JUNIOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMEDAY

Week 2

OPPONENTS: New Mexico Military Institute (1-1) at Navarro (0-1)

VENUE: CNB&T Stadium, Corsicana

GAMEDAY WEATHER: Heat indices between 105 and 110 degrees are expected Saturday afternoon. Afternoon high temperatures of 101
degrees may be accompanied by 49 percent humidity, partial clouds and a possible thunderstorm. East-northeast winds at 7 mph are expected during the clear evening hours.

KICKOFF: 7 pm CST / 6 pm MST

LIVESTREAM: Fans may view the game live exclusively at Navarro Sports Live on YouTube with Scott Batts and Michael Busby on the call. Pre-game begins around 6:45 pm

ONLINE TICKETS: Purchase tickets online to Navarro Athletic events through Home Town Ticketing. Go to navarrobulldogs.com, access 'Fan Zone.' and click on 'Purchase Box Tickets' Or, use the QR Code that is posted in a 'Buy Tickets' thread here on Facebook,

SWJCFC OPENER: The teams will be playing their first conference games of the season.

HONORING THE MILITARY: Free admission for all active and former military members and their families Saturday on "Military Appreciation Day."

THE SERIES: NMMI and Navarro are meeting for the 16th time since the series began in 1967. Navarro leads the series 9-6, but the Broncos have won the last four games. NMMI won twice last season at Roswell -- 24-23 in the SWJCFC Semifinal and 40-35 in the second game of the 2022 season. The Broncos won the fall 2021 game 39-31 at Corsicana after taking the spring, 2021 game 56-38 at Wigwam Field in Seminole, Tx. ). The teams played their first 13 games at seven different venues. Before the programs became conference colleagues in 2016, they've opposed one another in two bowl games – the 1980 Wool Bowl won 14-12 by NMMI, and the 2011 Heart Of Texas Bowl won 40-24 by Navarro at Copperas Cove, Tx. In 2019, the Bulldogs won the SWJCFC Championship over NMMI in a 36-35 thriller at Tiger Stadium.

ANYTIME, ANYWHERE: The seven different game sites? Tiger Field, in Corsicana (1967); Colt Field in Roswell (1968, 2006, 2017); The Wool Bowl in Roswell (1980, 2019-1st); Tiger Stadium in Corsicana (2016, 2018, 2019-2nd); Midlothian ISD Stadium (2007); Bulldawg Stadium in Copperas Cove (2011); Wigwam Stadium in Seminole, Tx (2021).

THE COACHES: Kurt Taufa'asau is in his third season as NMMI's head coach. The native of American Samoa played at NMMI in 2009 and returned to the Institute in 2016 as its defensive line coach. In 2019, he was promoted to defensive coordinator. As head coach, he's compiled a 22-5 record while keading the Broncos to the 2021 NJCAA Championship and the 2022 Wool Bpwl.

Ryan Taylor is in his second at Navarro and fourth in the SWJCFC. The first head-coaching loss on Taufa'asau's career mark was administered at Roswell by Taylor, who guided Cisco to a 38-19 win over the then fifth-ranked Broncos. Taylor, who guided Cisco to its first unbeaten conference championship in spring, 2021, has a 17-10 head coaching record.

THE RANKINGS: NMMI is No. 14 and Navarro is No. 15 in the latest NJCAA Division I Top 15 Football Poll for the second straight week.

LAST WEEK: NMMI -- Kobe Muasau once again showed his poise under pressure, but a late interception and the lack of an effective rushing attack derailed the Broncos opportunity for a top-10 win on the road Saturday, as NMMI fell to the Snow College Badgers 27-13. The Broncos managed 33 net rushing on 23 attempts, while gaining only two first downs on the ground. It was a tale of two halves for the Institute defense, which allowed 121 yards and six points in the first two quarters but faded as the game progressed because the Bronco offense failed to sustain drives. NAVARRO – The Bulldogs spent a week in the lab after their 42-6 season-openin loss to Hutchinson. NC managed only 229 yards offense with two 31-yard Eric Acosta field goals, but couldn't find an swer for the Blue Dragons' Tre Richardson, who amassed 268 all-purpose yards and scored touchdowns three ways (32-yard rush, 56-yard pass and a 92-yard kickoff return).

INDIVIDUAL STATS: NMMI – Sophomore QB Koby Muasau (35-47-406-7-2) leads the NJCAA in touchdown passes and completion rate (74 percent). He ranks second in completions, third in yardage, fifth in attempts. Muasau's top receivers include Treyvin Beamon (13-160-5), Noah Armilo (10-109), Andre Hall (5-102-1) among 12 targets. The Broncos likely will count on Montajh Joseph (16-81-0) and Zahir Favors (10-65-0) as groundgainers. PK Joseph Newton-Grain has 14 points from a 43-yard field goal plus 11 conversions. Top defenders include DB Churchill Williams (6.5 PG), DLs Damon Mayberry and Joseph Washington (6 PG), and DB Rylan Ma'ae (5.5 PG) NAVARRO – QB Dane Jentsch (15-36-144-0-1 passing and 15-60-0 rushing) leads the Bulldogs. RB Clay Thevenin (11-23-0). WR D'Tyrian McCoy (5-28-0), Bryan Spotwood (3-56-0), and Jayden Jones (2-33-0)….Top defenders include LBs Jordan Smith (8 PG) and Eddy Toussom (7 PG), DL Kiran Curtis (5 PG), DB B.J. Jones (4 PG). Return specialist Tim Burns totaled 143 yards from 4 KO and 3 PR

OTHER SWJCFC OPENERS: Northeastern Oklahoma A&M v. Kilgore at Longview's Lobo Stadium; Blinn at Cisco. Two other non-conference matchups are scheduled: TVCC plays Friday at Air Force Prep in Colorado Springs, and Tyler journeys to Milledgeville, Ga., to play Georgia Military College on Saturday.

NEXT WEEK: Navarro at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Red Robertson Field, Miami, Ok., at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16.