BRYAN – The No. 1 ranked Blinn Buccaneers defeated the Tyler Junior College Apaches 55-31 in Southwest Junior College Football Conference action Saturday night. The game was played at Merrill Green Stadium in Bryan, home to Blinn’s largest campus of over 12,000 students.

The Bucs would strike first on a touchdown run by freshman quarterback Eric Matthews (Brookshire Royal) to give the Bucs an early 7-0 lead. The next possession for both teams would result in punts, with the Bucs holding on to the slim seven point margin at the end of the first quarter.

After the Bucs defense would force another punt by the Apaches, Matthews would find sophomore tight end Chase Terry (Sealy) on a 63 yard completion, followed by a 16-yard touchdown run by Matthews to extend the lead to 14-0 with 10:18 to play in the second quarter. After the Bucs would give up a 49-yard touchdown run by Tyler running back Brian Eurysthee, the offense would answer with a 91-yard scoring drive stamped by a 38-yard touchdown strike from Matthews to freshman wide receiver Saqwan Edwards (Manvel), making the score 21-7 with 7:55 remaining in the half. On the ensuing kick-off, the Bucs special teams would recover a live ball, untouched by the Apaches. After a 22-yard scamper by Matthews, freshman running back Brelyn Sorrells (James Bowie) would punch the ball in the endzone to give the Bucs a 28-7 lead with 6:33 left in the half. The Apaches would then close out the half with a 37-yard field goal and a 28-10 Bucs lead.

On the Bucs first play of the second half, Matthews found sophomore wide receiver Xavier Maxwell (Humble) for a 54-yard touchdown bomb to increase the lead to 34-10. The Bucs would then allow Tyler to gain a little momentum, giving up two quick scores by the Apaches. The offense would answer on their next possession, driving 72 yards in a little over two minutes, capped off by a seven-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Marion Grice (Aldine Nimitz) to extend the Bucs lead to 41-24 at the end of three quarters.

In the fourth, Tyler would add another touchdown pass by Rollison, which was quickly answered by a 26-yard touchdown pass from Matthews to sophomore wide receiver Jacob Bennett (Klein Collins) to close out the 55-31 final.

The Bucs return to Cub Stadium in Brenham on Oct. 15 in another battle of undefeated top ten teams, as they host No. 8 Trinity Valley Community College (6-0­). The game marks Blinn’s Homecoming, and is the second time in three weeks the Bucs have squared off versus a top ten opponent. Blinn defeated then top-ranked Navarro College 31-26 on Oct. 1, moving the Bucs into the No. 1 spot in this week’s NJCAA National Poll. Kick-off for Saturday’s game is set for 3 p.m.