East Mississippi Community College sophomore defensive back Diamante Pounds knew something was amiss.

Itawamba Community College had just collected 728 total yards. EMCC is used to seeing that number in its column, not in the opponent’s column.

Even though EMCC still escaped Eaton Field with a 44-42 victory against its biggest rival, Pounds said all of the Lions were down.

“All the defensive players had was emptiness,” Pounds said. “We knew we had to get it right quickly or the whole season would fall apart.”

The Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) has built its reputation around being the self-proclaimed “toughest league in America.”

It hasn’t become the nation’s best JUCO conference because of smash-mouth defense. Scores in the MACJC usually are 40-something to 30-something.

EMCC always has been a breed apart. The Lions always have thrown big numbers on the scoreboard, but they also have won with a defensive tenacity that rarely has been seen in these parts.

EMCC’s National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national championship squads in 2013 and in 2014 set school records with five shutouts each season.

Under defensive coordinators William Jones (five seasons) and Jordan Lesley (three seasons), EMCC ranked among the top five in almost every defensive statistical category on an annual basis.

The Lions always had more speed than the opposition, which helped them neutralize the one or two standouts on the other team. Pressure in the backfield causes other offenses to unravel.

This season, with seven Division I transfers on defense, EMCC figured to have a defense that could be its yet. After some growing pains earlier in the season, EMCC first-year defensive coordinator Ed Holly is molding his unit into a consistent one.

“It really took us some time to put it all together,” said EMCC sophomore linebacker Dakota Allen, who transferred from Texas Tech. “You look at the highlight films of the guys and we all know we can make plays. You just expect to go out there and dominate. For whatever reason, it didn’t happen. There were some long nights, but when you believe in the process and you know the talent around you, it’s going to happen sooner or later.”

EMCC (8-1) will carry an eight-game winning streak into its game against Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. (5-4) in the opening round of the MACJC playoffs at 2 p.m. Saturday at Sullivan-Windham Field in Scooba.

After surviving the scare against ICC, EMCC had another horrific night on defense two weeks later when Holmes C.C. collected 652 yards in EMCC’s 63-49 victory.

“I thought this would be our best defense,” Pounds said. “When you watch the film from that game, you shake your head. Holmes has a nice team and all of that, but you look at it and you just don’t really feel like that is your team out there.”

EMCC freshman lineman and Starkville native Maleke Bell said the team didn’t need any outside criticism because enough was coming from inside the locker room.

“The coaches were really riding us hard,” Bell said. “They were not letting up on us. It’s like ‘this is not the way we play defense around here.’ They really challenged our manhood. They got in our face and challenged whether we wanted this bad enough or not.”

A season-opening loss to Jones Junior College could be excused because EMCC only had half of its roster due to a suspension of players by the MACJC. As the offense found its rhythm, the wins began to mount and EMCC worked its way back up the national rankings after being No. 1 in the preseason.

Still, the defense appeared to be along for the ride. That finally changed when a stellar defensive effort helped EMCC beat Northwest Mississippi C.C. 51-32 for the MACJC North Division title. The victory gave the Lions a sixth-straight division title.

Sophomore linebacker Ryan Lee, a former South Panola standout, said the biggest challenge was staying positive. The team kept winning, so the vibe in the locker room was good.

“We just had to do what we were capable of doing,” Lee said. “You can say new coach and you can say new players, but at the end of the day it’s a personal responsibility to play better. The communication is a lot better. I don’t think we were as tight as we needed to be to start the season. There are a lot of people from all over that help make up this team. You just got to buy in and believe in your fellow brother. Once we did that, things took off.”

Allen finished as the MACJC’s top tackler in the regular season with 90 tackles. Pounds is second with 67 stops, while Lee is third with 48.

The increased presence in the backfield has really shown up in the last three games. EMCC has 15 of its 35 sacks in the victories against Northwest Mississippi C.C., Coahoma C.C., and Hinds C.C. The Lions are still behind their usual takeaway pace, but 12 fumble recoveries and seven interceptions are still strong numbers.

“The defense is playing on a really high level,” EMCC coach Buddy Stephens said. “We haven’t forced the issue because we got guys who can make plays. For whatever reason, it has just been struggle. We have been bitten by the big play. Hopefully, that is behind us. We are in a very good place mentally and physically. We have three games left to be at our best.”

EMCC broke the shutout hex and looked dominant in back-to-back 42-0 wins against Coahoma C.C. and Hinds C.C. An early fourth-quarter score by Northwest Mississippi C.C. was the last touchdown allowed.

“I have never seen a team work so hard for a shutout,” Pounds said. “There was so much relief after the Coahoma game. It was good to finally say, ‘We did this.’ It was good to feel like we finally belonged.”

Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott

Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.