ELLISVILLE – Jones College piled up 685 yards of total offense and rallied from an early two-touchdown deficit, but No. 2 Mississippi Gulf Coast answered every second-half challenge to escape Sim Cooley Field with a 41-34 victory Saturday afternoon on Homecoming.
The Bobcats (3-3, 1-2 MACCC South) erased a 14-0 deficit and eventually took their first lead with 8:54 remaining, but Gulf Coast quarterback Parker Nettles answered with his fourth touchdown pass of the afternoon to keep the Bulldogs unbeaten at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in division play.
Jones finished with a season-high 685 yards on 101 offensive plays, including 395 on the ground, and picked up 39 first downs. The Bobcats held the ball for more than 39 minutes but were hurt by four turnovers and seven penalties for 64 yards. Gulf Coast needed only 55 offensive snaps to produce 551 yards, averaging 10 yards per play.
Gulf Coast needed just 43 seconds to strike first.
Royale Shelvy returned the opening kickoff -- a pooch kick -- 49 yards to the Jones 19, and Jailen Wheeler scored from 15 yards out two plays later.
Wheeler then broke loose for a 67-yard touchdown on 4th and 1 from the Bulldogs' own 33 yard-line less than four minutes into the game to give the Bulldogs a 14-0 advantage.
Jones moved deep into Gulf Coast territory on its next possession but came away empty after an interception near the goal line.
The offense finally broke through in the second quarter.
Jevarion Glover directed a 90-yard drive and found Keegan Temich for a 3-yard touchdown with 8:01 remaining in the half, cutting the deficit to 14-7. Gulf Coast responded when Nettles connected with Michael Moore on an 18-yard touchdown pass for a 21-7 advantage.
Jones then put together a furious finish to the half.
Glover capped another long scoring drive with a 3-yard touchdown run with 2:57 remaining. After Jones got the ball back, Glover marched the Bobcats 90 yards in 11 plays and scored again, this time from 8 yards out with 17 seconds left, sending the teams to halftime tied 21-21.
Gulf Coast opened the third quarter scoring when Nettles found Shelvy for a 90-yard touchdown, putting the Bulldogs back in front 27-21.
Jones refused to go away.
After the teams traded missed field goals, Glover engineered a nine-play, 73-yard drive and scored his third rushing touchdown from 5 yards out. The missed extra point left the game tied 27-27 with 2:48 remaining in the third.
Nettles hit Moore for a 72-yard touchdown only 48 seconds later, their second scoring connection of the afternoon, to put Gulf Coast back in front 33-27.
Jones answered with its longest possession of the game. The Bobcats went 75 yards in 17 plays and drained 8:06 off the clock before Santae McWilliams Jr. scored on a 3-yard run. Wyatt Jones' extra point gave Jones its first lead, 34-33, with 8:54 to play.
Again, Gulf Coast had an answer.
The Bulldogs went 86 yards in seven plays, and Nettles found Moore for a 37-yard touchdown with 6:37 remaining. Nettles ran in the two-point conversion to give Gulf Coast a 41-34 lead.
Jones crossed midfield on its ensuing possession, but Glover was intercepted with 3:39 left. The Bobcat defense forced a turnover on downs to give the offense one final opportunity with 1:42 remaining, but Jones was unable to reach the end zone before time expired.
Glover accounted for 424 yards of total offense and four touchdowns. He completed 26 of 38 passes for 290 yards and a touchdown while rushing 17 times for 134 yards and three scores.
Terrell Surtain Jr. led a dominant Jones rushing effort with 136 yards on 12 carries, an average of 11.3 yards per attempt. CJ Rush added 68 yards on 20 carries, and McWilliams rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Tyree Barnett led Jones through the air with eight catches for 103 yards, while Jalen Jones caught six passes for 100 yards. Jet Henderson added seven receptions for 55 yards.
Nettles completed 20 of 32 passes for 390 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Shelvy caught six passes for 188 yards and a touchdown, while Moore turned three receptions into 127 yards and three scores. Wheeler finished with 138 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.
Delarrius Hayes led the Jones defense with nine tackles. Thaelon Henton forced a fumble and recovered it for the Bobcats.
Jones goes to Itawamba (5-1) next Thursday, Oct. 8, facing its fourth Top-15 opponent in seven games. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on jcbobcats.com/watch.
