Wakil Atig
Sports Editor
The football world was in for a treat this past weekend as the Tigers of Jackson State University battled the Golden Lions of the University of Arkansas Pine-Bluff. The Tigers entered this matchup on a two-game winning streak after two gritty overtime victories against Mississippi Valley and Prairie View A&M University.
From the moment of the first kickoff, both teams let it be known that this game was going to be hard fought and earned. The intensity of this game is what football fans around the world could appreciate as it was an all out battle until the very end.
At the start of the first quarter, freshman defensive back, Jason Baker intercepted a pass on defense that devastated UAPB. Jackson State’s defense was their key to success throughout the game. The fierce presence of their blitz along with the hunger from the secondary, startled the offense of UAPB.
After a solid offensive sequence, JSU failed to capitalize on a field goal fake that was interrupted by the defense of UAPB. On offense UAPB ran the ball early and caused JSU to make some adjustments definsively. JSU began blitzing the Lions causing their quarterback to behave timidly in the pocket.
On 3rd down, senior defensive linemen CJ Anderson sacked the quarterback from UAPB sending the crowd at Mississippi Memorial Stadium into an uproar. This play gave JSU the momentum they needed heading into the second quarter.
Although both teams failed to score in the first quarter, the second quarter proved to be the most pivotal quarter of the game as it was undecided who had control of the game. Freshman quarterback, Jalon Jones found receiver Terell Kennedy III on a 72-yard touchdown pass to take the lead. This was a big game for Jones as he finished with 162 passing yards, 1 touchdown and 1 rushing touchdown.
UAPB struggled tremendously in the first half as their offense lacked execution and their defense suffered from laziness. Even though JSU only led 7-0 at halftime, the Tigers had won the game in the category of mental toughness and that was the deciding factor in this game.
At the start of the third quarter, the game had got more intense. Tempers from both sides began to get out of hand as several penalty flags were issued. This only excited the crowd as it showed the competitive nature of both programs.
UAPB offense picked up some steam as they were determined to put points on the board. UAPB scored two touchdowns in the second quarter and as they trailed 14-12. UAPB rushed for a total of 72 yards in the game with 227 passing yards.
Everything was clicking for the Lions on both sides of the ball until junior fullback Josh Littles broke through traffic and sprinted down field for a 94-yard kickoff return to end the 3rd quarter. This would be the defining play of the game as the Tigers never gave UAPB a chance at making a comeback.
Jackson State University demolished UAPB 21-12 to improve their record to 4-5 overall and 3-1 in the conference. The Tigers take their talents down south this weekend to face off against Alabama A&M University in conference play.
Jasmine Quinn, a sophomore business management major from Indianapolis, Ind., is extremely proud of the football team and their progress this season.
“It has been extremely tough for the football team this season with all the injuries and off the field drama. I am just glad that they have persevered and found a way to turn their season around Their performance in these last three games let me know that they have some level of grit to them.”
Shauntavia Kizer, a junior biology pre-medicine major from Chicago, Ill., believes the team’s winning streak is a great way to finish the rest of the season.
“Winning is tough especially for a team that is limited due to injuries. I just want the season to continue the way it’s been going and for the Tigers to win the rest of their games. We beat Pine-Bluff which was a tough game, so there’s no doubt in my mind we can beat our remaining opponents.”
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