Skip To Main Content

Southwest Mississippi Community College

Scoreboard

Tyler Shell
Ricky Styron/Jucoweekly.org

Football Michael D. Gunnell, Southwest Sports Information

Bears to make home debut tonight against Jones County

The Southwest Bears make their 2015 home debut tonight, and begin MACJC South Division play, as they face the Bobcats of Jones County.
 
Jones County enters the contest 0-2 following last week's 21-20 loss at Itawamba while Southwest defeated Mississippi Delta, 20-13, in Moorhead last week to move to 1-1 on the season.
 
Southwest head coach Tucker Peavey is not fooled by the Bobcats' 0-2 mark. "They're a good football team," Peavey said, "and they've played two good teams (the Bobcats fell to Northwest in week one). So, I think that's part of the reason for their record."
 
"They're going to be hungry to win, there's no doubt about it," Peavey continued. "They're a talented team and we'll have to play our best to have a chance to win."
 
The Bobcats gave up 372 total yards to Itawamba with 251 of that coming via the passing game. But, Peavey said he had no plans to do try to do one more than the other against them. "We're going to have a plan to run and throw just like we always do," he said. "We try to take what the defense gives us." Referring to the Bobcat defense's performance last week and what the Bears will have to do against it this week, Peavey said, "Itawamba's very talented in the passing game. They've got a really good quarterback and some really good receivers. You can see that's what they want to do with the football. We've just got to play better offensively and eliminate all the penalties to have a chance to finish drives."
 
Addressing the matter of penalties (the Bears were whistled for 118 yards on 13 penalties against Mississippi Delta), Peavey said, "We've made it a point of emphasis starting with Friday (to try and correct the unforced errors) and we'll do that every day this week. I think it's a matter of concentration for the most part. We've got to increase our intensity and maintain that level for three hours, four hours, however long it takes to play the game."
 
Southwest defensive coordinator Kelby Bowman said the Bobcats' record is no indicator of the team. "They are a 2-0 team," he said. "They lost a tight one to Itawamba and I expect them to come out and be ready to play football. Our preparation has to be the same week in and week out. We can't take the approach that this team is 0-2, that we're going to expect to win the game because that is definitely 100% not true."
 
Looking at the Bobcats' offense, Bowman said the Bears' defense "will have our hands full. They have a transfer running back who is a good football player who transferred from Alabama (De'Sherrious Flowers-6'1", 210-has 123 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries thus far) so I'm looking for him to get the football a lot." He also said Tevin Moore (5' 11", 205) is "very dangerous with the ball in his hands."
 
"Of course," Bowman continued, "they have the ability to throw the football. They have a transfer, Thad Miller (6' 1", 215), from Gulf Coast. He's a smart kid, very poised (who) can throw the football very well." Miller has completed 40 of 66 passes for 374 yards. He has been intercepted three times.
 
"So, we're going to have our hands full," Bowman conclude. "They'll be balanced."
 
The game is set for a 7:00 kickoff tonight in Southwest's John I. Hurst Stadium. It can be heard on the radio on WAKH 105.7 FM (K106) as well as on the internet at southwestbearathletics.com and k106.net and on smart phones by downloading the k106 app.
 
Print Friendly Version