OXFORD — In a football game featuring 1,105 yards of total offense and 50 first downs, it is hard to fathom the winning coach would be ready to heap praise on his defense.
Starkville High School coach Jamie Mitchell did just that Friday night at Bobby Holcomb Field. Mitchell said his defense’s performance in the first half was the difference in No. 3 Starkville’s 52-29 victory against No. 2 Oxford in the second installment of the Little Egg Bowl.
“It’s hard to imagine, but we really won that game on defense,” Mitchell said. “Oxford has such an elite offense. They really lit us up last year. In the first half when the game was going back and forth, the defense came up with two huge turnovers. If (Oxford) starts scoring, you are not sure when they will stop.”
In Oxford’s 35-24 victory against Starkville last season, Oxford quarterback Jack Abraham threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns. The Yellow Jackets knew the importance of playing well early Friday night.
“We really wanted to set the tone,” Starkville senior linebacker Alonzo Flowers said. “They got a lot of momentum last season and we didn’t want that to happen. We know the offense is going to score some points, so our job is to get the ball back.”
Oxford took the kickoff and drove into Starkville territory in less than a minute. Senior linebacker Jordyn Bowlin snuffed that threat with an interception.
Starkville scored first on Michael Godley’s 47-yard field goal.
Oxford then drove 77 yards from its 20 to the Starkville 3-yard line. This drive stalled on second down when senior defensive back Tyler Rogers forced a fumble by running back Kenzie Phillips and senior lineman Derion Ford recovered.
“When we got the fumble, everybody on the sidelines was so hyped,” said Starkville senior quarterback Brady Davis, who threw for 411 yards and six touchdowns. “Our defense is really good. They are underappreciated. Sometimes we score so quick, they have to go right back out there. Yet they keep getting the job done.”
Starkville moved its next possession 97 yards on five plays. The Yellow Jackets’ defense had demoralized the Chargers and taken the near-capacity crowd out of the game.
Davis hit A.J. Brown for pickups of 32 and 6 yards before hitting Matt Fuller out of the backfield for a 54-yard touchdown.
“Two turnovers are really all we need,” Starkville senior wide receiver Raphael Leonard said. “If we get a stop, we know we have to score. That is how we get the lead. If we get the ball back a couple of extra times, the other team really won’t have a chance.”
Starkville’s biggest stop might have come in the second quarter. After Oxford had pulled within 24-7, it went right back on offense after a fumble recovery by Ferron Houston. Starting on its 39, Oxford failed to earn a first down and was forced to punt. A huge tackle for loss by Maleke Bell was the big play on the drive.
The Yellow Jackets took a short punt and needed 45 seconds for a critical score to take a 31-7 halftime lead.
“We didn’t want (Oxford) to have any momentum,” Ford said. “We had a big lead and we didn’t want it to get away. Our offense never makes mistakes, so when we have a turnover like that, our job is to come right back out and make sure we get the ball back.”
Junior Lorenzo Dantzler also had a couple of critical sacks. The Yellow Jackets were in the backfield most of the night. A majority of Oxford’s 403 passing yards came when the game was no longer in doubt.
Oxford needed a fake punt, a double pass, and different onside kick attempts to try to stay afloat. In the end, Davis and Starkville’s offense proved too much.
“People do not need to take our defense lightly,” Mitchell said. “You see the yards and the points, but don’t get caught up in all of that. (The defense) really came tonight. They were great against a great offensive team.”
Follow Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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