PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast, which enters a football season unranked for the first time since Jack Wright’s first year in charge, gets the toughest schedule around started just that way. Tough.

 

The Bulldogs make the long trek to Senatobia to play No. 4 Northwest Mississippi, the two-time defending MACCC champs.

 

“Every game means a lot, especially having to get in the playoffs,” Wright said. “They’re all important, but it’s the first game. There’s a lot of question marks. A lot of things need to be answered when the lights come on.”

 

Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale at https://nwccrangers.com/sports/2021/8/19/northwest-tickets.aspx. The game will be available on SuperTalk-103.1 FM, and the online radio broadcast will be at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch. The game will also be streamed at https://nwccrangers.com/watch.

 

The Bulldogs have been at the stage in preseason where they just wanted to see somebody different across the line for quite some time now. Wright and his staff will learn a lot about their roster by the time Thursday night winds down.

 

They’ve just made their final adjustments to the 65-man roster.

 

“We just need to see what they do in a game,” he said. “We know probably too much about ‘em without playing a game. We need to see how good they are against somebody else.”

 

The Rangers made it to the national championship game last year where they lost to New Mexico Military Institute. They’ve brought in Ren Hefley, who Wright said put up “crazy numbers” last year at Presbyterian. He led the FCS with nearly 32 completions per game while ranking fourth in passing yards (3,934). He broke Mississippi Valley legend Willie Totten’s single-game touchdown pass record with 10.

 

“They always have a really strong running game, and they’re very good against the run on defense,” Wright said. “They get after the passer. It’s a real skilled bunch, a talented bunch that’s really well-coached. They’ve got a lot of guys who are going to play there for their third year, so it gives them a little more confidence, a little more calm before kickoff.”

 

Gulf Coast has a few of those itself, including Kyle Bruce (So., Florence/Florence). He was recruited as a guard and started at tackle last year. This year, he’s moved to center, making him the ultimate swing lineman.

 

That will help him get to the next level, and his experience lends confidence to his calls and adjustments.

 

“Kyle’s been a workhorse here for the last two years,” Wright said. “We’re glad to have him back for his third year here. We’ve got high expectations for him. He’s a leader, and he’s a voice everybody listens to. He’s had a really good summer and camp, and I’m ready to see him get rewarded on the field with some solid play.”

 

Game #1

WHO: Northwest vs. MGCCC

WHEN: Thursday, Sept, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Bobby Franklin Field, Senatobia

WATCH: https://nwccrangers.com/watch

LISTEN ONLIN: https://livestream.com/mgcccbulldogs/events/9887556

LISTEN: SuperTalk 103.1 FM

 

The Series

Series record: Gulf Coast leads 25-21-2

First Meeting: 1929

Last Meeting: Oct. 14, 2021, Northwest 38, Gulf Coast 14

Notes: Gulf Coast has won 10 of the last 15 meetings, although Northwest has four wins in the previous five … Gulf Coast has five shutouts in its 24 wins, the last of which came in 1949 … Northwest has two shutouts in its 19 wins … Gulf Coast’s longest win streak in the series is eight games, the first eight meetings between the team (1929-1959), the first two against what was then Tate County Junior College … Northwest’s longest win streak is also eight games (1988-2001) … The biggest Gulf Coast win in the series was a 63-7 win in 2014, while the biggest Northwest win came in 2000 (79-34) … Gulf Coast has outscored Northwest 974-907 in the series.

 

Series History

Date                  Result

9/28/29              MGCCC 27, Tate County Junior College 0

9/26/30              MGCCC 7, Tate County Junior College 0

11/8/46              MGCCC 13, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 0

10/30/47            MGCCC 13, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 0

10/22/48            MGCCC 39, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 7

10/21/49            MGCCC 12, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 0

10/25/58            MGCCC 21, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 8

10/24/59            MGCCC 32, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 6

10/22/60            Northwest Mississippi Junior College 22, MGCCC 12

10/21/61            Northwest Mississippi Junior College 20, MGCCC 6

9/22/62              MGCCC 29, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 14

9/19/63              Northwest Mississippi Junior College 21, MGCCC 6

11/7/64              Northwest Mississippi Junior College 27, MGCCC 0

11/6/65              Northwest Mississippi Junior College 27, MGCCC 14

10/26/74            Northwest Mississippi Junior College 13, MGCCC 6

10/25/75            MGCCC 18, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 6

10/9/76              Northwest Mississippi Junior College 10, MGCCC 0

9/29/77              MGCCC 7, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 7

9/4/80                MGCCC 33, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 17

9/5/81                MGCCC 7, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 6

11/6/82              Northwest Mississippi Junior College 3, MGCCC 2

11/20/82            MGCCC 7, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 7

11/5/83              MGCCC 28, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 20

11/9/85              MGCCC 17, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 13

11/15/86            MGCCC 14, Northwest Mississippi Junior College 13

9/15/88              Northwest Mississippi Community College 35, MGCCC 20

9/16/89              Northwest Mississippi Community College 21, MGCCC 17

9/29/90              Northwest Mississippi Community College 38, MGCCC 13

9/26/91              Northwest Mississippi Community College 56, MGCCC 14

9/1/94                Northwest Mississippi Community College 38, MGCCC 21

8/31/95              Northwest Mississippi Community College 44, MGCCC 16

9/16/00              Northwest Mississippi Community College 79, MGCCC 34

9/13/01              Northwest Mississippi Community College 21, MGCCC 13

10/14/06            MGCCC 31, Northwest Mississippi Community College 10

10/11/07            MGCCC 27, Northwest Mississippi Community College 20

11/3/07              MGCCC 31, Northwest Mississippi Community College 6

8/28/08              MGCCC 39, Northwest Mississippi Community College 14

11/1/08              MGCCC 42, Northwest Mississippi Community College 6

8/27/09              Northwest Mississippi Community College 30, MGCCC 25

11/6/10              MGCCC 52, Northwest Mississippi Community College 24

11/5/11              MGCCC 20, Northwest Mississippi Community College 17

11/3/12              MGCCC 43, Northwest Mississippi Community College 17

9/4/14                MGCCC 63, Northwest Mississippi Community College 7

9/3/15                Northwest Mississippi Community College 26, MGCCC 10

11/7/15              Northwest Mississippi Community College 34, MGCCC 24

11/9/19              MGCCC 22, Northwest Mississippi Community College 19

12/5/20              Northwest Mississippi Community College 40, MGCCC 13

10/14/21            Northwest Mississippi Community College 38, MGCCC 14

 

For more information on MGCCC’s 11 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.