Millsaps Majors
Encyclopedia
The Millsaps Majors is the nickname for the sports teams of Millsaps College
in Jackson, Mississippi
and their colors are purple and white. They participate in the NCAA
's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
.
Men participate in baseball, basketball, cheerleading, football, soccer, tennis, golf, lacrosse, track and field, and cross country. Women's sports include basketball, softball, soccer, tennis, golf, cross country, lacrosse, track and field, and volleyball.
). The gridiron Majors have posted two undefeated regular seasons in their history (1980 & 2008), earned three NCAA playoff tournament
berths (1975, 2006 & 2008) and claimed six Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
championships (1991, 1996, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009).
Between 1920 and 1959 the Majors met their rival Mississippi College Choctaws
in 39 games, constituting the historic Backyard Brawl rivalry between the two schools. During that time the Choctaws claimed a 24-9-6 lead in the series, which was discontinued after 1959.
native, Davis had been a four-time All-SEC
selection as a Defensive Back at Mississippi State
from 1945 to 1948 who went on to a brief professional career. Davis's tenure at Millsaps got off to an inauspicious start: The Majors finished 0-8 in 1964, followed by losing seasons in two of the next three years. From there, however, Davis elevated the program to one of the most competitive in the South among the small college ranks, with 19 winning seasons between 1968 and 1988.
In 1975, Davis guided the team to its first-ever berth in the Division III playoffs
where the Majors lost to eventual national champion Wittenberg
in the semifinal round to finish the year with a 9-2 record. Five years later, in 1980, the Majors completed their first and only undefeated season to date. With Davis at the helm, the team went 9-0, racking up 350 points (38.9/game) while allowing opponents just 31 (3.4/game), recorded five shutouts and won four games by more than 50 points each, including setting the school record for points in a game in an 84-0 drubbing of Landmark Baptist College. The highlight of the season was an 8-7 victory over Central Florida
's up-and-coming football program, played before 12,793 fans at the Tangerine Bowl
in Orlando
. It was Central Florida who returned to Jackson the following season and snapped the Majors 13-game winning streak dating back to the final contest of the 1979 season, 13-6.
Davis retired after the 1988 season, having guided the Majors to a 140-78-4 record (.631) during his 25 year-tenure. All of the Majors' previous coaches had accumulated just 131 victories in 40 seasons.
and Ranager conference "Coach of the Year" honors. In 1994, however, Ranager's Majors finished 4-6 (2-2 SCAC), marking the team's first losing season since 1977, and followed that with a 2-7 (0-4 SCAC) campaign in 1995, prompting the program to seek new direction.
Ron Jurney, who succeeded Ranager, guided the Majors to an 8-2 (4-1) finish and a share of the program's second SCAC championship in his first season in 1996, earning him conference "Coach of the Year" honors. The Majors snapped Trinity
's streak of 12 consecutive victories by a 13-10 margin in the season finale in Jackson to share the SCAC title with the Tigers. However, Jurney's teams over the next three seasons never won more than three games in a season, accumulating a combined record of 8-22 (2-15 SCAC), resulting in Jurney being relieved of his post after the 1999 campaign.
Former Mississippi State
head coach Bob Tyler
, who guided the Bulldogs
to several successful seasons during the 1970s, was hired to replace Jurney. Under Tyler, Millsaps and Mississippi College
renewed their historic Backyard Brawl rivalry in 2000. The much anticipated game was played at Memorial Stadium
in Jackson before more than 10,000 fans, with the Majors kicking the winning field goal with 16 seconds left for a 20-19 victory. Since the series was renewed, the Majors and the Choctaws
have faced off in the opening week of every season except 2005, when the teams did not meet. Tyler led the team to a .500 record in 2000 (5-5, 2-4 SCAC) and a winning season in 2001 (6-4, 3-3 SCAC), however, when the Majors finished the 2002 season with five consecutive loses, all against conference opponents, resulting in a disappointing 3-6 (1-5 SCAC) record, the program again opted to make a change.
