Jeremey Anderson
Staff Writer
After a week off, Jackson State University will return to action on Saturday against the Jaguars of Southern University at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Both teams have a rich football history and are long-time rivals, so tensions will be high for this match-up. With both Southern and JSU having big fan bases in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, expect a rowdy atmosphere throughout the game.
The two storied programs met twice last year and split the season series.
Last year, Jackson State won the regular season matchup 19-14 in Baton Rouge, La. The two teams later met in the SWAC Championship in Houston, Texas. JSU fell to Southern in the second overtime period 34-27.
This year, Southern is 4-3 (3-1 SWAC) and looking for another SWAC championship appearance. SU is 2nd in the SWAC West behind Grambling State, whom they will play later in the season in the Bayou Classic. Their lone SWAC loss was to the Alcorn State University Braves.
Conversely, Jackson State, who mathematically still has a chance at a SWAC championship appearance, sits at third place in the SWAC East with a record of 3-4 (1-3 SWAC). In the SWAC East standings, Jackson State trails Alcorn State and Alabama State.
Last week, Southern trailed Alabama A&M late into the game in Huntsville, Ala. The Jaguars fought back into the game and surged to win 35-34 against the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M, taking the lead late in the fourth quarter.
Jackson State lost to Mississippi Valley State University two weeks ago during their Homecoming game. The Tigers played hard but could not avoid the upset by the Delta Devils of MVSU. The 27-23 loss ended a 19 year win streak for JSU against MVSU.
Although they lost a lot of talent last year in quarterback Dray Joseph and wide receiver Lee Doss, Southern has settled on freshman QB Austin Howard and his main target, the 5’5 Willie Quinn. Keys to a JSU victory will be to contain All-SWAC receiver Quinn and to not let the freshman QB play like a veteran.
After the bye week, the Tigers will be a healthier team than two weeks ago against MVSU. Expect to see receivers Tobias Singleton and Devin Fosselman back on the field against Southern.
This Saturday’s rivalry game will be sure to provide a fun atmosphere. Southern fans will always show up in Jackson in their royal blue and gold, letting everyone know that Jaguar Nation has arrived. And everyone looks forward to the battle between Southern’s band, “The Human Jukebox,” and the famed “Sonic Boom of the South.”
There are few games like the SU vs. JSU game. Be sure to join the excitement this Saturday at 6 p.m. at Mississippi Veteran’s Memorial Stadium.
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