Last week Southwest Mississippi Community College barely lost to the No. 5-ranked Jones County Bobcats. The Bears held a 19-18 lead before throwing a third down interception with 2:30 left in the game. The pick was returned for a touchdown and a 25-19 Bobcat win.
“It’s a difficult loss,” Southwest head coach Charles Anthony said. “When you feel like you give it away.”
For the Bears, this week is homecoming and they will face the Hinds Eagles Saturday at 7 p.m. It not only gives Southwest an opportunity to heal up an extra couple days, but also to get used to being back at home after two straight road games.
Facing a third-and-6 for the first down on their own 25-yard line, the Bears went for the first down with a pass and not the clock-friendly conservative option.
“He hadn’t been able to get a third-and-one much less a third-and-five,” Anthony said. “We felt like we needed the first down.”
Had the Bears just ran the ball and took some time off the clock it wouldn’t have been much of a trek into field goal territory for the Bobcats.
“They were going to have the ball at midfield after our punt,” Anthony said. “One first down from there and they’re in field goal range with a pretty good kicker.”
Unfortunately, the interception put a cap on the game for Southwest.
“That’s where geniuses are born,” Anthony said. “They take risks and it works. If you make the first down it’s a great call, if you don’t it’s a bad one.
“It might be a different pass play next time, but I’d throw it again in the same situation.”
Another first and the Bears could have at least ran off a lot more of the clock and pushed the Bobcats farther into their own territory on the punt, whereas the interception cinched things up pretty quickly.
This week Southwest will host Hinds. The Eagles bring a very strong secondary and the second best defense in the state. Hinds held Copiah-Lincoln to seven yards rushing last week in their 37-0 blowout win.
“This is the best secondary we’ve played,” Anthony said. “But I still feel like we can throw the ball.”
