roles and others would start. Defensive back Micah McKay made some big plays with two tackles for loss while James Walker led the team with 104 rushing yards. Reese, who hauled in the lone passing touchdown of the day, is also a freshman.
Belhaven lost ground to graduation
The absence of now-graduated quarterback Tim Johnson and running back Kolbe Blunt was apparent on the offensive side of the ball for Belhaven. The two anchored the backfield in 2023 with over 3,400 combined yards and 41 touchdowns to lead the Blazers to their first Division III playoff appearance. While Daniels should come around as an everyday RB1, the same cannot be said at this time for Kirby as QB1. Kirby’s stats were objectively good on paper but the explosive factor that Johnson often provided was not seen in game one from the senior.
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