11 Bulldogs lining up in bowls
PERKINSTON — Eleven former Mississippi Gulf Coast players will be participating in college football bowl games this season, including a pair in the College Football Playoffs semifinals.
Running back DeAndre Torrey at North Texas will start things off Dec. 15 with a 1 p.m. kickoff in the New Mexico Bowl against Utah State. The sophomore from Gautier earned second-team All-Conference USA honors after rushing for 942 yards on 161 carries (5.9 yards per rush) and scoring 17 total touchdowns, sixth best in all of FBS.
Cornerback O.J. Johnson at Middle Tennessee plays later that day at the New Orleans Bowl against Appalachian State at 8 p.m. The senior from Homerville, Ga., had 20 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, four pass break-ups and a forced fumble.
A trio of former Bulldogs are on the UAB roster for the Blazers' Boca Raton Bowl contest against Northern Illinois at 6 p.m. on Dec. 18. Quarterback A.J. Erdely, from Cumming, Ga., completed 205-of-338 passes for 2,331 yards, 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions, while rushing for 13 more touchdowns. Offensive lineman Rishard Cook, from Hattiesburg, earned second-team All-Conference USA honors for an offense that rewrote the school rushing record book. Fellow offensive lineman Carter Wood, from Starkville, is redshirting in 2018.
Defensive lineman Daquan Newkirk, from Orlando, Fla., will play for Auburn against Purdue in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 28 at 12:30 p.m. He played in seven games while coming back from an injury in the spring.
Two former MGCCC stars are expected to start for Alabama against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl at 7 p.m. on Dec. 29. Lineman Isaiah Buggs, from Ruston, La., earned multiple All-American and All-SEC selections this season. His 9.5 sacks rank fourth in the SEC and 13th nationally. Cornerback Saivion Smith, from Tampa, Fla., started nine games and has 54 tackles and three interceptions.
Long snapper Paul Blackwell, from Pascagoula, is on the roster at Mississippi State, which plays Iowa in the Outback Bowl. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. on Jan. 1.
Two former Gulf Coast players who were also teammates at Madison Central will be on opposite sidelines at the Sugar Bowl, played on Jan. 1 at 7:45 p.m. Kicker Joshua Rowland will be on the Texas squad and offensive lineman D'Marcus Hayes will play for Georgia.
For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.
