RAYMOND – Jones College erased an early 14-point deficit, scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter and survived a furious late rally to fend off seventh-ranked Hinds, 43-42, Thursday night at Gene Murphy Field at Joe Renfroe Stadium.
The Bobcats (5-5, 3-3 MACCC South) piled up 533 yards of total offense, including 319 through the air and 214 on the ground, to hand the Eagles (7-3, 5-1) their only south division loss of the season.
Jones led 43-34 with 3:53 remaining before Hinds marched 65 yards in 11 plays, scoring on Jaylon Ruffin's 1-yard touchdown pass to Kiandre Terry with three seconds left. The Eagles, who had returned a blocked extra point for two points on Jones' previous touchdown, missed the potential game-tying extra point as the Bobcats escaped with the one-point victory.
After Terry's touchdown, he taunted a Jones defender and was whistled for an unsportsmanlike penalty. The game-tying PAT was a 35-yard attempt that was pushed wide right.
The win capped an up-and-down season for Jones and came against a Hinds team that had already secured a berth in the MACCC championship game.
Hinds jumped out to a 14-0 lead behind a 20-yard touchdown pass from Ruffin to Demar Gardner and a 13-yard touchdown run by Makari Bodiford.
Jones answered with a five-play, 68-yard drive capped by Terrell Surtain Jr.'s 21-yard touchdown run with 1:20 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Eagles pushed their advantage to 20-7 just four seconds into the second quarter on CJ Martin's 4-yard touchdown run, but the Bobcats responded with three consecutive touchdowns to take control before halftime.
Santae McWilliams Jr. scored on a 1-yard run with 10:21 remaining in the half before quarterback Jevarion Glover connected with Tyree Barnett on a 29-yard touchdown pass to give Jones its first lead, 21-20, with 6:02 left.
Glover then found McWilliams on a 9-yard touchdown pass with just 14 seconds remaining -- the first of his Bobcat career -- sending the Jones into the locker room with a 28-20 advantage.
Jones continued to build its lead in the third quarter behind kicker Wyatt Jones, who connected on field goals of 33 and 35 yards to stretch the margin to 34-20.
Hinds answered with Ruffin's 31-yard touchdown pass to Kelton Young, trimming the deficit to 34-27 with 3:35 remaining in the third.
Wyatt Jones added his third field goal of the night, a 22-yarder, early in the fourth quarter to put the Bobcats ahead 37-27.
Bodiford's 2-yard touchdown run brought Hinds within 37-34 with 8:03 remaining, but Jones responded with an eight-play, 69-yard scoring drive that consumed 4:10.
Glover capped the possession with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Jones with 3:53 left, giving the Bobcats a nine-point cushion.
Hinds blocked the ensuing extra point, and Raymon McKneely returned it for a defensive two-point conversion, setting the stage for the Eagles' final possession.
Ruffin drove Hinds down the field and found Terry for a touchdown with three seconds remaining, but the failed extra point preserved Jones' victory.
Hinds finished with 435 yards of offense, including 282 passing and 153 rushing, but the Bobcats averaged 8.1 yards per play and converted 9 of 15 third-down opportunities.
Ruffin completed 22 of 37 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns for the Eagles. Gardner caught seven passes for 76 yards, while Terry added four receptions for 79 yards.
Glover was 14 of 24 for 319 and three touchdowns and also rushed for 42 yards. He ends his Bobcat career with records for single-season passing yards (2,632) and career passing yards (3,821) and a combined 40 touchdowns.
Cortland Battee had a season and game-high 11 tackles.
The teams combined for 968 yards of total offense and 54 first downs in the regular-season finale.
Hinds will travel to Senatobia to face Northwest in the MACCC championship game Nov. 7.
