CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College football team will play their first Gulf South Conference home game of the season when they host rival West Alabama on Saturday night. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Robinson-Hale Stadium.

The Choctaws (1-1, 0-1 GSC) opened the season with a home victory over Point University on September 3rd, pulling out a 28-16 win. Last week, MC fell to nationally-ranked Florida Tech on the road, 41-0.

The Tigers (0-2, 0-0 GSC) have had two close losses to open the season, falling to North Greenville in the opening week, 24-23, before having a last-second throw to the end zone fall incomplete in a 30-24 loss at Division I-FCS Stephen F. Austin.

This will be the 43rd all-time meeting between two of the original members of the GSC. West Alabama holds a 21-19-2 edge in the series with MC's last win coming in 1996 with a 30-7 victory in Clinton.

Last season, the two teams played in a constant downpour in Livingston with the Choctaws taking a 13-7 lead into the fourth quarter. The Tigers would take the lead with a touchdown, but MC would have a couple potential game-winning drives come up just short in the final minutes.

The Choctaws are led by 3rd-year head coach John Bland, who holds a 79-44 all-time record in his 12th season as a head coach at Southern Arkansas, Cumberlands (KY) and MC.

The Tigers are led by 3rd-year head coach Brett Gilliland, who has a 12-12 record returning to his alma mater.

Senior Sharone Wright leads the MC offense from the quarterback position, completing 65% of his passes for 292 yards, while also rushing for 66 yards in two games.

Senior Marcel Newson is the team's outside threat, catching 10 passes for 99 yards in the early-going.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior JaQarius Scott is tied for the team lead with 10 tackles, also posting 2.0 tackles for loss. Juniors Chris Manning and Trey Harris join sophomore Josh Schweiger with a team-high 10 stops.

The Tigers are led by quarterback Austin Grammer, who has passed for 460 yards and two touchdowns over the first two games.

Donta Armstrong and Christian Patterson have combined for 31 receptions and 368 yards, while Lakenderic Thomas has a team-high 166 rushing yards.

On defense, Jordan Jones has a team-high 15 tackles, while Darius Ellis leads the way with 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.

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
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