In 2003, Millsaps hired David Saunders to fill Tyler's vacated post, making him the program's fourth coach in the fourteen seasons since Harper Davis's retirement. Saunders had previously been the Recruiting Coordinator on David Cutcliffe
's staff at Ole Miss
. After three unsuccessful seasons resulting in a combined 7-21 record (5-13 SCAC), Saunders returned to the Rebels
to join Ed Orgeron
's staff.
was promoted to Head Coach to replace Saunders in 2006. DuBose had previously been the Head Coach of Alabama
's football team
from 1997 to 2000, leading the Crimson Tide to an SEC
championship in 1999. DuBose brought a bright football mind and a new-found confidence and enthusiasm to the program that produced results few could've foreseen.
in the season-opening Backyard Brawl game, which returned after a one year hiatus in 2005. The Majors then lost their next two games in heartbreaking fashion, by a combined total of four points. However, DuBose's team managed an incredible turn-around that shocked the SCAC, when the team went on to win their next six games to set up a showdown with perennial SCAC juggernaut Trinity
in the season finale. Each team entered the contest at 5-0 in conference play, meaning the winner would receive the SCAC's automatic playoff
bid and claim the SCAC title outright.
Trinity, ranked 21st nationally, was heavily favored to end the Majors' incredible run; the Tigers had won or shared 13 consecutive SCAC championships dating back to 1993 (Millsaps and Trinity shared the title in 1996) and were winners of five straight contests against the Majors, including a 41-0 blowout the previous year in San Antonio
. However, the Majors stunned the Tigers 34-12, emerging victorious behind a three touchdown-performance from senior wide receiver
Chris Jackson, who returned two punts for scores and caught another. The win gave Millsaps a 6-0 final record in conference play (7-3 overall), earning the Majors their third SCAC title (their first won outright) and the league's automatic playoff bid for the first time. The tournament appearance was just the second in the program's history, the first since 1975.
DuBose was named the SCAC's 2006 "Coach of the Year" for engineering the Majors' remarkable turn-around. Sophomore quarterback
Juan Joseph
was named the league's "Offensive Player of the Year" and Chris Jackson was honored as the league's "Special Teams Player of the Year" and named a first team All-American for his role as the team's return specialist
. In all, 20 Majors were named to the All-SCAC first team, second team and honorable mention lists.
began to find a rhythm. DuBose never returned his starters to the game as his team's lead began to dwindle and Mississippi College roared back with three touchdowns in the final quarter to claim a 27-26 victory.
The Majors managed to rebound from the season-opening loss, though, and by winning their next six games (by an average margin of over 31 points; none smaller than 18) set up another home showdown with Trinity
that was, like the previous year's contest, essentially a conference championship game. The events that unfolded that day at Harper Davis Field are now forever etched in football lore, with Trinity claiming a come-from-behind victory on arguably the single greatest play in the history of the sport as time expired. The Majors went on to route their two remaining opponents to earn a share of the SCAC title, but Trinity received the conference's lone automatic playoff bid. Had the Majors won against Mississippi College, a 9-1 record may have been enough to earn them the first at-large playoff bid ever awarded to a SCAC team, but at 8-2 the team was passed over by the NCAA selection committee.
As in 2006, the Majors' success on the field was reflected in the 2007 all-conference superlatives. Junior quarterback Juan Joseph
was the SCAC's "Offensive Player of the Year" for the second consecutive season, senior defensive tackle Casey Younger was the league's co-"Defensive Player of the Year" and sophomore return specialist John Milazzo was the SCAC's "Special Teams Player of the Year." In all, 19 Majors were named to the All-SCAC first team, second team and honorable mention lists.
42-6 in the eighth edition of the renewed Backyard Brawl and punishing the Tigers
56-27 in San Antonio
.
The Majors captured their third consecutive SCAC championship, winning outright to earn the program's third NCAA tournament berth, became the first team in the program's history to reach double digit wins and climbed to their highest ever national ranking, #3, before finishing the season 11-1 and ranked #12 nationally.
Once again, DuBose was named the conference's "Coach of the Year" and senior quarterback Juan Joseph
was the SCAC's "Offensive Player of the Year" for the third consecutive season. Sophomore wide receiver and return specialist Michael Galatas was named the conference's "Special Teams Player of the Year" and freshman running back
Shane Bowser was the SCAC's co-"Newcomer of the Year." In all, 20 Majors were named to the All-SCAC first team, second team and honorable mention lists.
