By MIKE MONTFORT
JUNIOR COLLEGE BOWL GAMEDAY
The TIPS-C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart Of Texas Bowl
Noon, CST, Saturday, December 2
Memorial Stadium, Commerce, Tx
(6) Copiah-Lincoln Wolves (9-2) v. (10) Navarro (6-4)
WEATHER: Mostly sunny skies with less than a 10 percent chance of precipitation are forecast. Temperature at kickoff will be about 58 degrees, on its way to an afternoon high of 66. South-southwest winds at 8 mph may include gusts to 13 mph during the afternoon. Humidity: 60 percent. Dewpoint: 48.
LIVESTREAM: Texas A&M-Commerce will produce the livestream game on YouTube. Live Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66f6RX0LuM8
MEETING: Copiah-Lincoln and Navarro will be meeting for the first time.
BOWL APPEARANCES: Copiah-Lincoln, winner of 10 MACCC titles, is 2-1 in post-season bowls. The Wolves defeated Nassau CC, NY, 18-17, in the 1985 East Bowl and beat Georgia Military in the 2006 Golden Isles Bowl at Brunswick, Ga. In its last bowl appearance, Co-Lin lost 31-29 to Garden City CC, Ks., in the 2012 Mississippi Bowl at Biloxi….. Navarro (13-7-1) is making its 22nd appearance. The Bulldogs had won six straight through 2013, but dropped games to host Kansas teams in the last two. In 2021, Navarro suffered a 53-34 loss to host Garden City in The Scooter's Coffee Bowl, and in 2018, NC dropped a 35-6 decision to Hutchinson in the Salt City Bowl.
BULLDOGS V. MISSISSIPPI: Navarro meets a Mississippi opponent for the sixth time in bowl history. The Bulldogs are 3-1-1. Navarro split Hospitality Bowls in 1962 (3-0 Win) and 1966 (21-7 Loss) with Perkinston, Ms., (now known as Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. In 1990, coach Bob McElroy's Bulldogs tied Jones County Junior College 20-20 at the JUCO Shrine Bowl at Tyler. In 2007 at The Heart Of Texas Bowl in Copperas Cove, Navarro defeated MGCCC, 37-26. The 'Dawgs' last encounter was a 34-27 Brazos Valley Bowl victory over Hinds CC at Merrill Green Stadium in Bryan
FEW BOWLS: There are only two other NJCAA-sanctioned bowl games scheduled this weekend. Friday, NMMI will host Dodge City in the Xcel Energy Wool Bowl at Roswell, NM. On Sunday afternoon, Snow plays Iowa Central in The Graphic Edge Bowl at The UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Ia.
ABOUT COPIAH-LINCOLN: Coach Glenn Davis' South Division Champion Wolves, ranked as high as No. 4 in NJCAA Polls this season. The Wolves are targeting their second 10-win season in program history and the first in Davis' 20-year tenure. This season marked the fourth nine-win campaign on Davis' watch at Co-Lin. The Wolves saw a seven-game winning streak end with a 27-20 MACCC Championship loss to North Division winner East Mississippi at Scooba.
WOLFING DOWN STATS: Co-Lin averages 29.1 points plus 350 yards achieved in balance. The Wolves rush 48 percent of the time and average 166.5 on the ground featuring running back Johnnie Daniels; the other 52 percent and 183.5 passing feature quarterback DeVon Tott and a pair of 37-catch receivers in Carlos Martin and Jaylen Smith. Co-Lin's offense surpassed the 400-yard mark four times, with a high 473
DANCING WITH WOLVES: Co-Lin's defense yields 18.5 points and 295.8 yards, highlighting defensive backs Jahron Manning and Kaden Dukes, linebacker Malachi Williams and lineman Billy Pullen of Kaufman, Tx. While posting a shutout over Hinds in their regular-season finale, the Wolves surrendered only 125 yards.
KEY PERSONNEL: Sophomore QB DeVon Tott (158-272-1768-10-5 passing, plus 67-190-4 rushing. …Sophomore RB Johnnie Daniels (168-1196-14, plus 22-205-2 receiving. Daniels leads the NJCAA in rushing touchdowns, ranks second in rushing yardage and has a team-high 1401 all-purpose yards…..Sophomore WRs Carlos Martin (37-419-1) and Jaylen Smith (37-480-3)….. Freshman DB Jahron Manning (68 tackles / 6.2 per game)….Sophomore DB Kaden Dukes and freshman LB Malachi Williams (3 interceptions)….Sophomore DL Billy Pullen has team-highs in sacks (12.5) and TFLs (17)…..Sophomore K/P Brandon Gilliam leads the NJCAA in points (82) with 16-of-23 FGs and 34-of-35 conversions. Gilliam averages 33 yards punting from 42 attempts, with 17 fair-catches and 14 planted inside opponents' 20-yard-lines.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS: Coach Ryan Taylor's 10th-ranked Bulldogs are looking for their fourth Heart Of Texas Bowl win, first at Commerce, and their first seven-win season since 2015. A 14th all-time bowl win not only would break a two-game losing streak, but give the program its 499th all-time victory.
NAVARRO NUMBERS: Navarro averages 30.8 points and 381.8 yards. The Bulldogs rush/pass ratio is 42/58 percent. NC allows 27.4 points and 361.3 (142.2 rushing and 219.1 passing)
GREAT DANE LEADS BULLDOGS: Sophomore QB Dane Jentsch became Navarro's fifth career 4,000-yard passer last week, and the team's rushing leader needs 102 yards to reach the 1,000-yard career mark. This season, All-SWJCFC Honorable Mention Jentsch is 164-…..2082-13-13 passing with 128-620-10 rushing….Freshman RB-WR D'Tyrian McCoy totaled 141 rushing yards last week and has 74-456-5…..Team-leading WRs Bryan Spotwood (44-637-3) and Braylon Finney (36-467-5) are top targets, but Jaxxon Warren and Shawn Brown have performed well down the stretch….Navarro's defense has accounted for five touchdowns and 32 points this season, with 68 TFLs, 28 sacks, eight forced fumbles, seven recoveries, seven interceptions and five blocked kicks….Sophomore LB Jordan Smith leads in per-game tackles and total stops with eight and 80 respectively….LB Eddy Toussom leads the team in sacks (8) and tackles for loss (15)….DB Jakelyn Morgan has two interception returns for scores….
