Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward MageeNews.com a small commission – at no extra cost to you.
The Mississippi College football team will leave the “Magnolia State” for the first time since early September when they travel to Carrollton, Ga. to face the University of West Georgia on Saturday afternoon. Kick-off at University Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Central Time.
Saturday’s game will be available on Star 93.5 FM and theMC Portal by Stretch Internet with the pre-game show beginning at 12:30 p.m. Central Time. Live Stats will also be available for the contest.
This will be the 15th all-time meeting between the GSC schools with the Choctaws holding an 8-6 advantage in the series. MC won seven straight from 1986-92, but the Wolves have picked up five straight victories from 1993-2015.
Last season, the two teams played in a driving rain storm at Robinson-Hale Stadium and the game was tied 14-14 early in the second quarter following a 71-yard touchdown pass from Walker Meadows toMarcel Newson. The Wolves pulled away in the second half for a 38-21 victory.
The Choctaws are led by 3rd-year head coach John Bland, while the Wolves’ head man is Will Hall, who is in his 3rd season at the helm.
The Choctaws (2-5, 0-5 GSC) come into Saturday’s contest off a heartbreaking 42-41 loss to Valdosta State on “Homecoming” last week. MC grabbed a 41-35 lead with just over seven minutes remaining on a 73-yard punt return for a score by Newson, but the Blazers drove down the field for a game-winning score in the final minutes.
Newson (Coldwater, Miss.), who was named the GSC Special Teams Player of the Week, caught seven passes for 114 yards and a score against VSU. Last season against UWG, he caught eight balls for 134 yards and two scores. Newson currently leads the conference with over 173 all-purpose yards per game.
Senior quarterback Sharone Wright (Houston, Miss.) returns to the lineup this week after missing the Valdosta State game with an injury. The former defensive back is completing 61% of his passes for 1,046 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for 285 yards and two scores.
Senior running back Josh Dixon (Clinton, Miss.) had his biggest game of the season against VSU, rushing for 153 yards on 13 carries with a 51-yard touchdown sprint. He leads the team with 337 yards this season, averaging 7.8 yards per carry in 2016.
On the defensive side of the ball, junior Chris Manning (Section, Ala.) is the team’s leading tackler (54 tackles) and has picked off a pass in each of the last two games, including taking one back 27 yards for a score against West Florida two weeks ago.
Freshman Julian Charles (Shreveport, La.) had a big day against VSU, posting six tackles with 3.0 for loss and a sack. The rookie now leads the team with 6.0 TFL for 20 yards this season.
Junior placekicker Matt Brasher (Meadville, Miss.) is the team’s leading scorer in 2016 with 32 points, going 5-of-7 on field goals with 17 extra points made. Junior Matthew Turcotte (Philadelphia, Miss.) leads the GSC in punting average (40.5) and a league-long 66 yards punt against VSU.
The Wolves (4-3, 1-3 GSC) come into Saturday’s game on a three-game losing streak that has seen them drop out of the national polls after reaching #2 earlier in the season. Last week, UWG fell to West Alabama 31-7 in the ESPN3 GSC-TV Game of the Week.
Lemarcus Franks is the team’s leading rusher this season, averaging 78.9 yards per game with five rushing touchdowns in 2016. Devontae Jackson has also rushed for nearly 400 yards and two scores in seven games.
Louisville transfer Will Gardner has started all seven games for the Wolves, completing 48% of his passes for 1,417 yards and eight touchdowns. He has throw 13 interceptions on the year, as well.
Qa Walker is the team’s leading receiver with 31 catches for 445 yards and two touchdowns, while Deniko Carter has a team-high three scoring catches on 17 receptions for 316 yards.
Christopher Harthone is the team’s leading tackler (52 tackles), including 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Dylan Donahue has a team-high 14.0 TFL with 10.0 sacks in 2016.
Marcus Sayles and AJ Leggett each have a team-high three interceptions on the year, while Laronji Vason has a team-high 8.0 tackles per game.
Placekicker Hunter Heck is the team’s leading scorer with 37 points, going 9-of-13 on field goals with 10 extra points made. Jordan Ikner, a transfer from West Alabama, is averaging 40.3 yards per punt with 12 finishing inside the 20-yard line.
Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC is recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and will be competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.
The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field, Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu
.