However, the team had hoped to attain another NCAA playoff berth, a cause derailed by three painfully close loses. First, the Majors lost to their rival Choctaws in two overtimes in the season-opening ninth edition of the renewed Backyard Brawl. Millsaps won their next three games, including an emotional 24-6 victory over Trinity after a week in which Coach DuBose's wife Polly underwent the first of several breast cancer surgeries that took place during the season.
The following week Coach DuBose spent limited time with the team while caring for his wife, as the Majors prepared for an important conference road game. The team traveled to Greencastle, Indiana
to face DePauw
. Coincidentally, the game fell on the first weekend of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
(October), and DePauw had painted a pair of pink ribbon
s on their field in support of the event. In a show of outstanding camaraderie and sportsmanship, DePauw had then inscribed "P.D." in each of the ribbons for Polly DuBose. The Majors put forth a valiant effort in the game, coming from 16 down to within a two point conversion of tying the game with under four minutes to play. The two point attempt failed when running back Shane Bowser could not escape an open field tackle and came up less than a yard short of the endzone. DePauw was able to run out the clock and preserve the victory, handing the Majors only their second conference loss of DuBose's tenure in heartbreaking fashion, after the Majors had won 10 straight dating back to that fateful 2007 contest against Trinity.
The next week the Majors came up with another disappointing loss, again on the road, this time at the hands of Huntingdon
. Millsaps squandered a 36-24 third quarter advantage, as Huntingdon's potent offense caught fire in the second half. The Majors' normally powerful offensive unit sputtered as two quarterbacks were forced to leave the game due to injury and the team could only watch as Huntingdon roared back to claim a 47-36 victory.
The team finished the season on a positive note, handily dispatching of their last four opponents, including a homecoming victory over previously undefeated Centre
. A 61-7 dismantling of Sewanee the following week secured the program's share of a fourth consecutive conference title.
Junior return specialist Michael Galatas was named the SCAC's "Special Teams Player of the Year" for the second consecutive season, the fourth consecutive season the award went to a Major, and junior linebacker
Will Hawkins was the conference's "Defensive Player of the Year", and a first team All-American. A total of 20 Majors were voted to the all-conference first, second and honorable mention teams.
In December, DuBose announced he was leaving Millsaps to join new Memphis
coach Larry Porter
's staff. DuBose's tenure ended with 33 victories in four seasons, prior to which the Majors had won just 37 games in 10 years, and DuBose's four consecutive conference championships came after the Majors had won only two since joining the SCAC in 1989. DuBose's .767 winning percentage is the highest of any coach in the school's history and only Harper Davis won more games as the Majors' head coach.
player and 2001 graduate, was a defensive assistant for DuBose's Majors from 2006 to 2008, before joining Tom Cable
's Oakland Raiders
staff as a special teams coach in 2009.
in nearby Clinton
through the 1950s before competition was suspended after an infamous student brawl at a basketball game. Campus legend says the brawl was sparked by the alleged theft of the body of Millsaps founder Major Millsaps by Mississippi College students. The rivalry was considered by many as the best in Mississippi, featuring a prank by Mississippi College students who painted "TO HELL WITH MILSAPS" (sic) on the Millsaps Observatory. The football rivalry resumed in 2000 as the "Backyard Brawl", with games being held at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
until 2006 when it was played at Robinson-Hale Stadium on the campus of Mississippi College. The rivalry took a one-year hiatus in 2005 but resumed in 2006.
New Orleans Saints
in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Millsaps College
Millsaps College is a private liberal arts college located in Jackson, Mississippi. Founded in 1890, the college is recognized as one of the country's best private colleges dedicated to undergraduate teaching and educating the whole individual. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, Millsaps...
in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
and their colors are purple and white. They participate in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference , founded in 1962, is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas...
.
Men participate in baseball, basketball, cheerleading, football, soccer, tennis, golf, lacrosse, track and field, and cross country. Women's sports include basketball, softball, soccer, tennis, golf, cross country, lacrosse, track and field, and volleyball.
