Scooba, Miss. - The Northeast Mississippi Community College football program will begin the conference portion of its schedule away from its home base for a second consecutive season.
The Tigers travel to East Mississippi Community College on Thursday, September 15 for the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division opener for both teams. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Sullivan-Windham Field.
Those that cannot go on the road with Northeast can watch the matchup live and in high definition on NEMCCTV. Tune in starting at 6:30 p.m. for the pregame show by visiting www.nemcctv.com on any computer, smartphone or tablet.
The Northeast Broadcasting Network also includes Booneville based radio station WBIP. An audio simulcast featuring Jody Presley and Carter Smith, the Voices of the Tigers, can be heard on 99.7 FM and AM 1400 on your digital dial.
Search and follow @NEMCCTigers on Twitter for live in-game updates and interact during the contest by using the hashtag #TigerPower across all social media platforms.
It is the first meeting of the year for Northeast against a ranked opponent. The Lions (1-1) currently sit at No. 14 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) poll.
The Tigers (2-0) are off to their best start since the 2011 campaign and are receiving votes in the JCGridiron Dirty 30 rankings, which also includes non-NJCAA members along the Pacific coast.
Head coach Greg Davis notes that one of the keys for Northeast this week is limiting mistakes. The Tigers have committed a total of 13 turnovers in their last three outings against East Mississippi.
"Once they get that turnover, that's when the game gets out of control," said Davis. "The bottom line is take care of the ball and minimize their possessions. It makes the whole thing different."
Northeast has been efficient on offense at this point of the year. The Tigers are among the 10 best teams in the country in first downs per game at 25, fourth down conversions with five and red zone scores with seven.
Mason Cunningham of Shelbyville, Tenn., directs Northeast from the quarterback position. The reigning MACJC Offensive Player of the Week leads the conference in completions with 44 and yards at 445.
Water Valley's L.J. Hawkins has become one of the elite receivers in the entire country. He is averaging nearly 100 yards per game and is tied for fifth in the NJCAA with 17 catches for the Tigers.
Sevier County (Tenn.) High School graduate Dorian Banks guides Northeast's rushers with 34 carries for 143 yards. Oxford native Kenzie Phillips has accounted for a pair of touchdowns on the ground as well.
Linebackers Demarcus Rogers of Tupelo and Brenden Williams from Birmingham, Ala., top the Tigers with 21 tackles apiece. Williams has the most solo stops with 11 while Rogers is in a stalemate with Meridian's Takari Brooks for a team-high in tackles for loss at 1.5.
The Lions operate in a two-quarterback system with Vijay Miller and Florida State University transfer De'Andre Johnson. The duo has combined to throw for 541 yards and seven touchdowns compared to one interception.
Thirteen different East Mississippi athletes have caught a pass from either Johnson or Miller. Calvin Keys, Jr., is the biggest target with nine receptions while Raphael Leonard has 122 yards and three scores.
The Lions have five double-digit tacklers, including Dakota Allen who has a team-best 26 takedowns. East Mississippi has forced seven turnovers through two contests so far this season.
The Tigers and the Lions are very similar statistically. East Mississippi has the edge in yards per game with 405.5 compared to Northeast's 378.5 while both squads give up fewer than 18 points each matchup.
"Our kids are competitors and we like that," Davis said. "We're really pleased with the way things have gone. They've responded well in times of adversity. We've got good chemistry so we'll see how it goes."
It is the third time in the last four campaigns for these two institutions to play their annual contest on the gridiron in Scooba. The Lions are ahead in the all-time series that dates back to 1951 by a 37-18 margin.