The schedule does not get any easier for the Southwest Bears tonight as they return home to host the Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs.
 
Gulf Coast, ranked 8^th in the latest NJCAA poll, enters the game at 4-1overall and undefeated in MACJC South Division play at 3-0. They were 37-37 winners over Jones County last week. The Bears come to the game at 2-3 and 1-2 after last week's 31-27 win at Pearl River.
 
Bears' third-year head man Tucker Peavey said the Bulldogs have a "very sound defense. They give you a lot of looks because they're based out of the ¾. So, when you have four linebackers around the ball, they can get in a lot of different places. They're big and athletic and have the freedom to play man coverage and blitz when they want to and that allows them to do a lot of different things."
 
The Bulldogs come to town allowing 246 passing yards and only 105 rushing yards per contest. Asked if he'll focus more on the passing game or also try run and force the visitors to stop them, Peavey replied, "Running the ball's where we have to start. We've got an inexperienced quarterback who's learning and getting better every time he goes out there. So, we'll have a plan just like we always do (to) run and pass and hopefully we can move the chains, whatever it takes, and get the ball to the end zone."
 
What will it take for the Bears to come out on top Thursday night? Peavey said "We'll have to put together long drives and, when I say long drives, I mean it may take 10-12 plays to score and don't turn the ball over and don't make the mistakes that get us behind the chains."
 
Gulf Coast has a fairly balanced offensive attack, averaging 143 yards passing and 192 rushing yards per game. "It doesn't surprise me that they're balanced," said Bears' defensive coordinator Kelby Bowman, "but, I think they're more of a run team. They've got some big offensive linemen who do a great job blocking. This week we're going to have to tighten up everything and make sure we can stop the run or at least maintain the run."
 
Despite the focus on the Gulf Coast running game, Bowman said the Bears will still have "to make sure we have the right personnel for each situation. They do things that you don't normally see-sometimes it can be third and long and they'll still run the ball. So, we have to make sure we stop the run first and then we have to make sure we maintain the pass."
 
The game is set for a 7:00 kickoff at John I. Hurst Stadium. It can be heard on the radio on WAKH 105.7FM (K106), on the internet at southwestbearathlteics.com and k106.net and on smart phones (download the k106 app).
As part of the night, Southwest will participate in Coach to Cure MD in an effort to help raise awareness and money to fund research for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most prolific genetic disorder of childhood.