One could definitely understand if a few doubts began to creep into the minds of the MUS football players early in Friday night's game against Jackson Prep. They had just come off a hard-fought, tough loss a week earlier to Whitehaven, the top-ranked team in the city, in a game where they had several opportunities to take control but squandered away with self-inflicted errors. Every time it seemed as if the Owls were beginning to build momentum, a defensive lapse or turnover would squelch the success and eventually led to the loss to the Tigers.
Going into the home opener Friday night, MUS was hoping that they had gotten over the mental errors that plagued them last week and could return to smart, hard-nosed, MUS football.
But early on, the self-doubting may have returned. After an initial stop on Prep's opening possession, MUS began to drive and look as if they had put the mental mistakes behind them. But an ill-fated pass by MUS QB John Phillips was intercepted in Prep territory, and the Owls had stopped themselves once again.
Yet this time, the Owl defense was there to bail the offense out. MUS allowed only 76 total yards in the first half and gave the offense opportunities which they eventually took advantage of as the Owls claimed a 35-6 victory over the Patriots from Jackson, Mississippi.
Once the defense began stopping Prep (0-1), MUS (1-1) gained some offensive momentum. Phillips began to hit some passes after his early interception, including connecting on two first-quarter touchdowns to receiver Estes Folk. The first came on a fourth-and-nine play and covered 33 yards, while the second was a 17-yard hookup on the team's next possessions.
These two touchdowns proved all the scoring the Owls would need on this night. The defense, led by Ross Rutledge and Tyler Wohrman, allowed only 182 total yards and did not give up a score until two minutes remained in the game. That score culminated an 85-yard drive as QB Luke Addison hit receiver Jimbo Moss for the 35-yard touchdown against the Owl second-team defense.
But the Prep score only ruined MUS' shutout as the Owls had an insurmountable lead at that point. Phillips added a third score to Folk on a 14-yard pass in the third quarter. RB Derek Clenin, who had 57 yards on 12 carries, also added a touchdown on a 1-yard plunge, while backup quarterback Ryves Moore hit tight end Blake Lindsay for the fifth touchdown on a 10-yard pass to complete the scoring for the Owls.
This win avenged last year's 18-7 loss to Prep in Jackson. It also marked the Patriot's second-worst loss since 1973, so this non-conference win was significant.
Though the offense was not as sharp as they were a week earlier, they did eliminate most of the mistakes that hurt them in the first contest. The Owls had no turnovers in the second half, had only two penalties for the game, and gained 321 total yards. But much of the credit for this win has to go to the defense, which caused four turnovers and never let Prep get untracked. The MUS defenders will need similar efforts as the offense gets in sync for the Owls to be successful.
Their next opportunity will come this Friday on the road at Harding. The 7:30 kickoff marks the first contest between the Owls and Lions since 1992.