No. 4 MGCCC travels to No. 11 Co-Lin

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast stayed at No. 4 in this week's NJCAA rankings, and another thing will stay the same this week: a top-15 opponent.

The Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0 MACJC) travel to Wesson to take on No. 11 Copiah-Lincoln (3-1, 1-0).

"They have an extremely high level of talent, with a lot of size and a lot of speed," Gulf Coast coach Jack Wright said. "They're very physical on defense. They're very disruptive and create a lot of negative plays. Statistically, there one of the top defensive teams in the country, and it's easy to see why. They're very well-coached on that side of the ball and don't give up a lot of big plays."

Kickoff Thursday is set for 6:30 p.m. The game can be watched at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/stream, or catch the Gulf Coast radio broadcast at SuperTalk 103.1 FM or http://mgcccbulldogs.com/audio.

Gulf Coast is looking for its ninth straight win, the second-longest current streak in the NJCAA. Lackawanna has a 15-game streak, 10 of which have come against NJCAA opposition.

Co-Lin handed the Bulldogs their last defeat, a 38-14 loss at Perkinston.

"This year's team is different than last year's team," Wright said. "That's a coaching cliché., but we just need to win because it's a South Division opponent, and they feel the same way. I don't think last year's result is going to have any impact on this year's game."

The Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 in the Massey Ratings for the NJCAA and eighth in JCGridiron's Dirty 30 of all junior colleges. They'll face a strong test by the Wolves' offense, too.

"They have a couple of the most talented receivers in the country," Wright said. "Even if they're not touching the ball, they present a threat every time they're out there. We're well aware of the challenges they present."

Antoine Robinson is fifth in the country averaging 103.0 yards per game, and fellow sophomore Malik Heath has matched him with three touchdowns this season.

The Bulldogs will hope to disrupt that passing attack by getting in the Co-Lin backfield. One player who has specialized in that area is Tijuane Bolton (So., Perry Central/New Augusta).

Bolton has 10 total tackles this season, but four of them have been behind the line of scrimmage. One was a sack, and he also forced a fumble in the Coahoma game.

"He's a guy who played quarterback at a small high school, so him having the ability to come in and completely change mindsets and play maybe the most physical position on the field at defensive end has been extremely impressive," Wright said. "He's got a Division I body, a Division I mindset. He's made a ton of plays over the past two years. He's a guy who I think a lot of times goes unnoticed, but not to the coaches. He's always in the right spot. Coach (Rod) Smith has worked him relentlessly over the last two years to make him a really, really good football player."

Game #5

WHO: No. 4 MGCCC (4-0, 1-0 MACJC South) vs. No. 11 Copiah-Lincoln

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 26, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: H.L. Stone Stadium, Wesson

WATCH: http://mgcccbulldogs.com/stream

LISTEN: SuperTalk Mississippi 103.1 FM or http://mgcccbulldogs.com/audio

The Series

Series record: Gulf Coast leads 52-31-2

First Meeting: 1928

Last Meeting: Sept. 27, 2018, Co-Lin 38, MGCCC 13

Notes: Co-Lin has won three of the last five meetings, dating back to 2014 … Co-Lin is averaging 23.8 during that time, Gulf Coast 22.2 … Gulf Coast has nine shutouts in its 52 victories … Co-Lin shut out Gulf Coast in the first three meetings between the schools and has four total … Gulf Coast won nine straight games in the series between 1966 and 1974 … Co-Lin won the first five games in the series, its longest win streak … The biggest Gulf Coast win in the series was in 1968 (44-0), while the biggest for Co-Lin was in 1941 (51-6).

For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.