No. 1-ranked EMCC Lions welcome third-ranked Copiah-Lincoln to Scooba for Thursday showdown of MACJC powers

SCOOBA – The top-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College are set to open their 2014 home football slate in style, as the reigning NJCAA national champions will entertain No. 3 Copiah-Lincoln Community College Thursday evening on the Scooba campus.  The early-season matchup pitting No. 1 EMCC with No. 3 Co-Lin is slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff at EMCC's Sullivan-Windham Field.

Already with major national ramifications, Thursday's MACJC gridiron showdown takes on added significance when considering that East Mississippi will be looking to avenge its lone home loss in 18 previous contests played at Sullivan-Windham Field since the school's new football facility opened prior to EMCC's 2011 national championship season.  In addition, the Lions' last-second, season-ending 47-46 home setback to Copiah-Lincoln during the semifinals of the 2012 MACJC State Playoffs also marks their most recent loss prior to EMCC's second national championship run in three years a season ago.

Winners of 33 of their last 35 contests dating back to the start of the 2011 campaign, including a current streak of 13 consecutive victories, seventh-year EMCC head football coach Buddy Stephens' current club kicked off the 2014 campaign with a 52-14 road triumph over Southwest Mississippi last Thursday in Summit.  In compiling 635 yards of total offense (393 passing & 242 rushing) a week ago against the Bears, the 52 points recorded by the Lions marked the 21^st time they have reached the 50-point plateau over the past three-plus seasons.           

Offensively a week ago at Southwest Mississippi, Clemson University transfer quarterback Chad Kelly threw for 355 yards and four touchdowns on 31-of-38 passing during his EMCC playing debut.  The Buffalo, N.Y., native also picked up 30 rushing yards and a score on the ground.  The Lions' rushing attack was led by DJ Law, out of Haines City, Fla., with a game-high 93 yards on 14 carries.  With a dozen different receivers hauling in passes during last week's opener, Hattiesburg product Brandon Acker earned game honors with 10 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. 

Defensively against SMCC, the Lions registered eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including five sacks, while intercepting two passes.  Individually, LSU transfer Lorenzo Phillips (Port Sulphur, La.) had three sacks for 23 yards along with a forced fumble and quarterback hurry.  Sophomore safety Deshadrick Truly, of Charleston, was credited with seven total tackles and a pair of pass breakups, while Hazlehurst's Demetrius Cain collected his fourth career collegiate interception by returning a pick 21 yards for a touchdown.    

Guided by 11^th-year head football coach Glenn Davis, the Wolfpack of Copiah-Lincoln also claimed its season opener with a 37-13 home triumph over Itawamba a week ago in Wesson.  Last season after claiming the MACJC state championship the year prior, Co-Lin notched its fifth consecutive winning record with a 7-2 overall mark and No. 11 final NJCAA ranking.

During the Stephens era of EMCC football, the Lions are 2-2 versus Copiah-Lincoln with both wins coming in the regular season during his first two seasons at the East Mississippi helm and both losses coming during postseason play.  EMCC's 2010 campaign also came to an end at the hands of the Wolfpack by virtue of a 48-21 setback in Wesson during the semifinals of the MACJC State Playoffs.  Previously during the 2008 and 2009 season openers, the Lions posted winning scores of 28-9 and 27-13 in Scooba and Wesson, respectively.

Dating back to the 2008 season, Stephens' EMCC Lions are 17-7 against nationally ranked teams, including a 10-3 mark versus top 10 foes, 10-1 against top five opposition and unbeaten in five previous gridiron encounters with opponents ranked among the top three nationally.  Third-ranked Co-Lin will mark the highest ranked team to visit Sullivan-Windham Field since the 2011 EMCC Lions christened their new stadium with a 34-30 season-opening win over then-No. 2 Mississippi Gulf Coast en route to capturing the school's first-ever NJCAA national championship.                  

Again this season, EMCC's football games will be broadcast live by WFCA-FM (107.9), out of French Camp, with Jason Crowder and Glen Beard set to describe the play-by-play action and John Lyle Briggs serving as the Lions' sideline reporter.  EMCC's 2014 football radio broadcasts are also slated to be carried live by SuperTalk Mississippi (WZKR-FM 103.3) and WMOX-AM (1010) out of Meridian. 

Throughout the season, EMCC's weekly live video-streamed football broadcasts (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/emcc-football) will be available in HD by accessing EMCC's athletics website, www.EMCCAthletics.com.  An alternate audio stream of the radio broadcast will also be available at www.wfcafm108.com.