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Blinn visits No. 3 Tyler looking to hand conference foe its first loss

The Buccaneers are 3-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play

Football

Blinn visits No. 3 Tyler looking to hand conference foe its first loss

The Buccaneers are 3-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play

Head coach Ryan Mahon and the Blinn College football team know Southwest Junior College Football Conference games rarely get easier.

That remains the case this week as the Buccaneers travel to third-ranked Tyler Junior College for a showdown at 1 p.m. on Saturday at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler, Texas.

Blinn (3-2, 1-2 SWJCFC) is looking to stop a two-game slide and hand Tyler (5-0, 3-0) its first loss of the season.

Saturday's matchup for the Bucs marks the conclusion of a three-game stretch against ranked opponents.

"This one will probably be the toughest game we've played thus far, and we welcome the challenge," said Mahon, who spent 10 seasons as an assistant on the Tyler coaching staff. "They're a great team and they're ranked where they are for a reason, but we still have to go out and play the best game of football that we're capable of and go win this thing."

Blinn's back-to-back losses against fifth-ranked Navarro College and 11th-ranked Trinity Valley Community College were mitigated by penalties and turnovers. 

The Bucs committed five turnovers in their loss to Trinity Valley last week, and Mahon said the focus heading into his team's matchup with Tyler has been avoiding self-inflicted errors.

The Bucs outgained the Cardinals 344-271 in total offense but lost the turnover battle 5-3.

"You never want to give the football to the other team, but when and where we've committed turnovers is what frustrates you as a coach and as an offense," Mahon explained. "We've moved the ball well, which means things aren't broken. You can clean up mistakes and coach your kids up to make better decisions with the football, so we're optimistic that we can turn the corner."

Freshman quarterback Gunner Nelson will make his second start for Blinn this week after debuting against Trinity Valley. He finished 9 of 15 for 99 yards with two interceptions last week, but both turnovers were touched by a wide receiver before falling into the hands of a defender.

"We like Gunner a lot, and for his first start, we thought he did a lot of great things," Bucs sophomore receiver Tracy James said. "We're a young team, but each game has given us lessons to learn from and opportunities to grow, and I think you'll see us take a big step forward this week."

Blinn's rushing attack also remained effective with 151 yards against Trinity Valley.

While Tyler has enjoyed a perfect season through five games, the Apaches have been tested often. Most recently, Tyler outlasted New Mexico Military Institute 18-17 in week six after trailing 17-0 at halftime. The Bucs defeated NMMI 34-21 on Sept. 20.

Tyler averages 386 yards per game, led by a passing attack that produces 273 yards per outing. Sophomore QB Tre Guerra has 1,359 yards and 12 touchdowns with six interceptions this season.

Sophomore running back Bryce Burgess leads the way out of the backfield to the tune of 343 yards and two TDs.

"On film, you see that Tyler likes to establish the running game to set up their passing attack, and our job has to be to fill the gaps at the line of scrimmage and shut that down," Bucs sophomore linebacker Caden Baldwin said. "When we watched the film from their game against New Mexico Military Institute, what NMMI did well was make Tyler's quarterback uncomfortable. If we do our jobs and disrupt what Tyler is trying to do back there, I think we'll be in a great position to win this ballgame."

Fans hoping to catch this week's game can watch the action live on www.buccaneersports.com by clicking on the "Live Streams" button under the "Inside Athletics" tab.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 53 national championships since 1987.
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Players Mentioned

Caden Baldwin

#7 Caden Baldwin

LB
6' 1"
Sophomore
Gunner Nelson

#6 Gunner Nelson

QB
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Caden Baldwin

#7 Caden Baldwin

6' 1"
Sophomore
LB
Gunner Nelson

#6 Gunner Nelson

6' 0"
Freshman
QB