JASON CLARK/EMCC
SCOOBA — After falling behind for the first time all night in the fourth quarter, No. 10 Mississippi Gulf Coast rallied for two late touchdowns to beat No. 2 East Mississippi on its homefield late Thursday night. The Bulldogs headed south with a 34-28 win following the dramatic ending
The Bulldogs put together an 11-play, 72-yard touchdown drive to tie the game, then the defense stiffened before a blocked punt set up a short drive for the winning points.
Coach Jack Wright wondered if his young team had the moxie to go on the road and beat the Lions in the season’s first game.
“I couldn’t be more pleased,” he said. “I’ve been coaching junior college for a long time. One of the toughest things is to get freshmen, kids who played high school last year, to get them to play at this level.”
There were big plays in all three phases by an array of playmakers. Four different receivers scored, the backup quarterback turned a bobbled field-goal snap into a critical first down, and the Regulators forced turnovers in key moments.
The Bulldogs took touchdown leads on three separate occasions, but EMCC tied it up each time. The Lions took the lead with 9:34 to play after an 84-yard drive.
Landon Varnes (Fr., Brandon/Brandon) threw his four touchdown pass of the night 11 plays later to cap a 72-yard drive to tie it up with 5:41 left. He finished 21-of-32 for 233 yards, the four touchdowns and no interceptions.
“It really wasn’t fair to be thrown into this environment for his first game,” Wright said. “He did incredibly well, considering everything.”
East Mississippi got one first down on the next drive, the Bulldogs forced a punt. A high snap provided the opportunity to pressure the punter, and after the melee, Zack Evans (Fr., Vicksburg/Warren Central) recovered at the Lions 14.
Four plays later, Varnes scored from 1 yard out on a Tush Push. The Bulldogs missed the extra point, but the Regulators made it stand up by stopping EMCC on four plays.
“It’s a great accomplishment, especially because they beat us last year in the playoffs,” said defensive back Marcus Washington, who had 10 tackles. The key was to play our roles and trust the offense.”
Washington, a sophomore from D’Iberville, tied for the team lead in tackles with Taurean Davis (Fr., Quitman County/DeSoto Central). The Bulldogs had four tackles for loss, and Javen Gibson (So., Church Point La./Church Point) hurried the quarterback three times. Laynce Henderson (Fr., Olive Branch/Center Hill) also recovered a fumble.
The offense generated enough yardage to take those first three leads, but they didn’t run the ball well until the second half. The Bulldogs finished with 141 yards on the ground but got outgained overall 412-374.
Down the stretch, though, they were able to move it when they needed to.
“It’s awesome to come in here with everything against us against the No. 2 team in the nation,” offensive lineman Ryan Pascal said. “To be able to run the ball like we wanted to, right down their throat, especially at the end of the game, was great, and be able to put it in on the game-winning drive.”
Trey Hall (So., Vicksburg/Warren Central) ran 20 times for 90 yards. Tyler Henderson (Fr., Vicksburg/Vicksburg), JP Coulter (So., Ocean Springs/Ocean Springs), Mason Beverly (Fr., Purvis/Purvis) and Lester Miller (So., Brandon/Brandon) had touchdown receptions.
“Their defensive front is extremely talented,” Wright said. “We figured that out early in the game. It was tough to run the football. We wanted to run the ball more and be more efficient. We had to wear them down.”
One of the biggest plays of the night came on a field goal that nearly went awry. Peyton Floyd (Fr., Trussville, Ala./Hewitt-Trussville), the backup quarterback who serves as holder, ran for 10 yards to pick up a first down with the game tied at 14. One play later, Varnes found Beverly wide open for a 9-yard score.
The Bulldogs will have to hit the road again next week against another North Division foe. Gulf Coast will head to Mississippi Delta for a 7 p.m. kickoff in Clarksdale, and it will need to put the opening win in perspective to take the next step.
“There’s a few teams who are always really good, and East is the headliner,” Wright said. “It’s an important win, a big win. It gives our kids confidence, but it’s one win. We have a long season, and these kids can’t have a letdown or think we’ve made it. That’s the challenge for them and us as coaches.”
For more information on MGCCC’s 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.
This post originally posted at https://www.mgcccbulldogs.com/landing/index by MGCCC Athletics
