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Jackson State Game Notes
 
ATLANTA, Ga. – For the first time in program history the Jackson State football team is playing in the Celebration Bowl and will match-up with South Carolina State for the HBCU National Championship.
 
Traditional Powers Meet for 5^th Time
 
Jackson State and South Carolina State are traditional powers in college football and in HBCU circle. The two programs have combined for 34 conference championships, combined for 952 wins, and each have four alumni in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Tigers and Bulldogs played between 1991-1994, which the series knotted at 2-2.
 
Jackson State Claims 17^th SWAC Championship
 
Jackson State defeated Prairie View A&M 27-10 on December 4 and claimed the program's 17^th Southwestern Athletic Conference crown.
 
JSU (11-1) scored defensive and special teams' touchdowns and rolled to a 27-10 victory over Prairie View A&M (7-5) to claim the 2021 SWAC Football Championship. Trailing 10-7 in the second quarter, All-SWAC First Team Return Specialist Isaiah Bolden bolted down the sidelines for a 91-yard kickoff return and the Tigers went to halftime with a 13-10 lead. At 8:20 in the third quarter SWAC Newcomer of the Year and SWAC Championship Game Defensive MVP James Houston came through with a pick six to extend the lead to 20-13. Peytton Pickett put the game away in the second half with a 5-yard touchdown run. Pickett was the SWAC Championship Game Offensive MVP with 107 yards on 19 carries for 5.6 yards per rush. All-SWAC First Team Linebacker Aubrey Miller, Jr. finished with a game-high 7.5 tackles, 1 sack and 1 tackle for loss. All-SWAC Second Team Linebacker Keonte Hampton added 5.5 tackles, 1 sack and recovered a fumble. True freshman Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig finished with two interceptions.
 
9 Placed on All-SWAC Team
 
James Houston (DL) - SWAC Newcomer of the Year/All-SWAC First Team
 
Houston concluded regular season play as one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the SWAC. During regular season play he totaled 59 tackles (44 solo) and 20.5 tackles for loss for -125 yards. Houston also contributed 14.5 sacks for -102 yards, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one defensive touchdown, and eight QB hurries. The Tigers featured the top-ranked defense at the conclusion of regular season play and allow just 13.8 points and 258.3 yards per game. Houston is also All-SWAC First Team defensive lineman.
 
Shedeur Sanders (QB) - SWAC Freshman of the Year/All-SWAC Second Team
 
Sanders had a stellar debut season for the Tigers as he has been named a finalist for the Stats Perform FCS Jerry Rice award. At the conclusion of regular season play, he led the SWAC with a 68.7 completion percentage while passing for 2,971 yards (2nd in SWAC), 28 touchdowns (2nd in SWAC) and only five interceptions. Sanders averaged 270.1 passing yards (2nd in SWAC) per game while leading the Tigers to an undefeated 8-0 record in league play and their first SWAC Championship appearance since 2013. Sanders is also All-SWAC Second Team quarterback.
 
Deion Sanders - SWAC Coach of Year
 
Sanders led the Tigers to a 10-1 overall record and a perfect 8-0 mark in SWAC regular season play. Under Sanders' leadership, the Tigers are currently ranked in the top 15 of the FCS Coaches Poll and are also ranked in the top 25 of the Stats FCS Poll. The Tigers claimed the SWAC East Division title for the first time since the 2013 season. For his efforts Sanders has been named a finalist for the Stats Perform FCS Eddie Robinson award.
 
Antwan Owens (DL) – All-SWAC First Team
 
Owens had a suburb season for the Tigers. The defensive lineman tallied 55 tackles (28 solo, 27 assisted), 16.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks. Owens added a pair of pass breakups, one QB hurry, and one forced fumble. Owens anchored a defensive line that allowed 99.5 rushing yards per game.
 
