Nick Vernon, Campus Carrier Sports Editor
The Berry football team’s defensive unit put in a strong showing on Saturday against the defending champion Rhodes College, limiting them to just 12 points.
The final score of the game was 12-0, with Berry missing several chances to score, including two missed field goals and a failed fourth down conversion to an open receiver in the end zone.
The Vikings’ defense held the Lynxes to 207 yards of total offense, which is a program best. Berry struggled on the other side of the ball, as the offense was only able to produce 94 yards.
Defensive line coach Justin Montgomery explained how the defense found such success against Rhodes.
“I think the guys played extremely hard,” Montgomery said. “Going into this game, stopping the run was the big test, and I think our guys did that. They rose to the occasion and did a magnificent job.”
Sophomore linebackers Matt Farinella and Drew McCollum both had interceptions in the game for Berry. Farinella and fellow sophomore linebacker Preston Stewart both totaled eight tackles during the game.
Farinella spoke about how he was able to find success within the defensive unit.
“It wasn’t me doing anything specifically, it was more so the guys around me,” he said. “We practiced all week to make the plays, so we just had to execute them – we knew where we needed to be.”
In addition to a strong defensive performance from the front-seven players (defensive line and linebackers) in stopping the run, the Vikings’ secondary was able to limit Rhodes’ success in the passing game, holding Rhodes to 76 total passing yards.
Sophomore cornerback Malcholm Graham explained how stopping the run resulted in success for the secondary as well.
“Rhodes’ whole game plan was wrapped around their ability to run the ball,” he said. “The fact that we were able to stop the run really put them in an uncomfortable spot to throw the ball more than they originally planned to.”
On Oct. 4, the Vikings will square off against Washington University in St. Louis, which is a team trying to find their identity, Graham said.
“They lost a couple of key senior players from last year, including their quarterback,” he said.
Montgomery believes that Washington will rely on the run just as Rhodes did and that the defense must be ready for it.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” he said. “We’re going to have to come out and fight.”
Farinella said he is not deterred by the team’s early-season losses.
“We are all just as motivated, if not more motivated,” he said. “We all want to win, so that drives us.”
Graham said he feels like momentum is building for the team.
“We’re making progress each and every week,” he said. “The fact that the student body is starting to get behind us is really such a big thing for momentum.”
The Vikings will be hoping for a similar defensive performance when they host Washington at 6 p.m. on Oct. 4, during the weekend of the 100th Mountain Day celebration.