Football 8/23/2026 10:25:00 AM

Blinn rallies past Kilgore for first win over Rangers since 2017

The Buccaneers scored 21 unanswered points to secure the season-opening victory

Football 8/23/2026 10:25:00 AM

Blinn rallies past Kilgore for first win over Rangers since 2017

The Buccaneers scored 21 unanswered points to secure the season-opening victory

The Blinn College football team overcame a slow start, a barrage of penalties and a third-quarter deficit to defeat Kilgore College 34-20 on Saturday at Cub Stadium in Brenham, Texas.

The Buccaneers trailed 10-6 at halftime and 20-13 in the third quarter before scoring 21 unanswered points to pull away from one of their Southwest Junior College Football Conference rivals.

The victory snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Rangers.

The teams met in a non-conference matchup because of a schedule adjustment this season, but will face each other again later in the season in conference play. Kilgore entered the game receiving votes in the NJCAA Division I Football Preseason Poll.

"We refused to fold," Blinn head coach Ryan Mahon said. "We kept making plays when the game called for it."

Blinn struggled to establish the run in the first half, but the Bucs found their footing after halftime behind sophomore running back Bryson Batts and freshman running back Lorenn Johnson.

After sophomore defensive back Kingston Cramer intercepted Kilgore quarterback Christian Nunley at the Blinn 2-yard line early in the third quarter, the Bucs quickly turned the takeaway into points. Sophomore quarterback Jack Emerson found Johnson on a third-and-14 pass, and Johnson raced 70 yards for a touchdown to give Blinn its first lead of the night at 13-10.

Kilgore answered with a touchdown to regain the lead and used a field goal to push its lead to 20-13 with 7:22 left in the third quarter.

Blinn responded immediately.

After the Ranger field goal, Batts returned the ensuing kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown, and the Bucs were right back in the game.

"Momentum is like a swing; it comes your way and can go right back to the other side in a second, but that's just adversity that you have to overcome, and we did," Batts said.

The Blinn defense then delivered another pivotal play. Freshman defensive back K'hrin Hollerman intercepted Nunley on Kilgore's next possession, and Batts followed with a 56-yard touchdown run as time expired in the third quarter to put the Bucs ahead for good.

Batts credited Blinn's ability to adjust after Kilgore keyed in on the running game early.

"Kilgore's defense was focused on the run in the first half, so we opened up our RPO (run-pass option) and made some plays in the passing game, and that created some lanes in the rushing attack," Batts said. "Once me and Lorenn got hot, I think the momentum changed."

The Bucs' defense kept Blinn within striking distance throughout the game.

Kilgore scored a touchdown on its opening drive, but the Bucs held the Rangers to a field goal for the remainder of the first half.

Sophomore defensive end Kamrun Berry and freshman defensive end Chris Carbin repeatedly disrupted Kilgore's backfield and kept Nunley under pressure. The constant pressure helped produce three interceptions, with freshman defensive back E'Ryan Lawrence also picking off the Kilgore quarterback.

Lawrence's interception came on Kilgore's final offensive series, effectively sealing the victory.

"I gave the defense the game ball," Mahon added. "I thought they played their hearts out. We put them in some bad situations with our offensive turnovers and penalties, but they gutted it out and picked us up."

Penalties plagued both teams throughout the night, with several big plays wiped away.

Kilgore appeared to open the game with a kickoff return for a touchdown, only for the play to be negated by a block in the back. Blinn suffered a similar fate late in the first half when a fake-field-goal pass appeared to set up what would have been a 90-plus-yard interception return for a touchdown by Hollerman, only to have the play wiped out by an offsides infraction.

The Bucs still managed to overcome the miscues.

Blinn's first touchdown came in the second quarter when Emerson connected with sophomore wide receiver Tavaris Turner-Smith for a 74-yard catch-and-run touchdown. The extra point was blocked.

Kilgore added a field goal as time expired in the first half, sending the Bucs into the locker room trailing by four.

Emerson finished with two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown while shaking off two interceptions. His final touchdown came with 5:15 remaining in the fourth quarter when he capped an 82-yard drive with an 8-yard quarterback keeper.

"It took us a while to find our groove, but once we got in it we stayed in it," Emerson said. "As a team, we were able to build off each other."

The Bucs' offense steadily gained confidence as the game progressed.

"As we found running room, you could see our offensive line's confidence growing," Emerson said. "The chunk plays are a lot of fun for everyone and I think we just scratched the surface of what our offense is capable of."

Emerson also credited the defense for keeping Blinn in position to make its comeback.

"Our defense bailed us out at times tonight and I was just proud that we were able to back them up with some touchdowns and a victory," he said.

The victory marked Blinn's first over Kilgore since 2017 and provided an early statement for a team that will have another opportunity to face the Rangers later this season.

"We were trying to prove a point that Blinn is back – we are back," Cramer said. "Today was a statement. Starting back in the spring, this was the game we were waiting for."

Cramer said the secondary welcomed the test of facing Nunley and the Kilgore passing attack.

"We wanted Kilgore to pass the ball; we wanted the challenge as a secondary," Cramer said. "We go out every day in practice and work our tails off, so to see several guys come away with a pick tonight was a product of that."

Mahon credited his players for staying composed through the game's swings.

"I'm proud of our kids for how they stuck with it the entire game," Mahon said. "That's a very good football team we just beat, and our resiliency was outstanding."

The Bucs now turn their attention to the remainder of the season, carrying the lessons from a chaotic and triumphant night into their next challenge.

"We stubbed our toes a couple of times, but we kept fighting," Mahon said. "We knew there were going to be highs and lows tonight, but we told our guys to stay steady and they did a great job."

Blinn will enjoy a bye week before welcoming 2025 NJCAA Division I national tournament qualifier and fourth-ranked Tyler Junior College to town for both teams' SWJCFC opener at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5.

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

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