Watch the live stream of Saturday's Game  / Follow the game on Twitter / Give to Coach to Cure
PINEVILLE, La. – When the Louisiana College Wildcats take the field Saturday night at 6 p.m. for their game against rival Mississippi College they will do so with more than just winning on their mind.

For the fourth year, the Louisiana College coaching staff will join the nationwide effort among college football coaches to support Coach to Cure MD.

“It's a cause that is very special to us a staff,” Louisiana College coach Dennis Dunn said. “One our professors, Ms. Robin Haynes, has a nephew who suffers from MD and it's an honor for us to participate on behalf of that young man as well as everyone else who suffers from MD.

“We've participated in the past and it has always been a privilege. It's that much more of a privilege this year because we're playing for her little nephew.”

The Louisiana College vs. MC footbal game will be live streamed at iHigh.com and live audio will be available
The rapidly growing annual effort has raised nearly a million dollars to battle Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and should easily top the million-dollar plateau in 2011.

On Saturday, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) members will wear a Coach to Cure MD logo patch on the sidelines and college football fans will be asked to donate to research projects supported by Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. focused entirely on Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Football fans can donate to Duchenne muscular dystrophy research by either going online to www.CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 90999 (a $5 donation will automatically be added to your next phone bill).

Last year, more than 9,400 college coaches at 373 different institutions participated in the Coach to Cure MD event. Both those figures are well higher than in any of the program's first two years (2008-09). The three year fundraising total is just shy of $875,000, putting Coach to Cure MD on pace to go well over one million dollars after this season.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed during childhood and primarily affects boys across all races and cultures. Boys and young men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy develop progressive muscle weakness that eventually causes loss of mobility, wheelchair dependency and a decline in respiratory and cardiac function. Currently, there is no cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and limited therapeutic options exist.

“Our coaches have really embraced the Coach to Cure MD cause over the last three years,” said Grant Teaff, executive director of the AFCA and legendary former coach at Baylor University. “Because the disease affects so many young boys, it makes sense for college football coaches to step in and make a difference. We are proud to see so much support on the sidelines every September, from coast to coast at every level of play.”

“The “Coach to Cure MD” Campaign is an outstanding example of how the popularity and prestige of NCAA Football can be channeled to benefit an important and meaningful cause,” said Montana State head coach Rob Ash, who is the current president of the AFCA. “The exposure that our coaches and programs will provide to the effort to cure this terrible disease will be significant, and our game will make a difference in the lives of those people who are battling MD. We are happy and proud to be part of the effort to end Duchenne.”

“The coaching staff at Oregon State is honored to be a part of the Coach to Cure MD program to bring awareness to such a debilitating disease,” said Oregon State coach Mike Riley. “We are privileged in college football to work with outstanding student-athletes, but Duchenne robs young men and boys of this opportunity. With the help of college football fans across the country we have a chance to defeat this disease.”

In addition to the coaches' efforts, families affected with Duchenne muscular dystrophy will also gather for fund-raising tailgate parties on campuses around the country to encourage more fans to get involved.

"Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) is thrilled to have the continued support of the AFCA as we head full speed into the fourth year of Coach to Cure MD," said Pat Furlong, founding president and CEO of PPMD. "This year we will undoubtedly hit the million dollar mark, which means continued funding of critical research for this devastating disorder. We are confident that with the AFCA on our team and the incredible support of participating universities across the country, we will end Duchenne."

About the AFCA
The American Football Coaches Association was founded in 1922 and is considered the primary professional association for football coaches at all levels of competition. The 11,000-member organization includes more than 90 percent of head coaches at the 700-plus schools that sponsor football at the college level. Members include coaches from Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and Mexico.

About PPMD
Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1994 by parents of children with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy. The organization's mission is to end Duchenne. We accelerate research, raise our voices in Washington, demand optimal care for all young men and educate the global community. PPMD is headquartered in Middletown, Ohio with offices in Fort Lee, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.parentprojectmd.org.

More on Saturday's Game
Louisiana College (2-0, 0-0 American Southwest Conference) vs. #23 Mississippi College (2-1, 1-0 American Southwest Conference)
When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
TV: None
Watch Online: www.ihigh.com/louisiana college
Radio: 105.5 FM Alexandria (1055kbuck.com)
Where: Pineville, La. (Wildcat Stadium).
Mascots: Louisiana College - Wildcats, Mississippi College - Choctaws.
Coaches: Louisiana College, Dennis Dunn (6th season); Mississippi College, Norman Joseph (7th season).
Last week: Louisiana College defeated Millsaps 56-0 in non-conference action, Mississippi College defeated #8 Hardin-Simmons 45-28
Last year: LC defeated MC 45-42 in Clinton, Miss.
All-Time Series: MC leads 24-9.
Last Win for MC: 2009 (54-44).
Series notes: Mississippi College is LC's oldest, most fierce rival on the gridiron. The two schools first met in 1921 with Mississippi College posting a 68-0 win. Mississippi College won the first 12 games of the rivalry until LC defeated the Choctaws 7-0 in 1935. By the time Louisiana College cancelled football in 1968, the series record stood at 18 wins for MC, two for the Wildcats. Since the return of football at Louisiana College in 2000, the teams have met annually with LC winning six games and MC five. Since 2006, neither team has won on its own field not has either team won consecutive games in the rivalry. The largest margin of victory for either team since 2006 has been 10 points.
Louisiana College Notes: LC is off to its best start since 2008 following a 56-0 drumming of Millsaps. In the modern history of the school (since 2000) the Wildcats have never started 3-0 ... The Louisiana College defense, among the worst in the nation in 2010, had one of the best showings in school history last week forcing five turnover and securing the second-most-lopsided victory in modern history, second only to a 61-0 win over Southwest Assemblies in 2000. It was the first shutout win for the Wildcats (2-0) since a 26-0 win over Sul Ross in 2009 ... Louisiana College senior wide receiver Darnell Williams caught six passes for 109 yards, including a crowd-thrilling 70-yard completion in the third quarter ... Linebacker Nate Janzen posted a team-high 5.5 tackles and added a third-quarter interception, one which he returned 44 yards to the Millsaps 10. As a member of the LC offense's jumbo package on offense, Janzen also added two touchdowns on the night, one rushing and one receiving ... The Wildcat offense was as potent as the defense was stingy with Louisiana College amassing 597 yards of total offense, 355 through the air and 242 on the ground ... The running back trio of Daron Bartholomew, Ryan Montague and Robert Williams combined for 189 yards on 27 carries with Williams leading the team with 86 yards on 11 carries. Montague was good for 68 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries and Bartholomew 35 yards on six carries ... LC quarterback Jamie Bunting completed 21-of-32 passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns. He was intercepted twice.
Mississippi College Notes: The Mississippi College football team forced five turnovers and pulled away for a 45-28 victory over #8 Hardin-Simmons ... The Choctaws have now beaten Hardin-Simmons two out of the last three years and three times in the last 16 tries. Each time MC has beaten the Cowboys, they have gone on to win the American Southwest Conference championship ... Senior running back Steven Knight rushed for 181 yards on 23 carries with three scores, while catching four passes for 44 yards and another touchdown. He had touchdown runs of 72, 3, and 8 yards and a scoring catch of 27 yards in the win ... Senior Jarrad Craine led the team with 10 tackles, while senior Blake Rowell recorded 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks ... MC dominated the time of possession, holding the ball more than 37 minutes. MC had the ball for almost 12 minutes in the 3rd quarter as they outscored the Cowboys, 17-0.