No. 9 Bulldogs head north seeking return to form

PERKINSTON — No. 9 Mississippi Gulf Coast will try to get back to its winning ways Thursday after a long trip to Clarksdale.

The Bulldogs, who fell five spots in the national rankings after last week's loss to now-No. 7 Copiah-Lincoln, play Coahoma at James E. Miller Stadium at 6:30 p.m. Gulf Coast dug a 20-point first-quarter hole against the Wolves and nearly rallied to win, coming up just short when a last-minute two-point conversion failed. 

"The thing that I learned is we have a bunch of really, really high-character players," Gulf Coast coach Jack Wright said. "We have a bunch of guys who are not going to stop playing as hard as they can. That makes me extremely happy."

This week's game can be watched at https://coahomasports.com/watch/ or heard at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch or SuperTalk 103.1 FM.

Gulf Coast took an extra day off Sunday, trying to let the late-season bumps and bruises heal. The grind of the MACCC, and the South Division in particular, adds up.

"It was a tough two-game stretch after the bye week, playing against East Central and Co-Lin, two physical teams," Wright said. "So we just need to continue to rest when we have the opportunity and try to come back from some of our minor injuries."

The Bulldogs still have everything to play for. If they win their last two games, including a regular-season finale at Hinds next week, they'll make the MACCC playoffs. Win two games there, and it's a conference championship and a likely berth in the national playoffs. 

Gulf Coast is tied for the conference lead at 37.4 points per game. The Bulldogs are first in total offense (480.0 yards per game). That kind of success starts up front, and Ole Miss-bounceback Lane Hewett (So., Ocean Springs/St. Martin) is a big contributor there. 

"Lane has fought through some minor injuries this year," Wright said. "He's been a very effective center and had a lot of key blocks in the running game. He makes all of our calls in pass protection and has a good relationship with Landon (Varnes). They're on the same page. So Lane's just had a fantastic year. And we need him for this final push to the season to be really good."

Game #8

Who: Gulf Coast (6-1) vs. Coahoma (0-7)

When: Thursday, Oct. 23, 6:30 p.m.

Where: James E. Miller Stadium, Clarksdale

Listen: https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch or SuperTalk 103.1 FM

Watch: https://coahomasports.com/watch/

The Series

Series Record: 25^th meeting, Gulf Coast leads 22-2

First Meeting: 1975

Last Meeting: Oct. 26, 2024, Gulf Coast 63, Coahoma 0

Notes: Gulf Coast has won six straight dating back to 2011 … Gulf Coast is averaging 51 points in that streak, Coahoma 9.2 … Gulf Coast has 10 shutouts in the series, the last of which came in 2024 … Coahoma has not recorded a shutout … Gulf Coast's longest win streak is nine games (1991-2009) … Coahoma hasn't won consecutive games … The biggest Gulf Coast win was 63-0 on Oct. 26, 2024 … Coahoma's only win was 2010, when the Tigers won 34-31 … The 1990 game was counted as a loss for both teams because both used ineligible players.

For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.