Football
Millsaps's all time record in football is 380 wins, 356 loses and 36 ties (.516Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
). The gridiron Majors have posted two undefeated regular seasons in their history (1980 & 2008), earned three NCAA playoff tournament
NCAA Division III national football championship
The NCAA Division III National Football Championship began in 1973. Before 1973, most of the schools now in Division III competed in the NCAA's former "College Division"....
berths (1975, 2006 & 2008) and claimed six Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference , founded in 1962, is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas...
championships (1991, 1996, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009).
Prior to 1964
Millsaps fielded its first intercollegiate football team in 1920. From 1920 to 1963 the Majors accumulated a 131-174-30 record over 40 seasons (no team was fielded in 1942, 1943 or 1945).Between 1920 and 1959 the Majors met their rival Mississippi College Choctaws
Mississippi College Choctaws
The Mississippi College Choctaws are the athletic teams of Mississippi College. They participate in NCAA's Division III in the competitive 12-member American Southwest Conference under the mascot Choctaws and the school colors of blue and gold...
in 39 games, constituting the historic Backyard Brawl rivalry between the two schools. During that time the Choctaws claimed a 24-9-6 lead in the series, which was discontinued after 1959.
The Harper Davis Era (1964-1988)
In 1964, Harper Davis took over as the Majors' head coach. A Clarksdale, MississippiClarksdale, Mississippi
Clarksdale is a city in Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 20,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Coahoma County....
native, Davis had been a four-time All-SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
selection as a Defensive Back at Mississippi State
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
from 1945 to 1948 who went on to a brief professional career. Davis's tenure at Millsaps got off to an inauspicious start: The Majors finished 0-8 in 1964, followed by losing seasons in two of the next three years. From there, however, Davis elevated the program to one of the most competitive in the South among the small college ranks, with 19 winning seasons between 1968 and 1988.
In 1975, Davis guided the team to its first-ever berth in the Division III playoffs
NCAA Division III national football championship
The NCAA Division III National Football Championship began in 1973. Before 1973, most of the schools now in Division III competed in the NCAA's former "College Division"....
where the Majors lost to eventual national champion Wittenberg
Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private four-year liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio serving 2,000 full-time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries...
in the semifinal round to finish the year with a 9-2 record. Five years later, in 1980, the Majors completed their first and only undefeated season to date. With Davis at the helm, the team went 9-0, racking up 350 points (38.9/game) while allowing opponents just 31 (3.4/game), recorded five shutouts and won four games by more than 50 points each, including setting the school record for points in a game in an 84-0 drubbing of Landmark Baptist College. The highlight of the season was an 8-7 victory over Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
's up-and-coming football program, played before 12,793 fans at the Tangerine Bowl
Citrus Bowl
The Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people....
in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. It was Central Florida who returned to Jackson the following season and snapped the Majors 13-game winning streak dating back to the final contest of the 1979 season, 13-6.
Davis retired after the 1988 season, having guided the Majors to a 140-78-4 record (.631) during his 25 year-tenure. All of the Majors' previous coaches had accumulated just 131 victories in 40 seasons.
After Davis (1989-2005)
After Davis stepped down, his longtime assistant, Tommy Ranager, was named to lead the football program. The 1989 season marked the first time the Majors played as a conference affiliate and not an independent team, having joined the expanding Collegiate Athletic Conference. In 1991, Ranager's Majors finished the year 7-2, including a 3-1 conference mark that earned Millsaps a share of the first conference championship of the newly restructured and renamed Southern Collegiate Athletic ConferenceSouthern Collegiate Athletic Conference
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference , founded in 1962, is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas...
and Ranager conference "Coach of the Year" honors. In 1994, however, Ranager's Majors finished 4-6 (2-2 SCAC), marking the team's first losing season since 1977, and followed that with a 2-7 (0-4 SCAC) campaign in 1995, prompting the program to seek new direction.
Ron Jurney, who succeeded Ranager, guided the Majors to an 8-2 (4-1) finish and a share of the program's second SCAC championship in his first season in 1996, earning him conference "Coach of the Year" honors. The Majors snapped Trinity
Trinity Tigers
The Trinity Tigers is the nickname for the sports teams of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The school mascot is LeeRoy, a Bengal Tiger...
