Jacksonville, Ill. – Rhodes College football opened the 2019 season on the road at Illinois College (IC), ultimately falling to the Blue Boys 22-7.
 
The first two drives for both teams ended in punts before Rhodes forced a turnover on downs on IC's third drive. On the 14^th play of the drive, with the Blue Boys on 4^th and goal on the six-yard line, Lynx senior Bryce Hayes broke up the pass to turn the ball over to the Lynx. After Rhodes was forced to punt, IC got on the scoreboard first with a field goal on their fourth drive of the game, moving 19 yards in six plays.
 
Junior Adam Martinez ran the kickoff back 67 yards to IC's 23-yard line. The Lynx field goal attempt to tie the game hit the right upright. On Rhodes' next possession, IC blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown to take a 9-0 lead. Martinez got the next drive started with a 24-yard return, which ignited a 13-play drive and the only passing touchdown of the game. Jace Franklin made the 25-yard completion to Andrew Herring to score Rhodes' first touchdown of the season. Wiley Henshaw added the extra point.
 
Later, another blocked Rhodes punt resulted in a Blue Boy touchdown in the third quarter to give IC a 16-7 advantage. Multiple offense penalties and an IC interception held the Lynx scoreless in the third quarter with the Blue Boys eventually taking a 22-7 lead.
 
In the fourth quarter, senior Trent Holt breathed life into the Lynx with a big hit to force a fourth down with just over 10 minutes to go. IC went for it on 4^th and six, only to have Tony Heyward sack the Blue Boys, turning the ball over to the Lynx on their own 40-yard line.
 
With Mitch Batschelett and Jace Franklin continuing to alternate at quarterback, the Lynx moved down to IC's 30-yard line on two passes to James Moskosky (19 yards) and four rushes before an interception broke Rhodes' momentum.
 
Holt and Heyward each totaled nine tackles in the opener, while Kobe Bins and Rod Thornton each recorded six. Bins added a sack in the third quarter for an IC loss of two yards. Holt tallied eight solo tackles and Bins five. All four Lynx had a tackle for loss as did Tre' Barnes. Holt also had an interception at the Rhodes 13-yard line, returning it for three yards at the end of the second half. Jacob Anderson forced and recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter.
 
On offense, Dontae Gray totaled 33 rushing yards. Martinez made a 32-yard reception, the longest of the game for the Lynx while Herring totaled three catches for 24 yards. Martinez totaled 155 yards on four kickoff returns for an average of 38.8 yards.
 
The Blue Boys and Lynx JV squads will compete Sunday at 11 a.m. before Rhodes returns to Memphis. The Lynx will host Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in the home opener on Saturday, September 14 at 7 p.m.