The No. 3 ranked GMC Junior College football team is 9-1 for the season going into this weekend’s Mississippi Bowl against No. 7 ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Biloxi, Miss.

The one loss that’s a blemish on an almost-perfect season record resulted from an early-season game against Navarro College, but the team has a chance to erase that loss this weekend, said head coach Bert Williams.

“I think it’ll be a good challenge,” said Williams. “They compare very favorably to Navarro, which is the only team we lost to this season. They’re good on both sides of the ball. They’re very talented.”

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs, the defending national co-champions, have won five straight games compared to the GMC Bulldogs’ nine straight wins, and the team won its bid in the inaugural Mississippi Bowl after defeating Pearl River 52-7 on Nov. 7, which made them Mississippi State Champions.

“They spread it out, but they’re probably the most running team in Mississippi. Most teams in Mississippi are spread attacks. They’ll have a lot of speed and a lot of attack.”

MCG has the No. 3 ranked rushing offense, which averages around 230 yards a game, added Williams, and the No. 10 rushing defense, giving up just 87 yards on average.

But with a team that has the No. 5 offense and the No. 10 defense in the country, the GMC Bulldogs will be keeping up their end of the bargain, said Williams.

Since the 27-26 win against Lackawanna College on Nov. 15, the team has been practicing hard in preparation for this weekend’s bowl game, said Williams.

“We’ve been practicing every day,” he said. “It’s been a good week of preparation, and we’re ready to go.”

A win in this weekend’s game will have a positive impact on the team overall, said Williams.

“It’ll just be a good finish to a really good year and a lot of hard work by these kids. It’s always nice to finish with a win,” he said. “It’s gives us a little drive in the off-season and it will erase that one loss.”

—Tune in to a live broadcast of the game Sunday at 2 p.m. at www.wlox.com.