's streak of 12 consecutive victories by a 13-10 margin in the season finale in Jackson to share the SCAC title with the Tigers. However, Jurney's teams over the next three seasons never won more than three games in a season, accumulating a combined record of 8-22 (2-15 SCAC), resulting in Jurney being relieved of his post after the 1999 campaign.
Former Mississippi State
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
head coach Bob Tyler
Bob Tyler
Bob Tyler is a former American football coach. He coached in the high school and collegiate ranks.A native of Water Valley, Mississippi, Tyler was a star athlete at Water Valley High School before entering military service. Following his term of duty at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, Tyler achieved...
, who guided the Bulldogs
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
to several successful seasons during the 1970s, was hired to replace Jurney. Under Tyler, Millsaps and Mississippi College
Mississippi College
Mississippi College, also known as MC, is a private, Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi. Mississippi College comprises the main campus in Clinton, as well as satellite campuses in Brandon and Madison, Mississippi, and the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson...
renewed their historic Backyard Brawl rivalry in 2000. The much anticipated game was played at Memorial Stadium
Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. Veterans Memorial Stadium is the home field of the Jackson State University Tigers. In July 2011, Jackson State University will own and operate the stadium...
in Jackson before more than 10,000 fans, with the Majors kicking the winning field goal with 16 seconds left for a 20-19 victory. Since the series was renewed, the Majors and the Choctaws
Mississippi College Choctaws
The Mississippi College Choctaws are the athletic teams of Mississippi College. They participate in NCAA's Division III in the competitive 12-member American Southwest Conference under the mascot Choctaws and the school colors of blue and gold...
have faced off in the opening week of every season except 2005, when the teams did not meet. Tyler led the team to a .500 record in 2000 (5-5, 2-4 SCAC) and a winning season in 2001 (6-4, 3-3 SCAC), however, when the Majors finished the 2002 season with five consecutive loses, all against conference opponents, resulting in a disappointing 3-6 (1-5 SCAC) record, the program again opted to make a change.
In 2003, Millsaps hired David Saunders to fill Tyler's vacated post, making him the program's fourth coach in the fourteen seasons since Harper Davis's retirement. Saunders had previously been the Recruiting Coordinator on David Cutcliffe
David Cutcliffe
David Cutcliffe is the head football coach of the Duke University Blue Devils. He is best known for coaching Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning at the University of Tennessee, and Manning's younger brother and fellow Super Bowl Champion Eli at the University of Mississippi...
's staff at Ole Miss
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
. After three unsuccessful seasons resulting in a combined 7-21 record (5-13 SCAC), Saunders returned to the Rebels
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
to join Ed Orgeron
Ed Orgeron
Ed Orgeron is an American football coach who is currently serving as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator for the USC Trojans. Orgeron previously served as the head football coach of the Ole Miss Rebels from 2005 to 2007...
's staff.
Resurgence Under DuBose (2006-2009)
After just one season at Millsaps, Defensive Coordinator Mike DuBoseMike DuBose
Mike DuBose is a former University of Alabama football player and the current defensive line coach for the Memphis Tigers. DuBose came to Memphis from Millsaps College, where he was the Majors' head coach from 2006 to 2009. He resurrected the school's struggling football program by winning...
was promoted to Head Coach to replace Saunders in 2006. DuBose had previously been the Head Coach of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
's football team
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
from 1997 to 2000, leading the Crimson Tide to an SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
championship in 1999. DuBose brought a bright football mind and a new-found confidence and enthusiasm to the program that produced results few could've foreseen.
2006
DuBose's first season got off to a rocky start. The Majors were hammered 52-28 by Mississippi CollegeMississippi College
Mississippi College, also known as MC, is a private, Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi. Mississippi College comprises the main campus in Clinton, as well as satellite campuses in Brandon and Madison, Mississippi, and the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson...
in the season-opening Backyard Brawl game, which returned after a one year hiatus in 2005. The Majors then lost their next two games in heartbreaking fashion, by a combined total of four points. However, DuBose's team managed an incredible turn-around that shocked the SCAC, when the team went on to win their next six games to set up a showdown with perennial SCAC juggernaut Trinity
Trinity Tigers
The Trinity Tigers is the nickname for the sports teams of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The school mascot is LeeRoy, a Bengal Tiger...
in the season finale. Each team entered the contest at 5-0 in conference play, meaning the winner would receive the SCAC's automatic playoff
NCAA Division III national football championship
The NCAA Division III National Football Championship began in 1973. Before 1973, most of the schools now in Division III competed in the NCAA's former "College Division"....
bid and claim the SCAC title outright.
