The Jackson State University football team beat Southern 34-23 Saturday in the Cricket SWAC Championship game.
Jackson State (12-0) won its 18
th SWAC Championship and clinched a berth in the Cricket Celebration Bowl December 17 in Atlanta vs. North Carolina Central. It is the first back-to-back SWAC titles for JSU since 1995-96.
QB
Shedeur Sanders was named Offensive MVP after passing for 320 yards and four touchdowns. LB
Aubrey Miller Jr. was named defensive MVP after making five tackles, one sack, and three tackles for loss.
The opening 11 minutes set the tone for the game. The nation's top ranked defense forced three turnovers (two fumbles, one interception), and made two sacks.
Following a three-and-out forced by the JSU defense, the Tigers' offense drove 61 yards in nine plays as
Alejandro Mata's 22-yard field goal gave Jackson State a 3-0 lead.
On the ensuing possession,
Herman Smith III intercepted a Southern pass and returned it 37 yards to the Jaguar one-yard line. Sy'Veon Wilkerson's one-yard TD run two plays later and PAT kick gave Jackson State a 10-0 lead with 8:26 to play in the first quarter.
On the ensuing possession, Miller Jr.'s sack and forced fumble was recovered by
Antonio Doyle Jr. at the SU 14. On the next play, Sanders fired a 14-yard touchdown pass to
Shane Hooks, and Kevin Coleman's two-point conversion pass gave JSU an 18-0 lead with 6:35 to play in the first quarter.
The Jackson State made its third takeaway in as many possessions on the next Southern drive as
Baron Hopson's sack and forced fumble was recovered by
Justin Ragin at the JSU 42-yard line. The Tigers found the end zone again only four plays later as Sanders and Hooks connected on a 40-yard scoring pass. A Sanders-to-Coleman two-point conversion pass gave JSU a 26-0 lead with 3:51 to play in the opening period.
After Southern scored early in the second quarter, JSU scored on its fifth straight possession. A seven-play, 85-yard Jackson State drive ended with a 14-yard scoring pass from Sanders to Coleman, with Mata's PAT giving the Tigers a 33-7 lead with 11:25 to play in the first half.
After Southern closed the gap in the third quarter, JSU put the game away for good. Sanders threw his fourth TD pass of the game, a nine-yard strike to
Rico Powers late in the period for the final margin.
