JACKSON, Miss. – The #15/18 Trinity University football team earned a hard-fought 28-21 Southern Athletic Association victory over Millsaps College on Saturday afternoon at Harper Davis Field, using a dominant rushing attack and a strong defensive effort to secure the road win.
The Tigers (6-1, 3-1 SAA) overcame an early 14-6 deficit to take control of the game, scoring 22 unanswered points before Millsaps added a late touchdown. Trinity finished with 418 yards of total offense – including 295 yards on the ground – while holding the Majors (5-2, 3-1) to 383 total yards. The Tigers sealed the win with the game's third turnover, intercepting a pass in the final minute to keep Millsaps from tying the game.
Trinity's running back duo of
Luke Sams (Jacksboro, Texas / Jacksboro) and
Jamel Nickerson (Cypress, Texas / Cy-Fair) both topped 100 yards in today's game, with Sams picking up finishing with 125 yards and three touchdowns and Nickerson netting 122 yards on just 14 carries. Today marks the first time since the 2017 season that two Tiger running backs had over 100 yards rushing in the same game. Sams is also the first Trinity player since 2015 to run for three touchdowns in the same game.
Dorien Hill (Buda, Texas / Hays) hauled in the game-sealing interception in the final minute and finished with seven tackles.
TJ Scannell (San Antonio, Texas / Reagan) also had seven stops for the Tiger defense, while
Judson Crockett (Austin, Texas / Westlake) led the team with eight tackles, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup.
Jackson Priesmeyer (Sugar Land, Texas / Strake Jesuit) had six tackles, including five solo stops, two tackles for loss, and a sack.
Alejandro Tavarez (San Antonio, Texas / Johnson) finished with three catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, with tight ends
Chase Ravain (Covington, La. / Saint Paul's School) and
Christian Fosbenner (Schertz, Texas / Steele) finishing with 35 yards and 23 yards receiving, respectively. Quarterbacks
Hondo Franklin (Allen, Texas / Lovejoy) and
Welker Horn (Lubbock, Texas / Lubbock Christian) combined to go 11-for-20 passing for 123 yards, with Horn throwing the lone touchdown pass in the game.
The Rundown
Millsaps went for 76 yards and a touchdown on the game's opening drive, but Sams had an answer with a 59-yard touchdown run on his second touch of the day. The Tigers missed the extra point, though, leaving Millsaps in the lead at 7-6. The Majors continued to thrive offensively, this time putting together an 85-yard scoring drive to take a 14-6 lead. Trinity took over with under six minutes left in the quarter, with Franklin hitting Ravain for a 35-yard gain that moved the Tigers to the Millsaps 30. A holding penalty knocked Trinity back and eventually led to a 43-yard field goal from
Jackson Runyan (Frisco, Texas / Rick Reedy) that cut the lead to 14-9 with 1:29 to play in the opening quarter. Trinity's defense got its first stop with a three-and-out to end the period, but the Tigers fumbled on the first play of the second quarter to give the ball right back near midfield.
Millsaps drove into the red zone on the ensuing drive, but Trinity's defense stiffened and the Majors missed a 41-yard field goal to keep the score 14-9. The Tiger offense took advantage of the stop and piled up five first downs on the next drive, finishing with Horn's six-yard scoring strike to Tavarez. Trinity failed on a two-point conversion after the score but still took a 15-14 lead – its first of the day. Neither team did much the rest of the quarter, though Trinity's defense did force a turnover near midfield in the final minute to keep the Majors from regaining the lead.
Nickerson broke a 39-yard run on the second play of the third quarter, but another penalty derailed the drive and the Tigers turned the ball over on downs. Millsaps appeared the score early on its first possession of the second half, but offsetting penalties nullified the score and the Majors wound up punting and pinning Trinity inside its own 20. The Tiger offense then chewed up more than half of the quarter with an 11-play, 82-yard scoring drive. Trinity converted two third down plays on the drive and Sams punched it in from a yard out to put the Tigers up 22-14 with just 1:26 left in the quarter. Millsaps was backed up to its own 10 after a penalty on the kickoff and was stopped on a three-and-out for Trinity's defense.
Nickerson finished off the third quarter with a 30-yard run that put Trinity in the red zone to start the final period. Sams scored another one-yard touchdown four plays later and the Tigers had a 28-14 lead. The Majors were stopped after three plays on their next drive but decided to go for it on fourth-and-one at their own 29.
Hunter Pavlicek (San Antonio, Texas / Churchill) made the play for no gain and the Tigers took over. Trinity had first-and-goal after just three plays, but a sack and a penalty pushed them back. The Tigers also went for it on fourth down and also came up short as Horn's pass in the end zone was incomplete. Despite being pinned back inside its own 10, Millsaps made it a one-score game with a 91-yard run on the second play of the drive. Trinity led 28-21 with 5:42 still left in the game, getting near midfield on its next drive, but Millsaps held and got the ball back with 2:43 to play. The Majors drove inside the 20 late in the game, then Hill intercepted a fourth-down pass in the final minute to clinch the road win for the Tigers.
Up Next
Trinity will return to San Antonio for its final home game of the 2026 season, hosting Sewanee (TN) at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 31.