Trinity, ranked 21st nationally, was heavily favored to end the Majors' incredible run; the Tigers had won or shared 13 consecutive SCAC championships dating back to 1993 (Millsaps and Trinity shared the title in 1996) and were winners of five straight contests against the Majors, including a 41-0 blowout the previous year in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. However, the Majors stunned the Tigers 34-12, emerging victorious behind a three touchdown-performance from senior wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Chris Jackson, who returned two punts for scores and caught another. The win gave Millsaps a 6-0 final record in conference play (7-3 overall), earning the Majors their third SCAC title (their first won outright) and the league's automatic playoff bid for the first time. The tournament appearance was just the second in the program's history, the first since 1975.
DuBose was named the SCAC's 2006 "Coach of the Year" for engineering the Majors' remarkable turn-around. Sophomore quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Juan Joseph
Juan Joseph
Juan Joseph is a former professional Arena football quarterback who has also played American and Canadian football. He last played for the Lafayette Wildcatters of the SIFL. He was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
was named the league's "Offensive Player of the Year" and Chris Jackson was honored as the league's "Special Teams Player of the Year" and named a first team All-American for his role as the team's return specialist
Return specialist
A Return Specialist is a player on American football or Canadian football special teams who specializes in returning punts and kickoff returns. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most play other positions as well. The special teams counterpart of a return specialist is a...
. In all, 20 Majors were named to the All-SCAC first team, second team and honorable mention lists.
2007
Having established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the SCAC, DuBose and the 2007 Majors, led by a large group of seniors and returning starters, set their goals high, aiming to repeat as SCAC champions and gain another playoff berth. The season began on a sour note, however, when Millsaps suffered a disappointing loss at the hands of Mississippi College in the Backyard Brawl. Millsaps, having led comfortably for most of the game, took a 26-6 advantage into the fourth quarter. However, as the Majors were resting their starters and putting less experienced players into the game, the ChoctawsMississippi College Choctaws
The Mississippi College Choctaws are the athletic teams of Mississippi College. They participate in NCAA's Division III in the competitive 12-member American Southwest Conference under the mascot Choctaws and the school colors of blue and gold...
began to find a rhythm. DuBose never returned his starters to the game as his team's lead began to dwindle and Mississippi College roared back with three touchdowns in the final quarter to claim a 27-26 victory.
The Majors managed to rebound from the season-opening loss, though, and by winning their next six games (by an average margin of over 31 points; none smaller than 18) set up another home showdown with Trinity
2007 Trinity vs. Millsaps football game
The 2007 Trinity vs. Millsaps football game is best known for the memorable play that occurred in the game's last minutes. On October 27, 2007, the NCAA Division III 19th-ranked Trinity University Tigers threw 15 lateral passes and scored a 61-yard touchdown to win a game against the 24th-ranked...
that was, like the previous year's contest, essentially a conference championship game. The events that unfolded that day at Harper Davis Field are now forever etched in football lore, with Trinity claiming a come-from-behind victory on arguably the single greatest play in the history of the sport as time expired. The Majors went on to route their two remaining opponents to earn a share of the SCAC title, but Trinity received the conference's lone automatic playoff bid. Had the Majors won against Mississippi College, a 9-1 record may have been enough to earn them the first at-large playoff bid ever awarded to a SCAC team, but at 8-2 the team was passed over by the NCAA selection committee.
As in 2006, the Majors' success on the field was reflected in the 2007 all-conference superlatives. Junior quarterback Juan Joseph
Juan Joseph
Juan Joseph is a former professional Arena football quarterback who has also played American and Canadian football. He last played for the Lafayette Wildcatters of the SIFL. He was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
was the SCAC's "Offensive Player of the Year" for the second consecutive season, senior defensive tackle Casey Younger was the league's co-"Defensive Player of the Year" and sophomore return specialist John Milazzo was the SCAC's "Special Teams Player of the Year." In all, 19 Majors were named to the All-SCAC first team, second team and honorable mention lists.