Aubrey Miller, Jr. (LB) – All-SWAC First Team
 
Miller dominated at linebacker for the Tigers. The Memphis, Tennessee native finished with a team-high 91 tackles (43 solo, 48 assisted), 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, three pass breakups, one QB hurry, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
 
Isaiah Bolden (Return Specialist) – All-SWAC First Team
 
Bolden provided impact for the Tigers as the primary kickoff returner. The Tampa, Florida product finished with exactly 500 kickoff return yards on 15 attempts for an average of 33.33 yards per return. Bolden added a 94-yard kickoff return at the start of the third quarter versus Bethune-Cookman to seal the 42-12 win.
 
Keith Corbin III (WR) – All-SWAC Second Team
 
Corbin is a go-to threat to score whenever he touches the ball. The Beaumont, Texas product totaled 887 receiving yards, six touchdowns and averaged 80.6 receiving yards and 5.7 receptions per game. Corbin finished with 100 or more receiving four times (113 – Delta State, 113 – Alabama State, 124-Bethune Cookman, 110 – Alcorn State).
 
Tony Gray (OL) – All-SWAC Second Team
 
Gray is a dominant offensive lineman for the Tigers. He helped anchor an offensive line that averaged 29.2 points per game and 270.1 passing yards per game. In the dominating 61-15 win over Alabama A&M, Gray helped pave the way for 247 rushing yards and four touchdowns, and average of 8.8 yards per rush.
 
Keonte Hampton (LB) – All-SWAC Second Team
 
Hampton is the heart and the soul of the top-ranked Jackson State defense. The West Point, Mississippi native totaled 68 tackles (46 solo, 22 assisted), 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble, one QB hurry, and one pass breakup. His top performance was an 11-tackle effort at Southern.
 
Shilo Sanders (DB) – All-SWAC Second Team
 
Sanders is one of the leaders of the "Headache Gang" in the JSU secondary. The Canton, Texas product played in 11 games and totaled 32 tackles (22 solo, 10 assisted) and three interceptions, two pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Sanders forced the fumbles in wins over Tennessee State and Delta State, and added interceptions in wins over Bethune Cookman, Southern, and Alcorn State.
 
Shedeur Sanders Wins Jerry Rice Award
 
Shedeur Sanders' consistent excellence has been pivotal in the Tigers' championship season and one of the big reasons why on Monday he was named the 2021 recipient of the Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award, which is presented to the national freshman player of the year in Division I FCS.
 
A 50-member, national media panel selected the Rice Award after the regular season, with Sanders winning over runner-up Darius Hale of Central Arkansas from a group of 23 finalists. The Rice Award, now in its 11th season, is named for legendary Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, and past recipients include Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington), Arizona Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds (Fordham) and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (North Dakota State).
 
Shedeur Sanders was on campus as a redshirt during his father's first season this past spring. After winning the starting job in the summer, he has gone on to be the offensive leader of Jackson State's first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship squad since 2007. The Tigers (11-1) next face South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl Saturday in Atlanta.
 
During the regular season, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Sanders, from Canton Texas, completed 248 of 361 passes (68.7 percent) for 2,971 yards (over 200 in every game) and 28 touchdowns with only five interceptions – a 160.5 passer efficiency rating that ranked fifth in the FCS – and rushed for three more scores. He went over 3,000 yards and added a 29th TD pass in the SWAC championship game.
 
Looking for Win No. 500
 
A win over South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl will be the 500^th win in Jackson State history.
 
In the Record Books
 
JSU freshmen Shedeur Sanders and Malachi Wideman, and seniors Keith Corbin III and James Houston have etched their names in the JSU record books. Sanders has tossed 29 touchdown passes (tied for 2^nd all-time in season), 256 pass completions (3^rd all-time in a single season), 3056 yards (6^th all-time in a single season). Wideman has 12 touchdown receptions (3^rd all-time in a season), Corbin has 65 receptions (6^th all-time in a season), and James Houston has tallied 14.5 sacks (2^nd all-time in a season).