Football Preview: Jefferson Bulldogs vs. Atlanta Rabbits
Two dominant backs in Kamran Williams and Markeylin Batton are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Jefferson Bulldogs will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Atlanta Rabbits at 7:30 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Jefferson comes in on five and Atlanta on four.
Last Thursday, everything came up roses for Jefferson on the road against Gladewater as the team secured a 41-12 victory. Considering the Bulldogs have won three games by more than 24 points this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Jefferson had a senior duo take command as Williams rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.3 yards per carry and Tihmyus Taylor threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns. Williams' rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his 15th straight game with at least 124 rushing yards dating back to last season. A healthy portion of that aerial production (80 yards to be exact) went to Jakyrie Johnson.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Atlanta). They blew past White Oak, posting a 71-40 win at home. Given the Rabbits' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 286th, while the Roughnecks are ranked 604th), the result on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Batton continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 208 yards and four touchdowns on only 11 carries, while also picking up 104 receiving yards and a touchdown. The bulk of those receiving yards came from one huge play: a catch that gained an incredible 88 yards. Another player making a difference was Peyton Harrison, who threw for 324 yards and four touchdowns on only 17 passes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Atlanta was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 378 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved they're rushing yard total in four consecutive contests.
Atlanta's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Sye Stroman and Harrison.
Jefferson pushed their record up to 5-0 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Atlanta, their win bumped their record up to 4-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Jefferson has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 264 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Atlanta struggles in that department as they've been averaging 209. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Jefferson took their victory against Atlanta in their previous meeting back in October of 2023 by a conclusive 49-29. Will Jefferson repeat their success, or does Atlanta have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