2008
The 2008 season was a very successful season. The Majors rolled through the regular season, going 10-0 and outscoring their opponents 442 to 132. The team avenged 2007's crushing loses at the hands of Mississippi College and Trinity, pummeling the ChoctawsMississippi College Choctaws
The Mississippi College Choctaws are the athletic teams of Mississippi College. They participate in NCAA's Division III in the competitive 12-member American Southwest Conference under the mascot Choctaws and the school colors of blue and gold...
42-6 in the eighth edition of the renewed Backyard Brawl and punishing the Tigers
Trinity Tigers
The Trinity Tigers is the nickname for the sports teams of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The school mascot is LeeRoy, a Bengal Tiger...
56-27 in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
.
The Majors captured their third consecutive SCAC championship, winning outright to earn the program's third NCAA tournament berth, became the first team in the program's history to reach double digit wins and climbed to their highest ever national ranking, #3, before finishing the season 11-1 and ranked #12 nationally.
Once again, DuBose was named the conference's "Coach of the Year" and senior quarterback Juan Joseph
Juan Joseph
Juan Joseph is a former professional Arena football quarterback who has also played American and Canadian football. He last played for the Lafayette Wildcatters of the SIFL. He was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
was the SCAC's "Offensive Player of the Year" for the third consecutive season. Sophomore wide receiver and return specialist Michael Galatas was named the conference's "Special Teams Player of the Year" and freshman running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Shane Bowser was the SCAC's co-"Newcomer of the Year." In all, 20 Majors were named to the All-SCAC first team, second team and honorable mention lists.
2009
In 2009, the Majors finished 5-1 in SCAC play to again earn a share of the conference title. The team's fourth conference championship in as many years was added to the accomplishments of the winningest senior class in the program's history, who finished their four-year careers with a 33-10 overall record.However, the team had hoped to attain another NCAA playoff berth, a cause derailed by three painfully close loses. First, the Majors lost to their rival Choctaws in two overtimes in the season-opening ninth edition of the renewed Backyard Brawl. Millsaps won their next three games, including an emotional 24-6 victory over Trinity after a week in which Coach DuBose's wife Polly underwent the first of several breast cancer surgeries that took place during the season.
The following week Coach DuBose spent limited time with the team while caring for his wife, as the Majors prepared for an important conference road game. The team traveled to Greencastle, Indiana
Greencastle, Indiana
Greencastle is a city in Greencastle Township, Putnam County, Indiana, United States, and the county seat of Putnam County. It was founded in 1821 by Scots-Irish American Ephraim Dukes on a land grant. He named the settlement for his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylvania...
to face DePauw
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
. Coincidentally, the game fell on the first weekend of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure...
(October), and DePauw had painted a pair of pink ribbon
Pink ribbon
The pink ribbon is an international symbol of breast cancer awareness. Pink ribbons, and the color pink in general, identify the wearer or promoter with the breast cancer brand and express moral support for women with breast cancer....
s on their field in support of the event. In a show of outstanding camaraderie and sportsmanship, DePauw had then inscribed "P.D." in each of the ribbons for Polly DuBose. The Majors put forth a valiant effort in the game, coming from 16 down to within a two point conversion of tying the game with under four minutes to play. The two point attempt failed when running back Shane Bowser could not escape an open field tackle and came up less than a yard short of the endzone. DePauw was able to run out the clock and preserve the victory, handing the Majors only their second conference loss of DuBose's tenure in heartbreaking fashion, after the Majors had won 10 straight dating back to that fateful 2007 contest against Trinity.
The next week the Majors came up with another disappointing loss, again on the road, this time at the hands of Huntingdon
Huntingdon College
Huntingdon College, founded in 1854, is a coeducational liberal arts college in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. Related to the United Methodist Church, the college's central hallmarks are faith, wisdom, and service. The college is known for providing a solid academic experience based on good...
