BRENHAM, Texas – The defense for Blinn College football did enough to put the team in a position to win but the offense couldn't ever gain any momentum as Kilgore College held on for a 17-9 victory Saturday afternoon at Brenham Cub ISD Stadium.
The loss now moves the Blinn overall record to 5-3 and the conference record slips to 2-3. This was the second consecutive loss for the Buccaneers.
"Kilgore's defensive front gave us trouble all game," said Blinn head coach Keith Thomas. "Our defense played great and to only give up 17 points you would think we would have a chance to win but we didn't play very well offensively."
Both defenses proved to be stingy as neither Blinn nor Kilgore could score a touchdown in the first half. Blinn had three possessions in the first quarter and two drives ended with a punt and the other with a missed field goal.
The Buccaneers added three more drives that ended with a punt in the second quarter but the defense was holding strong while the offense was faltering. Kilgore was able to add a 31-yard field goal from Troy Duran just before the half to cling to a 3-0 lead at the break.
Blinn showed some promise on its first possession of the second half as Caleb Hill hit D'Anthony Hopkins in the flat and Hopkins turned the short pass into a 42-yard gain to get down to the Kilgore 22. That drive stalled however, and Blinn turned the ball over on downs. Kilgore was able to add to its lead as Jaylen Fails capped an 87-yard drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown for a 10-0 lead with 2:47 left in the third.
Blinn took advantage of some favorable field position after pinning Kilgore deep and forcing a punt that only got out to the Kilgore 42. Two plays later, Robert Mitchell found Garrison Mitchell in the front corner of the end zone for a 39-yard touchdown pass to get the Buccaneers within 10-7 of Kilgore with 13:28 left in the game.
Blinn had opportunities to take the lead but the next two drives ended with a punt and a costly lost fumble that gave Kilgore great field position. Kilgore took advantage three plays after the fumble as Fails found Jarod Wood for a 20-yard touchdown pass to increase the lead to 17-7 with 4:02 left.
The Blinn defense did score two points on a safety in the final two minutes after a bad Kilgore snap into the back of the end zone but the offense came up empty as Kilgore was able to hold on for the victory.
The Buccaneers will close out the regular season in Corsicana facing Navarro College on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 3 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 32 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
About Blinn College
With an enrollment of 19,422 students, Blinn ranks among the nation's leaders in transferring students to leading four-year universities and has received national recognition for affordable educational excellence. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.
