PERKINSTON – The 5th-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs trailed 10th-ranked Jones College 20-13 midway through the fourth quarter.
 
The Bulldogs then put together touchdown drives of 80 and 96 yards in the final 5:59 to post a 27-20 victory over the Bobcats here Thursday night at A.L. May Memorial Stadium.
 
Jones falls to 2-1 overall, 0-1 in the MACCC South Division. MGCCC is now 3-0 and 1-0 in league play.
 
With the game tied 13-13 early in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs were driving for the go-ahead score.
 
But Zechariah Parodi (Scott Central) forced Trey Hall to fumble and JC's Jadan Aubert (Vacherie, La.) recovered in the end zone. Aubert brought the ball out of the end zone and somehow made it all the way down the visitor's sideline for a 100-yard fumble recovery return for a touchdown. Christian Baglione's (Northwest Rankin) extra point gave the Bobcats a 20-13 lead with 11:15 left in the fourth quarter.
 
But the Bulldogs responded with an 80-yard, 13-play drive. Quarterback Landon Varnes scored on a 1-yard plunge and Connor Mullins' conversion tied the game at 20-20 with 5:59 remaining.
 
The Bobcats would pick up just one first down on its next possession before being forced to punt. Bart Edmiston Jr.'s (Ocean Springs) kick went 45 yards and was downed at the MGCCC 4-yard line.
 
The Bulldogs then put together a 96-yard, 11-play march. Varnes connected with Mason Beverly on a 34-yard touchdown pass and Mullins' kick ended the scoring with 1:03 remaining.
 
MGCCC started the scoring when Varnes found Lester Miller for a 16-yard touchdown pass to end a 48-yard, four-play drive. Mullins' PAT made it 7-0 with 4:43 to play in the opening quarter.
 
Jones got on the board when Baglione kicked a 28-yard field goal to end a 59-yard, 10-play drive. That made it 7-3 with 4:02 to play in the first half.
 
The Bobcats would take the lead just before halftime when quarterback Brax Garrison (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Harrison Knight (Foley, Ala.). Baglione's extra point put Jones up 10-7 with just eight seconds left before halftime.
 
Jones stopped MGCCC's first possession of the second half when D.J. Cloyd (Columbia) intercepted a pass and returned it four yards to the Bulldog 21.
 
But the Bobcats could not move the ball and a 39-yard field goal attempt was wide left.
 
Aubert would then come up with another interception at the Bulldog 33. 
 
Five plays later, Baglione kicked a 36-yard field and the Bobcats led 13-7 with 7:32 left in the third quarter.
 
But the Bulldogs responded quickly when Hall rushed 67 yards for a touchdown on the next possession. That ended a 78-yard, three-play drive, but the extra point was blocked and the game was tied 13-13 with 6:12 left in the third quarter.
 
The game was a tale of two halves.
 
The Bobcats had 14 first downs and 190 yards in the first half, but only three first downs and 29 yards in the second half. Gulf Coast had six first downs and 120 yards of offense in the opening half, but racked up 18 first downs and 372 yards of offense in the second half.
 
Jones finished the game with 80 yards rushing, 139 yards passing and 219 yards of total offense. The Bulldogs rushed for 182 yards, passed for 310 yards and had 492 total yards.
 
Garrison was 17-of-27 with one touchdown, one interception and 113 yards. Blake Murphy (Plantation, Fla.) completed 4-of-7 passes for 26 yards. Gerald Modest Jr. (Miami, Fla.) rushed 17 times for 69 yards.
 
Parodi had eight tackles, 2 ½ tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Cloyd had eight tackles, an interception and a pass breakup. Jonathan Wiltz (Columbia) had eight tackles and half a TFL and Kennon Loftin (West Jones) had eight tackles. Aubert had five tackles, two TFLs, an interception and a 100-yard fumble recovery return.
 
Edmiston averaged 50.8 yards per kick on five punts. Two went inside the 20-yard line and four were 50 yards or more.
 
Varnes completed 26-of-37 passes for 310 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Hall rushed 18 times for 141 yards and a touchdown.
 
The Bobcats return home to meet No. 15 Copiah-Lincoln next week in another division game. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. on Sept. 19 at Bobcat Stadium/Sim Cooley Field. The game will air on jcbobcats.com.
 
The Bulldogs go to Southwest on Sept. 19.