The Breland coaching record in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game is still perfect.
Four years after former Lake football coach Jeff Breland led Mississippi to victory, Union’s Brad Breland led Mississippi to a 17-16 win in overtime at Southern Mississippi’s M.M. Roberts Stadium.
This was the third consecutive win by Mississippi in the game and the fourth time Mississippi has hosted the game after the first nearly 20 years of the game being hosted in Alabama.
Things didn’t look good through the first three quarters, as Alabama built a 10-0 lead, but the Mississippi team didn’t quit and rallied to score 10 points in the fourth quarter to tie the game.
Then in overtime, Mississippi scored their touchdown and extra point to take a 17-10 lead, its first of the game. Alabama scored a touchdown, but the game ended as a Mississippi player blocked the extra point to give Mississippi the win.
Breland said the game was awesome.
“You always like to win, but to win the way we did down 10-0 going to the fourth quarter, and then a blocked field goal and a blocked extra point, coming out and scoring with a minute to go in the game on fourth down, man that’s great. We made the plays when we had to,” Breland said.
The experience of being the head coach in the all-star game was wonderful for Breland, but he gave all the credit to his coaching staff for the success they had.
“I tell you what, I didn’t do a whole lot of coaching,” Breland said. “I just kind of rode the bus because these guys I had with me are great coaches. They did a great job of organizing, calling plays, making in-game adjustments, and they are a great group of guys. And all the credit goes to them.”
Breland said he felt some pressure about coaching in the game.
“I did feel a little pressure, not that Jeff would ever would have ever said anything about it because they had a great team that year,” Brad said. “We have a great team this year too. Alabama is always good. You never know how this game is going to turn out. Like today, it hinged on two or three plays, and that’s the way it’s always been. And we made those plays today.”
One of the things Breland said he will take with him in the experience is the friendships that he’s made with the coaches and players.
“I’ve been around these coaches all week, and of course, we’ve been working together for the last six months,” Breland said. “But to come together and live together for five days, you spend the whole day together. And they’re long days. We get up at 6:30 in the morning and we stay up to 12:30 or 1 in the morning. There a lot of camaraderie and it’s fun to get to know those guys.”