. Millsaps squandered a 36-24 third quarter advantage, as Huntingdon's potent offense caught fire in the second half. The Majors' normally powerful offensive unit sputtered as two quarterbacks were forced to leave the game due to injury and the team could only watch as Huntingdon roared back to claim a 47-36 victory.
The team finished the season on a positive note, handily dispatching of their last four opponents, including a homecoming victory over previously undefeated Centre
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...
. A 61-7 dismantling of Sewanee the following week secured the program's share of a fourth consecutive conference title.
Junior return specialist Michael Galatas was named the SCAC's "Special Teams Player of the Year" for the second consecutive season, the fourth consecutive season the award went to a Major, and junior linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Will Hawkins was the conference's "Defensive Player of the Year", and a first team All-American. A total of 20 Majors were voted to the all-conference first, second and honorable mention teams.
In December, DuBose announced he was leaving Millsaps to join new Memphis
Memphis Tigers football
The Memphis Tigers football team represents the University of Memphis in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Tigers compete in Conference USA...
coach Larry Porter
Larry Porter
Larry Porter is the former head coach of the Memphis Tigers football team. Porter was named the new head football coach at the University of Memphis on November 29, 2009...
's staff. DuBose's tenure ended with 33 victories in four seasons, prior to which the Majors had won just 37 games in 10 years, and DuBose's four consecutive conference championships came after the Majors had won only two since joining the SCAC in 1989. DuBose's .767 winning percentage is the highest of any coach in the school's history and only Harper Davis won more games as the Majors' head coach.
After DuBose (2010-present)
On March 1, 2010, Aaron Pelch was named as DuBose's successor. Pelch, a former Weber State UniversityWeber State University
Weber State University is a public university located in the city of Ogden in Weber County, Utah, USA. It was founded in 1889 and is a coeducational, publicly supported university offering professional, liberal arts and technical certificates, as well as associate, bachelor's and master's degrees...
player and 2001 graduate, was a defensive assistant for DuBose's Majors from 2006 to 2008, before joining Tom Cable
Tom Cable
-NFL:-References:...
's Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
staff as a special teams coach in 2009.
2010
Pelch guided the Majors to a 7-3 (5-1) record in his first season, but the team saw its streak of 4 consecutive SCAC championships snapped by virtue of a 21-35 home loss to DePauw, who finished the year 6-0 in conference play. The Majors' 2011 senior class tied the record set by the previous year's senior class of most career victories, with 33 in a four-year span. For the 5th year in a row, the Majors' offense was the SCAC's highest scoring unit.- Rankings from D3football.com.
Baseball
2009 saw the Majors end the regular season with a 32-8 winning record (15-5 SCAC) and a SCAC West Division championship. On April 14, 2009, the Majors were named the No. 1 team in the country by D3baseball.com for the first time in the programs history. It was the first time any athletic team has achieved this high of a ranking.Rivalries
The Majors had a fierce football and basketball rivalry with Mississippi CollegeMississippi College
Mississippi College, also known as MC, is a private, Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi. Mississippi College comprises the main campus in Clinton, as well as satellite campuses in Brandon and Madison, Mississippi, and the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson...
in nearby Clinton
Clinton, Mississippi
Clinton is a city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. Situated in the Jackson metropolitan area, it is the tenth largest city in Mississippi. The population was 23,347 at the 2000 United States Census.-History:...
through the 1950s before competition was suspended after an infamous student brawl at a basketball game. Campus legend says the brawl was sparked by the alleged theft of the body of Millsaps founder Major Millsaps by Mississippi College students. The rivalry was considered by many as the best in Mississippi, featuring a prank by Mississippi College students who painted "TO HELL WITH MILSAPS" (sic) on the Millsaps Observatory. The football rivalry resumed in 2000 as the "Backyard Brawl", with games being held at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. Veterans Memorial Stadium is the home field of the Jackson State University Tigers. In July 2011, Jackson State University will own and operate the stadium...
until 2006 when it was played at Robinson-Hale Stadium on the campus of Mississippi College. The rivalry took a one-year hiatus in 2005 but resumed in 2006.
NFL affiliation
Millsaps was the summer training camp home for the NFL'sNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
in 2006, 2007 and 2008.