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The Mississippi College football team will hit the road after their bye week to face #24 Valdosta State University on Saturday afternoon at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:00 pm (Central), 2:00 pm (Eastern) in Valdosta, Ga.
You can LISTEN LIVE to Choctaw Football on WHJT Star 93.5 FM with the pre-game show starting 30 minutes prior to kick-off. Reid Vance, Zach Evans and Mary Beth Hughes will be on the call.
The Choctaws (2-3, 0-2 GSC) and the Blazers (3-2, 0-2 GSC) have met 15 previous times with MC holding an 8-6-1 edge in the series. The teams have not played in Georgia since November 4, 1995 when VSU picked up a 42-16 win. The Blazers came to Clinton last season and spoiled MC’s “Homecoming” with a 62-0 win at Robinson-Hale Stadium.
Senior Tyler Poe nailed three field goals (27, 39, 35) in MC’s last game against Shorter on October 3rd, but the Hawks picked up a 42-23 win. The Blazers have dropped two straight Gulf South Conference games after starting the year 3-0 and ranking as high as #9 in the country. Last time out, #2 West Georgia scored 31 unanswered points to pick up a 49-28 win over VSU.
The MC offense is led by sophomore quarterback Kyle Smith, who has rushed for 320 yards and two touchdowns, while passing for 350 yards and five scores. Senior running back Chris Ingram has rushed for 254 yards, including a touchdown against Shorter.
Defensively, junior Reggie Bennett leads the team with 27 tackles and tallied his 5th career interception against Shorter. Freshman Mike Hall has posted 25 tackles with 2.0 tackles for loss, while senior Seth McDonald has 22 tackles with a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
The Blazers are led offensively by running backs Cedric O’Neal and Austin Scott, who combine to average 102.8 yards per game with seven touchdowns. Defensively, Sharmaine Washington leads the team with 39 tackles, while Eqim Etta-Tawo has a team-high 5.0 tackles for loss with 3.0 sacks.
The Choctaws will be back in Clinton for “Homecoming” on October 24th when they will host Florida Tech at 3:00 p.m. The Blazers will turn around and play Thursday, October 22nd against Shorter.