TEAMS: Navarro Bulldogs (0-2/0-1) at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (0-2/0-1)

 

KICKOFF: 11 a.m.

 

VENUE: Red Robertson Field, Miami, Ok.

 

WEATHER: Morning showers may occur, but the day will turn partly sunny. Temperature at kickoff likely will be about 72 degrees, warming to a high of 80. West-to-northwest winds of 7 to 9 miles per hour are expected. Probability of rain is 60 percent.

 

THE SERIES: The teams will be meeting for the 41st time since 1977, when Navarro won the first Garland, Texas, JUCO Bowl over the Norsemen, 35-28 at Homer B. Johnson Stadium. NEO leads the series, 21-18-1, and has won five of the last seven games, but the Bulldogs won in 2022, 38-7.

 

LAST YEAR'S GAME: Navarro scored 21 third-period points and proceeded to blow out NEO, 38-7. Quarterback Dane Jentsch accounted for 147 yards, ran for one JUNIOR touchdown and passed 21 yards to Eli Martinez for a second. Running back T.J. Snowden gained a team-high 129 yards and scored another touchdown.

 

THE COACHES: NEO's Zach Crissup is in his fourth season as head coach. Crissup, who played at Oklahoma State, served as a defensive assistant at NEO seven seasons (two as defensive coordinator) before promotion. Navarro's Ryan Taylor is in his second year at Navarro and fourth as a junior college head coach. Taylor, a former offensive lineman at UCLA, previously served as head coach at Cisco.

 

KEY NEO STATS: Scoreless after their first eight quarters of play, the Norsemen are averaging 68 yards offense (25 rushing and 43 passing) in losses to Independence, Ks., and Kilgore. NEO is yielding 46 points and 345.5 yards. So far, NEO's rushing defense (129 yards) trends stronger than its work against the pass (216.5 yards). Where have James Wilder and Jeremy Shockey gone?

 

WEIRD NEO STATS: According to NJCAA statistics Wednesday….(1) NEO is 28-of-30 passing for 86 yards and 5 interceptions. Only one of its 10 total first downs has been achieved via passing. (2) The Norsemen have rushed 52 times for 50 yards this season.

 

MORE WEIRD: Opponents combined to score 92 points against Navarro and NEO in their first two games.

 

KEY NAVARRO STATS: The Bulldogs average 18 points and 326 yards, evenly split (162 rushing and 164 passing). Navarro's defense against two Top-10 opponents yielded an average of 413 yards, with a slight edge against the rush (188 yards). Nine receivers have caught 32 passes, but none for scores yet.

 

LAST WEEK'S CONFERENCE OPENERS: In its 50-30 loss to NMMI, Navarro's offensive consistency was stung by seven turnovers – five interceptions and two lost fumbles, NC got a ground-game boost from Clay Thevenin, who rushed 29-169-1 and commanded a 10 offensive-play advantage (74-64). Return specialist Tim Burns added 195 yards from two kickoffs and two punts. Burns' 57-yard punt return with four minutes left stopped NMMI's run of 24 unanswered points. NMMI quarterback Kobe Muasau threw five touchdown passes – three to Treyvion Beamon (33, 17, 17). Meanwhile at Longview's Lobo Stadium with a running fourth-quarter clock, Kilgore wiped out NEO, 48-0. Norse QB Bryce Bodkin accounted for 77 yards (43 passing from 5-of-8, and 34 rushing).

 

NAVARRO STAT LEADERS: Offense -- QB Dane Jentsch 28-58-265 passing and 27-129-2 rushing; RB Clay Thevenin 40-192-1; WRs Bryam Spotwood (7-107), Braylon Finney (5-43), and D'Tyrian McCoy (5-23); PK Eric Acosta (10 points from 2-3 FGs and 4-4 Conversions). Defense – LBs Jordan Smith (18 tackles, 2 TFL); Eddy Toussom (10 tackles, 2 TFL); DBs Layne O'Dell (10 tackles) and Ty Marsh (9 tackles, 1 interception); JaCory Brown (4 tackles, 1 fumble, 1 interception)

 

SWJCFC WEEKEND: The league's premier matchup pair No. 3 Kilgore and No. 10 New Mexico Military at The Wool Bowl in Roswell, N.M., with a second feature occurring at Bruce Field in Athens, where fifth-ranked TVCC hosts No. 15 Tyler. One non-conference game is scheduled Friday at Cub Stadium in Brenham, where Blinn entertains TWA College of Austin. The other non-league game between Cisco and Monterrey Prep has been canceled.