No. 6 Bulldogs point the bus toward Northeast

UPDATED: Release has been updated to reflect MGCCC moving up one spot in latest NJCAA Division I poll.

PERKINSTON — No. 6 Mississippi Gulf Coast had a great Week 1 result on the gridiron, but as always there are things the Bulldogs have to get cleaned up.

There's also the transition from stopping the triple-option attack of Holmes to a more typical offense they'll see when they travel to take on Northeast Mississippi.

"We're back on a different planet defensively, trying to stop the run, the spread option, the zone read, things that other teams in the league will try to do against us," Gulf Coast coach Jack Wright said. "It's a little more normal in that sense."

The Bulldogs face a nearly five-hour bus ride this week. Kickoff in Booneville is set for 6:30 p.m. Tickets will be available at the gate. You can listen to the Gulf Coast radio broadcast at SuperTalk 103.1 FM or at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/stream. The video stream will be at https://nemcctv.com/blackchannel/.

Gulf Coast battered Holmes 56-14 in Goodman last week. The Regulators held the triple option to 90 total yards, and the offense erupted for a slew of big plays. Wright said his team needed to clean up exchanges and penalties, and the running game needs to convert short-yardage runs better.

Northeast lost 41-17 at Jones in its opener. Quarterback A.C. Graham will present challenges. He completed 13-of-21 passes for 140 yards and ran for another score.

"They have a very athletic quarterback," Wright said. "He can hit you with both your feet and his arm. He' pretty efficient throwing the football. They have some other weapons on offense that make it difficult to lock in just on stopping him."

The Tigers offense is overseen by offensive coordinator A.J. Erdely, who led Gulf Coast to the state championship game in his one season at Perk in 2015. He went to UAB, where he was one of the stars of the program's rebirth.

Erdely will have to figure out how to beat a defense that includes linebacker C.J. Williams (So., Taylorsville/Taylorsville). Williams had five tackles and two assists against, including a sack. He also recovered a fumble.

The third-year player is known as a big hitter, but there's more to his game than just that.

"C.J. has been a violent striker since he's been here," Wright said. "He's had some really hard tackles and forced some people to the ground in a sudden manner. He's always in the right gap and always in the right area on pass defense. He's been a dynamite football player for us since Day 1. He is a veteran and he plays like a veteran."

Game #2

WHO: No. 6 MGCCC (1-0) vs. Northeast Mississippi (0-1)

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 9, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Booneville

WATCH: https://nemcctv.com/blackchannel/

LISTEN: http://mgcccbulldogs.com/stream

The Series

Series record: Gulf Coast leads 24-8-2

First Meeting: 1949

Last Meeting: Aug. 27, 2015, Gulf Coast 40, Northeast 23

Notes: Gulf Coast has won 10 straight in the series, dating back to 1998 and the longest in series history … The Bulldogs are averaging 39.0 points in the streak, allowing 8.8 … Gulf Coast has five shutouts and has never been shut out in the series … Northeast won three straight games between 1991-1993 … Gulf Coast beat Northeast 61-7 in 2012, tied for the sixth-most points and 10^th-biggest margin of victory in school history … With a win, Gulf Coast coach Jack Wright would have 26 and move into a tie for third for most wins in MGCCC history (chart below)

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